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MMD > Archives > April 2012 > 2012.04.10 > 06Prev  Next


Air Motor Below the Keybed in Odd Player Action
By David Dewey

Hi all,  I have a friend with an unusual player mechanism in his piano.
The most unique feature is the roll motor which is under the keybed
with a looooong chain connecting it to the roll box transmission above
the stack.  Also, the tracking mechanism moves the tracker bar, and
it's operated by two fingers riding the roll edge, opening tubing
connected to each side of a divided bellows.  The center board is
attached to the tracker bar, and to the vacuum supply -- a very simple
setup!  It is fastened to the roll box by four screws going through
wooden blocks mounted on the outside of the bellows.

Why I am curious about this mechanism is the rewind shaft is missing,
the part that goes in the slotted roll flange.  What is there is a
3/8" diameter rod, 11/16" long with a hole in the end a little smaller
than 1/4" diameter, 5/16" deep.  There are four slots on the end,
evenly spaced (about 1/16" wide, 1'4" long), almost like it was made
for the 65-note pin end rolls.  In addition, there is a small round head
pin 3/8" from the open end, centered between two of the slots.

The previous owner had stuffed a wooden dowel in the hole and made the
end flat to drive the rewind.  This failed, and that's when I came into
the picture.  I can machine a proper fitting "adapter" but I was
wondering if anyone has run across this before?

Thanks!
David Dewey


(Message sent Tue 10 Apr 2012, 19:09:58 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Action, Air, Below, Keybed, Motor, Odd, Player

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