Hammer Shank Ratio

Phillip Ford fordpiano@earthlink.net
Tue, 18 Feb 2003 18:37:55 -0800 (GMT)


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>Richard Brekne wrote:
>
>Hi Phil and Ron, I wanted to include an illustration with this bit that I=
=20

>forgot to paste when I sent it.
>
>Course there is a difference between the second and third drawings,
anyone=20
>care to describe that ?
>
>
> > Phil Ford wrote:
> > The position of the jack relative to the hammer shank has no bearing
on=20
> the direction of the force being applied at the jack contact point, just=
=20

> as the angle of the hammer head and hammer shank have no bearing on the=
=20
> direction of travel of the hammer strike point.
> >

Richard Brekne wrote:

> > It certainly does. It is in the end the jack that exerts force on the=
=20
> knuckle, and the angle formed between the jack top and the hammer shank=
=20
> line is the critical one.

I agree that the angle of the jack top relative to the knuckle determines t=
he direction of force, but not the angle of the jack top to the hammer shan=
k or the jack top to the jack body.  Let's say that the jack top is 30 degr=
ees from horizontal.  The direction of force on the knuckle is 30 degrees f=
rom vertical.  If you were to move the jack along this force line then the =
hammer would move up but the direction of force on the knuckle would not ch=
ange, even though the angle of the jack top to the hammer shank centerline =
would be changing.  Your diagrams 2 and 3 (see attachment) illustrate why t=
he position of the jack body does not determine the direction of the force.=
  The force is being applied normal to the jack top (which would usually me=
an a force being applied normal to the top surface of the whippen or rep le=
ver).  If you keep the top surface of the jack in this same orientation the=
n you could move the jack center toward or away from the whippen center (wh=
ich would change the angle of the jack top surface to the jack centerline) =
and it would not change the magnitude or direction of the force being appli=
ed to the knuckle.
However, the internal forces on the jack would be different.  In diagram 3 =
the force on the knuckle is applied as an axial (compression) load on the j=
ack.  In diagram 2 the force on the knuckle is applied as a combination of =
axial load on the jack and shear load on the jack, with the shear load bein=
g reacted as a couple between the jack center and the regulating button, wh=
ich will cause a bending load on the jack.  A jack optimized for diagram 3 =
should be lighter than a jack optimized for diagram 2 because there is no b=
ending in the diagram 3 configuration.

>That the jack remains stable for most of the key stroke relative to the=20
>whippen center line (and is perpendicular to that line)  allows you to=20
>disregard the jack and look only at the whippen center line... because=20
>that means the jack top is on that line. But this changes the minute you=
=20
>hit the jack tender, or better said.. the second you change the angle of=
=20
>the jack relative to the whippen center line.
> >
> >
>
>--
>Richard Brekne

I agree that things change when the tender hits the button.  I thought you =
said earlier that we weren't interested in this portion of the stroke becau=
se once this happens the hammer is no longer under control of the key.  I t=
hought we were talking about the portion of the stroke up until letoff.

Phil F



Phillip Ford
Piano Service & Restoration
1777 Yosemite Ave - 215
San Francisco, CA  94124
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