WIPPEN OR REPETITION FLANGE BUSHING

Abstract

An injection molded wippen or repetition flange bushing for a grand piano action where the bushing has four supports posts or elongated appendages projecting outward from the outer surface of the sleeve member of the injection molded wippen or repetition flange bushing. The four supports posts help reduce or eliminate shrinkage of the sleeve member during the cooling stage in the manufacturing of the injection molded wippen or repetition flange bushing. This occurs because shrinkage occurs in the four support posts and not in the sleeve member portion of the injection molded wippen or repetition flange bushing. The result is a perfectly straight bushing with an extremely precise and accurate bushing surface that produces perfect wippen or repetition rotation.

Claims

1. A wippen or repetition flange bushing comprising: a sleeve member; a lower proximal support post; an upper proximal support post; a lower distal support post; and an upper distal support post, wherein, said sleeve member is rigid annular cylinder member with a length, an overall width, an inner surface, an outer surface, an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a longitudinal axis, wherein said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member is horizontal and said outer surface of said sleeve member has a lower proximal side, an upper proximal side, a lower distal side, and an upper distal side, said lower proximal support post is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from said lower proximal side of said outer surface of said sleeve member, wherein said lower proximal support post has a longitudinal axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member, said upper proximal support post is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from said upper proximal side of said outer surface of said sleeve member, wherein said upper proximal support post has a longitudinal axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member, said lower distal support post is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from said lower distal side of said outer surface of said sleeve member, wherein said lower distal support post has a longitudinal axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member, and said upper distal support post is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from said upper distal side of said outer surface of said sleeve member, wherein said lower distal support post has a longitudinal axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member.

2. A wippen or repetition flange bushing comprising: a sleeve member; a lower proximal support post; an upper proximal support post; a lower distal support post; and an upper distal support post, wherein, said sleeve member is semi-rigid annular cylinder member with a length, an overall width, an inner surface, an outer surface, an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a longitudinal axis, wherein said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member is horizontal and said outer surface of said sleeve member has a lower proximal side, an upper proximal side, a lower distal side, and an upper distal side, said lower proximal support post is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from said lower proximal side of said outer surface of said sleeve member, wherein said lower proximal support post has a longitudinal axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member, said upper proximal support post is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from said upper proximal side of said outer surface of said sleeve member, wherein said upper proximal support post has a longitudinal axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member, said lower distal support post is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from said lower distal side of said outer surface of said sleeve member, wherein said lower distal support post has a longitudinal axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member, and said upper distal support post is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from said upper distal side of said outer surface of said sleeve member, wherein said lower distal support post has a longitudinal axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said sleeve member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a side view of piano action and hammer action for a grand piano. The piano action and hammer action depicted is applicant's patented piano action and patented hammer action.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wippen or repetition flange with Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing installed therein.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a wippen or repetition flange with Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing installed therein.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of a wippen or repetition flange with Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing installed therein.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a left side elevation view of a wippen or repetition flange with Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing installed therein.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a right side elevation view of a wippen or repetition flange with Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing installed therein.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a wippen or repetition flange with Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing installed therein.

[0023] FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of a wippen or repetition flange with Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing installed therein.

[0024] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing.

[0025] FIG. 11 is a front elevation view Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing.

[0026] FIG. 12 is a rear elevation view of Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing.

[0027] FIG. 13 is a right side elevation view of Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing.

[0028] FIG. 14 is a left side elevation view of Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing.

[0029] FIG. 15 is a top plan view of Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing.

[0030] FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view of Applicant's new wippen or repetition flange bushing.

DEFINITION LIST

TABLE-US-00001 Term Definition 10 Piano Key 20 Wippen or Repetition 25 Wippen or Repetition Flange 26 Wippen or Repetition Rail 28 Wippen or Repetition Flange Pivot Pin 30 Repetition Lever or Balancier 40 Jack 50 Hammer Shank 55 Hammer Shank Flange 60 Hammer 70 Tubular Lever Interface 75 Scale on Tubular Lever Interface 80 Piano Strings 85 Damper Head 90 Prior Art Knuckle or Roller 100 Elliptical Silicone Knuckle or Roller 110 Wippen or Repetition Flange Bushing 112 Sleeve Member 114 Lower Proximal Support Post 116 Upper Proximal Support Post 118 Lower Distal Support Post 120 Upper Distal Support Post

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] A piano produces sound through a complicated mechanical chain reaction that occurs in the piano action which can be summarized as follows. A depressed piano key 10 gives rise to motion of the damper head assembly, separating the damper head 85 from the associated set of piano strings 80 and setting the piano strings 80 ready to accept vibrations. The depressed key 10 also actuates the piano action by pushing upwards on the wippen or repetition 20 to rotate the wippen or repetition 20 causing the wippen or repetition 20 to rotate upwards which pushes the repetition lever or balancier 30 and the jack 40 upwards. Since the repetition lever or balancier 30 and the jack 40 are in contact with the knuckle or roller 90 at the rest position, the upwards movement of the repetition lever or balancier 30 and the jack 40 causes the hammer assembly to rotate. The upwards movement of the repetition lever or balancier 30 and the jack 40 pushes upwards on the knuckle or roller 90 which is attached to the base of the hammer shank 50. The upwards movement of the knuckle or roller 90 causes the hammer shank 50 and the hammer 60 to rotate thereby pushing or throwing the hammer 60 and hammer shank 50 into the associated set of piano strings 80. The hammer 60 strikes the piano strings 80 and generates a piano tone. The piano action then receives or catches the hammer 60 and hammer shank 50 after it strikes the piano strings 80 and rebounds back against the piano action. When the pianist releases the depressed piano key 10, the piano key 10 returns to the rest position, and permits the damper head assembly to return contact with the vibrating piano strings 80. The vibrations are absorbed by the damper head 85, and the piano tone is terminated.

[0032] A traditional grand piano action comprises: a piano key 10; a wippen or repetition 20; a wippen or repetition flange 25; a repetition lever or balancier 30; a jack 40; a hammer shank 50; a hammer shank flange 55; a hammer 60; a hammer shank butt; and a knuckle or roller 90. Applicant has improved the traditional grand piano action design with U.S. Pat. No. 7,687,693 entitled GRAND PIANO COMPOSITE PIANO ACTION and U.S. Pat. No. 7,687,694 entitled LOW INERTIA GRAND PIANO ACTION. Applicant has also improved the traditional hammer assembly design with U.S. Pat. No. 8,143,506 entitled HAMMER ASSEMBLY FOR GRAND PIANO and U.S. Pat. No. 11,756,513 entitled ELLIPTICAL SILICONE ROLLER FOR GRAND PIANO ACTION WITH CUSTOMIZED DUROMETER READING. Applicant has also improved the traditional hammer shank flange design with U.S. Pat. No. 8,487,172 entitled PIANO ACTION FLANGE WITH OPEN-SLOTTED RAIL ATTACHMENT FEATURE.

[0033] Applicant's improved grand piano action comprises: a piano key 10; a wippen or repetition 20; a wippen or repetition flange 25; a repetition lever or balancier 30; a jack 40; a hammer shank 50; a hammer shank flange 55; a hammer 60; a tubular lever interface 70; and a moveable knuckle or roller 95. Each a wippen or repetition flange 25 is rigidly attached to wippen or repetition rail 26 wherein each of these members remains stationary during piano action rotation or cycling. Each wippen or repetition 20 is pivotally attached to a wippen or repetition flange 25 by a wippen or repetition pivot pin 28 and a wippen or repetition flange bushing 110. Pivotal attachment is such that each wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 remains stationary during rotation because each wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 is rigidly attached to a wippen or repetition flange 25 while each wippen or repetition pivot pin 28 rotates withing a wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 because each wippen or repetition pivot pin 28 is rigidly attached to a wippen or repetition 20 which rotates during piano action rotation or cycling. A repetition pivot pin 28 is a standard part with standard sizing that is used for all grand piano actions. Optionally, wippen or repetition pivot pin 28 may also rotate within wippen or repetition 20 during piano action rotation or cycling.

[0034] Wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 comprises: a sleeve member 112; a lower proximal support post 114; an upper proximal support post 116; a lower distal support post 118; and an upper distal support post 120. Wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 is one injection molded part therefore sleeve member 112 is integral with lower proximal support post 114 which is integral with upper proximal support post 116 which is integral with lower distal support post 118 which is integral with upper distal support post 120 to form a one-piece structure. Wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 is molded directly into the wippen or repetition flange 25. The wippen or repetition flange 25 acts as the mold from which the wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 is molded into. Thus, the wippen or repetition flange 25 must have the inverse shape of wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 carved away from the wippen or repetition flange 25. This type of injection molding is commonly referred to as insert molding wherein the wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 is inserted into the injection mold and then the wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 is molded directly into the inserted wippen or repetition flange bushing 110. In addition to the wippen or repetition flange 25, a core pin (not depicted) must also be inserted into the injection mold prior to molding the wippen or repetition flange bushing 110, so that the hole for the wippen or repetition pivot pin 28 may be molded into the wippen or repetition flange bushing 110. A core pin is a commonly known product used in plastic molding and die casting. The core pin must be positioned and located precisely and accurately to yield a hole for the wippen or repetition pivot pin 28 that is exactly perpendicular to the surface of the wippen or repetition flange 25 and exactly perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the hammer shank 50. After molding is complete, the entire wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 is removed from the injection mold with the wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 molded directly into the wippen or repetition flange bushing 110. The core pin used to mold the hole for the wippen or repetition pivot pin 28 must also be removed from the wippen or repetition flange bushing 110. Wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 may be made from any known type of plastic or composite material.

[0035] Sleeve member 112 is rigid or semi-rigid annular cylinder member. This type of geometric shape is commonly known as a sleeve. Sleeve member 112 has a length, an overall width, an inner surface, an outer surface, an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a longitudinal axis. Sleeve member 112 essentially is the piano action bushing itself. Sleeve member 112 is a sleeve bushing. The inner diameter of sleeve member 112 is sized to make a slip fit, clearance fit, or press fit with the outer diameter of wippen or repetition flange pivot pin 28.

[0036] As stated, wippen or repetition flange bushing 110 is a bushing with four supports posts projecting out from the surface of the bushing. The four support posts projecting out from the bushing are: the lower proximal support post 114; the upper proximal support post 116; the lower distal support post 118; and the upper distal support post 120. The nomenclature or assigned names of these four support posts arises from the position of each support post as seen from a pianist playing a piano equipped with the wippen or repetition flange bushings 110. With every grand piano, there is a horizontal row of wippen or repetition flanges 25 that runs parallel with the row of piano keys 10 before the pianist. Thus, the horizontal row of wippen or repetition flanges 25 runs from left to right or right to left horizontally as seen from the pianist. This horizontal row of wippen or repetition flanges 25 is positioned with the longitudinal axis of each sleeve member 112 also running horizontal and parallel with the row of piano keys 10. Thus, the longitudinal axis of each sleeve member 112 also runs from left to right or right to left horizontally as seen from the pianist. There are four support posts that project out ward from each sleeve member 112. Each support post has a longitudinal axis that is also horizontal but perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each sleeve member 112. Thus, the longitudinal axis of each support post runs from front to back or back to front horizontally as seen from the pianist. From the pianist's frame of reference, there is a lower proximal support post that is the lower proximal support post 114, an upper proximal support post that is the upper proximal support post 116, a lower distal support post that is the lower distal support post 118, and an upper distal support post that is the upper distal support post 120. Proximal means close or near. Distal means far or away from.

[0037] Lower proximal support post 114 is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from the outer surface of sleeve member 112. Lower proximal support post 114 has a first end, a second end, length, an overall width, an exterior surface, and a longitudinal axis. Lower proximal support post 114 extends outward from the lower proximal side of the sleeve member 112 as seen from a pianist playing the piano in which the piano action is functioning therein. The first end of lower proximal support post 114 is rigidly attached to the outer surface of sleeve member 112 as depicted. The second end of lower proximal support post 114 projects toward the pianist as depicted. The longitudinal axis of lower proximal support post 114 is horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of sleeve member 112 as depicted. The longitudinal axis of lower proximal support post 114 is parallel with that of upper proximal support post 116. The lower proximal support post 114 is located just underneath upper proximal support post 116.

[0038] Upper proximal support post 116 is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from the outer surface of sleeve member 112. Upper proximal support post 116 has a first end, a second end, length, an overall width, an exterior surface, and a longitudinal axis. Upper proximal support post 116 extends outward from the upper proximal side of the sleeve member 112 as seen from a pianist playing the piano in which the piano action is functioning therein. The first end of upper proximal support post 116 is rigidly attached to the outer surface of sleeve member 112 as depicted. The second end of upper proximal support post 116 projects toward the pianist as depicted. The longitudinal axis of upper proximal support post 116 is horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of sleeve member 112 as depicted. The longitudinal axis of upper proximal support post 116 is parallel with that of lower proximal support post 114. The upper proximal support post 116 is located just above lower proximal support post 114. In some modes, the first end of upper proximal support post 116 may partially connect with or be attached to the first end of upper distal support post 118, as depicted.

[0039] Lower distal support post 118 is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from the outer surface of sleeve member 112. Lower distal support post 118 has a first end, a second end, length, an overall width, an exterior surface, and a longitudinal axis. Lower distal support post 118 extends outward from the lower distal side of the sleeve member 112 as seen from a pianist playing the piano in which the piano action is functioning therein. The first end of lower distal support post 118 is rigidly attached to the outer surface of sleeve member 112 as depicted. The second end of lower distal support post 118 projects away from pianist as depicted. Lower distal support post 118 is parallel with upper distal support post 120 and is located just underneath upper distal support post 120. The longitudinal axis of lower distal support post 118 is horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of sleeve member 112 as depicted. The longitudinal axis of lower distal support post 118 is parallel with that of upper distal support post 120. The lower distal support post 118 is located just underneath upper distal support post 120.

[0040] Upper distal support post 120 is an elongated appendage or projection extending outward from the outer surface of sleeve member 112. Upper distal support post 120 has a first end, a second end, length, an overall width, an exterior surface, and a longitudinal axis. Upper distal support post 120 extends outward from the upper distal side of the sleeve member 112 as seen from a pianist playing the piano in which the piano action is functioning therein. The first end of upper distal support post 120 is rigidly attached to the outer surface of sleeve member 112 as depicted. The second end of upper distal support post 120 projects away from pianist as depicted. Upper distal support post 120 is parallel with lower distal support post 118 and is located just above lower distal support post 118. The longitudinal axis of upper distal support post 120 is horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of sleeve member 112 as depicted. The longitudinal axis of upper distal support post 120 is parallel with that of lower distal support post 118. The upper distal support post 120 is located just above lower distal support post 118. In some modes, the first end upper distal support post 120 may partially connect with or be attached to the first end upper proximal support post 116, as depicted.

[0041] Applicant has experimented with many different quantities, shapes, and locations of support posts. Applicant has determined that the above arrangement works best to eliminate the deformation of the bushing or sleeve member 112 resulting from shrinkage. The above arrangement of support posts eliminates shrinkage and deformation of the bushing or sleeve member 112. Of course, shrinkage still does occur from the injection molding process as with all injection molding processes. However, for all practical purposes, the shrinkage occurs in the support posts themselves and not in the bushing or sleeve member 112. Each support post shrinks upon the cooling of the liquid material to form a solid part. Essentially the length of each support post reduces or shrinks which pushes on the of the bushing or sleeve member 112 or applies pressure to the bushing or sleeve member 112 in order to hold the bushing or sleeve member 112 true to its annular cylinder shape and to keep the bushing or sleeve member 112 true, circular, and without deformation from the circular shape.