Hi, I am Richard A. Cardwell.  I have been an avid MMD reader for about
a year now.  It is a fascinating forum.  I am an electrical engineer
with an interest in things mechanical (pianos, old cars, etc.).  I have
a 1913 Mason & Hamlin upright (S/N 22580) with a Red/T100 Welte-Mignon
action (S/N W142).

Otto Kremp -- It was my understanding that Mr. Kremp came over from
Freiburg to supervise the installation of the Welte-Mignon action into
the Mason & Hamlin piano in Poughkeepsie, New York.  His title was
"Technical Expert".  It was the first time that the Welte-Mignon had
been installed in an American piano.  The piano was sold in New York
City to someone living in the Bronx.

Around 1947 the original owner was going to move and was unable to take
the piano with him.  Mr. Kremp was familiar with the piano and recom-
mended to my father, Allen D. Cardwell (ADC), that he buy it.  It took
five men and a derrick ("Julius Bumb" Piano Movers) to move the piano
from the Bronx apartment (through a window) and then bring it to the
basement of our home.

Mr. Kremp was employed during WW2 by the Allen D. Cardwell Manufac-
turing Corporation, 81 Prospect Street, Brooklyn NY, at the building
at 192 Water Street.  The first job he worked on was an automatic
calibrator for the frequency meters being manufactured by ADC.

The calibrator system consisted of a device to automatically relate the
frequency dial setting to a frequency standard and then to print the
dial settings in the calibration book supplied with each frequency
meter.  The system had three basic elements consisting of:

1. Electronic: to generate the standard frequencies and to identify
when the frequency meter signal matched the standard frequency.

2. Mechanical: to punch holes in a paper tape corresponding to the dial
settings of the standard frequencies and to extract from the paper tape
the dial setting numbers which were then printed in the calibration
book.

3. Pneumatic: to isolate [mechanically and electrically] the electronic
portion from the mechanical portion and to read the punched paper tape
for the printer.

Ralph R. Batcher was responsible for the Electronic.  Allen D. Cardwell
was responsible for the Mechanical.  Otto Emil Kremp was responsible
for the Pneumatic.

Later he was employed applying pneumatics to operate some of the tools
(such as delicate presses such as E-B Stimpson Co.).  The vacuum pumps
to operate the pneumatics ran 12 hours a day and he was kept busy
contacting his friends for second-hand pumps.

After the war Mr. Kremp worked with my father developing pneumatic
machines for physical therapy.  These machines were never used in
practice because my father was not able to get anyone in the medical
profession to support their use.  His shop was located at 406 East
147th Street Bronx, NY.  This work ended in 1949.

As John McClelland mentioned the pneumatics provided a practical way
to control and modify the repetition, strength and duration of the
therapeutic movements.  These devices were disposed of 25 years ago
as a result of a house move.

Richard A. Cardwell

 [ Welcome to MMD, Richard.  That's an interesting story you relate.
 [ Many thousands of the frequency meter were produced by the Cardwell
 [ company (and possibly other contractors), which were routinely used
 [ to adjust the operating frequency of the military radio transmitters
 [ and receivers.  Each unit had its own unique thick calibration book.
 [ Now I know how the book was produced.  -- Robbie