Grand piano action

#This invention relates to a piano action. More particularly, the invention relates to a grand piano action and to components thereof.

#To improve playing quality of a piano and to increase the longevity of a piano action, it is important to reduce energy lost due to friction (hereinafter referred to as “frictional losses”) as much as possible. In so doing, wear on the various parts is also reduced, noise is reduced and the piano action is improved.

#In this specification, for ease of explanation. the piano action will be described as including the wippen. the jack, the hammer and its shank and the lett-off button, ie. the piano action stack.

#The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 shows a schematic, sectional side view of a piano action including components, in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, in its rest position;

#FIG. 2 shows a schematic, sectional side view of the piano action of FIG. 1 in its check position;

#In the drawing, reference numeral 10 generally designates a piano action, in accordance with the invention. The piano action 10 includes a hammer shank assembly 12 which is acted on by a wippen 14 when a piano key 16 is struck to drive a hammer 18 of the hammer shank assembly 12 into transitory engagement with strings (not shown) of the piano.

#In the piano, support members in the form of a hammer rail 20 and a wippen rail 22 are mounted. The hammer shank assembly 12 is mounted on the rail 20 while the wippen 14 is mounted on the rail 22.

#The wippen 14 includes a wippen body 24. A wippen heel 26 depends from the wippen body 24 and a boss 28 is mounted on the wippen body 24.