Pianotech

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

I seriously doubt this had anything to do with the player mechanism. Most likely mounting point for a half blow rail.

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Actually, I tend to agree with Del and Larry, that was my first thought but the missing bushings threw me off, I couldn't quite picture it. but I have seen those mechanisms. 
AI always is so good at sounding authoritative, but there's no room above the stack for player gear either.

I seriously doubt this had anything to do with the player mechanism. Most likely mounting point for a half blow rail.

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

No one asks AI to cite its sources.

Actually, I tend to agree with Del and Larry, that was my first thought but the missing bushings threw me off, I couldn't quite picture it. but I have seen those mechanisms. 
AI always is so good at sounding authoritative, but there's no room above the stack for player gear either.

I seriously doubt this had anything to do with the player mechanism. Most likely mounting point for a half blow rail.

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Player grands often (if not always) used the "half-blow" rail instead of shifting the action since the player unit does not lend itself to sideways movement. It is standard manufacturing practice to economize where possible by making a part that is usable in multiple setups. I agree that that is the reason for the seemingly mysterious protrusion. 

Peter Grey Piano Doctor 

No one asks AI to cite its sources.

Actually, I tend to agree with Del and Larry, that was my first thought but the missing bushings threw me off, I couldn't quite picture it. but I have seen those mechanisms. 
AI always is so good at sounding authoritative, but there's no room above the stack for player gear either.

I seriously doubt this had anything to do with the player mechanism. Most likely mounting point for a half blow rail.

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Actually, I tend to agree with Del and Larry, that was my first thought but the missing bushings threw me off, I couldn't quite picture it. but I have seen those mechanisms. 
AI always is so good at sounding authoritative, but there's no room above the stack for player gear either.

I seriously doubt this had anything to do with the player mechanism. Most likely mounting point for a half blow rail.

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Chat gpt offers this:

On this 1928 Mason & Hamlin piano action, that cast-iron bracket feature with the circular opening is a specialized mounting point for an Ampico Reproducing Player System.

Function and Design

While the main action bracket supports the rails for the hammers and keys, this specific "unexplained fixture" served a dual purpose during the 1920s:

• Pneumatic Support: The hole provided a secure anchoring point for the expression pneumatic rails or tracker bar tubing associated with the Ampico "Model B" system.
• Manufacturing Standardization: During this era, Mason & Hamlin (then owned by the American Piano Company) standardized their action castings so they could be used in both standard "straight" pianos and high-end reproducing player models without needing different parts.
• Stability: The midway position on the shank helped stabilize the extra weight and mechanical complexity of the player system's "stack," ensuring it wouldn't shift and affect the piano's regulation. 

In a standard piano like the one in your photo, this fixture remains empty and unused, serving only as a historical marker of the era's peak player-piano technology.

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Sometimes a manufacturer that is making lots of players, whether 100 years ago or today, will come up with one part that will work in both situations. There is some economy in that for them. I also have a Mason and Hamlin model A from that era in my care with the same kind of bracket on it.

Best,

Alan

James - I like the 'transport' theory, except for 

- what it would have entailed as an added expense of that length of (presumably) disposable rod

• the added cost of otherwise unnecessary cast iron
• the significant awkwardness of removing the rod in a constrained setting

Any documentation as to whether this might have had a player mechanism?  Soft pedal lifting hammers closer to strings instead of una corda shift?

Alternately, pivots for a muting felt?

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension. 

Maybe to help hoist the full action around in the factory or a way to keep hammers from flopping around during transport . A long rod could go through the holes Maybe there is a patent on file since it is a genuine M & H bracket

This is a 1928 Mason and Hamlin A action bracket. Any idea what the added fixture is? Every action bracket has this extension.