Broken Plate

[Ron Nossaman]

> If I understand you correctly, this arrangement would allow the 
> soundboard to actually go under the pinblock?

Exactly.


> If so, I still don't see why backposts would prevent that anyway (in a 
> traditional plated piano). I think it is the pinblock that would be in 
> the way of extending the soundboard way up there.

And what holds a pinblock in place in a typical vertical? It's 
sandwiched between the plate and a filler block, to the back 
posts. The plate won't hold the block in place against string 
tension or we wouldn't be bolting the things back together 
when the original structure fails and the block separates from 
the back. If the plate is strong enough, like an Astin-Weight, 
the back structure isn't necessary and the soundboard can go 
up behind the pinblock, also like the Astin-Weight. 
http://www.astin-weight.com/Our_patent.sb
Ron N