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Machine To Make Ladder Chain
By Dave Saul

A "rare antique ladder chain making machine" is currently on eBay,
item 1721424422 :

  "The wire is fed, cut, bent and linked together in small pieces
   using wire that is around .050" in diameter.  The finished chain
   ends up measuring around 3/8" wide x 3/16" high."

Since ladder chain is so widely used in the mechanical music field,
I thought MMD readers might want to have a look at this machine.  In
the interest of preserving my marriage, I won't be bidding on this one!

Dave Saul

 [ For comparison, the ladder chain in my 1917 Aeolian Pianola measures
 [ 0.285" (7.25 mm) pitch, equivalent to 3.5 links per inch or 42 links
 [ per foot, and 0.370" (9.4 mm) wide, for use with sprocket gear of
 [ 0.10" (2.5 mm) face.  The stock is 0.047" (1.2 mm) steel wire.
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Wed 10 Apr 2002, 17:13:59 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

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