I've always wondered if there's any original source for the "Buffalo
Convention" 88-note roll format.  I've never seen the details in
literature of the period, other than the bit quoted below.

The 88-note roll was introduced in 1908, so the 1911 standards were
stating or clarifying rather than establishing the details.  It would
be very interesting to know what these 1911 discussions were.

One thing that is fairly obvious is that Aeolian were involved in
setting this standard, making sure that there was enough space for
their Themodist accenting "snakebites" between the playing notes and
the sustaining pedal.  This ensured that their Themodist rolls would
play on any standard 88-note machine (although Aeolian's small
accenting punches clearly do not meet the suggestion that all marginal
punches should be the same as the playing notes).

Aeolian probably had even more to do with the 88-note standard than
that.  The words below taken from the February 1909 "British and
Colonial Piano Journal" would suggest that Aeolian designed the 88-note
roll spool -- and, who knows, possibly the roll format itself?

Aeolian were definitely involved with 88-note systems very early on: my
Pianola 65/88n Themodist grand was built some time before December 1908
-- I know because that date got transferred from a newspaper advert to
some varnish inside the stack!

  "In view of the widespread interest in America in the proposed new
standard clutch-pin and music-roll holder, offered by the Aeolian Co.,
of America, to its customers and the entire trade without royalty
payment or licence fee, the detailed drawings of the new device will
interest those members of the trade on this side of the Atlantic who
have given the mechanical features of the player-piano more than the
usual attention.

  "The sectional elevation in profile shows the contact and bearing
points of the new device.  The new holding mechanism is a great
mechanical advance on the former type in general use, for it provides
for firmer and more accurate retention of the music spool between its
bearing points and makes the question of perfect "tracking" an easy one
to solve under all atmospheric conditions.

  "Apart from the advantage of uniformity of size, this clutch and
roll-holder also mean a change in the roll spool itself.  Instead of
two projecting points -- one plain with conical end and the other or
gudgeon end with ears -- the new roll has no projecting points, but
instead two brass counter-sunk sockets are inserted, one in either end
of the spool.  In the right-hand end a key slot is cut in the cup or
seat of the brass bushing, into which the clutch automatically engages
and is firmly retained.

  "The left-hand carrier engages with the plain brass counter-sunk
socket on the other end of the roll-spool.  This arrangement not only
permits the use of shorter cardboard boxes in which to hold the rolls,
but obviates the necessity for insertions in the roll boxes of the
wooden or metal supports heretofore considered essential.

  "The new device is being rapidly adopted by a large number of
music-roll houses and gives every indication of becoming from this time
on a standard feature in piano-player construction."


The diagrams that accompanied this were of the drive chuck seen on
Aeolian 65/88 note Pianolas, where the 88-note drive is detachable and
slots over the 65-note one.  The spool construction is the familiar one
still in use today.  No dimensions were stated for the depth of the
left-hand bearing recess, but the suggestion that this design improves
tracking stability suggests that a standard distance was envisaged.

Julian Dyer