Greetings,  As most readers probably know, Gene Gerety and I are
marketing an inline valve system for pneumatic pianos, called the
E-Roll Player.  Due to the ease of play that this system provides, it
is likely that owners of reproducing pianos, with the system installed,
will make much greater use of them.

These pianos have motors in them that were made between 50 and 100
years ago and most have not been properly restored.  We are very
concerned that continued use beyond the original design specifications
of the motors could result in overheating and failure, or fire.

Therefore, I have developed a simple motor overheat protector than can
be installed in a matter of minutes on any common piano motor of less
than 1/4 horsepower rating.

In the interest of safety I am offering this for general sale.  My
target price is $75 plus shipping.  This includes the thermal cutoff
device and the hardware and wiring necessary to install it on almost
any motor.  The switch is UL recognized and very well made of heavy
metal.  It is not a cheap plastic snap disc.

In addition, each switch will be calibrated to make sure it operates at
the proper temperature.  This is why it can not be offered at a lower
price.  I have researched the market quite a bit attempting to find a
ready-made solution but there is nothing available that I can find that
lends itself to the range of motors used in these instruments and that
is less expensive.

The switch is user adjustable but it will be provided individually
calibrated to a reasonable setting at the high range so it is not
possible to install it in an unsafe manner if the instructions are
followed.  The switch will shut off the motor when the frame where it
is installed reaches 160 degrees F.  The Class A insulation of these
motors is rated at 190 degrees F.  The windings generally run quite a
bit cooler than the frame of the motor due to cooling by air currents,
so this is a conservative setting.  For those who are confident in
their ability to determine another safe cutoff temperature, it is
possible to change this setting.  Instructions on adjustment will be
provided but it is recommended that the original setting be used for
the highest degree of protection.

I need to determine how many of these are likely to be sold so that I
can decide on calibration methods.  They can be calibrated individually
but it is a slow process.  If many are to be sold, I will invest in
building a faster calibration unit.

If you are interested in this protection for your instrument, please
contact me by e-mail and let me know how many you are likely to be
needing.

Best regards,
Spencer Chase
Garberville, CA
http://www.spencerserolls.com/