US3330176A

US3330176A - Key and key mounting structure

Info

Publication number: US3330176A
Application number: US340273A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold O Schwartz; Howard M Thomas
Original assignee: Wurlitzer Co
Current assignee: Wurlitzer Co
Priority date: 1964-01-27
Filing date: 1964-01-27
Publication date: 1967-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-11

Description

ly 1 1967 H. ovv SCHWARTZ ETAL KEY AND KEY MOUNTING STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan, 27, 1964 INVENTORS $7 0 QJda/ariz 33.- 012W 7% y 1967 H0. SCHWARTZ ETAL 3,330,176

KEY AND KEY MOUNTING STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 27, 1964 fzams M47 15 INVENTORS July 11, 1967 Q SCHWARTZ ETAL 3,330,176

KEY AND KEY MOUNTING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 27, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS fizuani/Y. 720m? f dfla w a C/Zd/QIZZI United States Patent 3,330,176 KEY AND KEY MOUNTING STRUCTURE Harold O. Schwartz and Howard M. Thomas, North Touawauda, N.Y., assignors to The Wurlitzer Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 340,273 20 Claims. (Cl. 84-433) This invention relates to the musical arts, and more particularly to an improved key and key mounting structure for an electronic musical instrument such as an organ.

In the construction of an electronic organ keyboard there are many requirements which are not necessarily always compatible. The keys must be retained in place in such manner as to resist accidental loosening or withdrawal, yet the keys must be easy to mount in place, and must be easy to remove for purposes of servicing. The parts must be strong in order to resist deformation, yet they must be light in weight to avoid undue noise in operation, and to retain inertia at a minimum. Large areas of movable metal parts can cause difliculties due to changes in electrostatic capacitance.

. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved key construction and improved means for mounting the same in an electronic musical instrument.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a key and key bar made of two distinctly different plastic materials each chosen for optimum qualities.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electronic musical instrument or organ key construction and mounting means therefor which facilitates ready installation and removal or replacement of a key.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an organ key and mounting construction which facilitates removal of keys and installation thereof from the top.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a musical instrument key construction and mounting means therefor wherein each key is simultaneously mounted and retained in position and profited by us by but a single spring.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an organ key mounted by means of balance pins, somewhat in the nature of a piano key.

Still another object of this invention is to provide improved means for coupling an organ key to a switch operator.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accon1panying claims wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic organ const-ructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the keyboard of the instrument;

FIG 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional View through one of the keys and accompanying par-ts;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top view of the key of FIG. 3 and a portion of the key bar to which it is secured;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, exploded perspective view taken from beneath the key and key bar;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the mounting and biasing spring;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the movable switch means;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view looking up along the lines 88 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is a detail vertical sectioinal view as taken along the line Q9 in FIG. 3.

ice

Reference now should be made to FIG. 1 wherein there is shown an electronic musical instrument, specifically an organ 20 including a case or housing 22 of more or less conventional design, and including an upstanding music rack 24. The organ includes an upper manual 26, a lower manual 28, and a pedal board 30 for controlling the notes to be played. In addition, various stop tablets 32 are provided to the left of the upper manual 26, more or less in accordance with conventional practice. A swell pedal 34 is provided, and the front of the housing 22 is provided with a grill 36 behind which is mounted the usual loudspeaker system consisting of one or more loudspeakers.

Further reference now should be had to FIGS. 2-5 wherein certain of the keys 38 of the keyboard or manual 26 are shown. Each key 38 is molded of plastic material, Implex being a preferred example, in-as-much as this plastic is of an attractive, white, shiny finish, Each key is of hollow, box-like construction and, having an inner or back end in the form of a channel 40. The channel is provided with two slugs or plugs 41 of integral plastic material having vertical bores 43 therein. Each channel shaped portion is in the nature of a shank, and there is a Wider finger piece 42 at the outer end of each key, which finger piece portion is offset one way or the other, or both from the shank 40 depending on the note position in the keyboard. Each finger piece is also in the form of a box-like structure opening downwards, and is provided near the shank with a depending flange 44 of substantial depth to hide internal parts of the organ as will be understood.

Each key 38 (and also the black keys 46) is secured to a key bar 48. Each key bar is molded of plastic material. The requirements for the key bar are diflerent from those of the key. It need not be so attractive in appearance, but it must be quite strong and dimensionally stable. Accordingly, the key bar in each instance is molded of a (fiber) glass-filled alkyd resin. The key bar 48, also referred to as a key frame, comprises an elongated shank 50 of channel shape having a horizontal web 52 and depending flanges 54 along the longitudinal edges thereof. Spaced apertures 56 are provided in the web 52, and screws 58 are passed through these apertures and are threaded into the slugs or plugs 41. The bores 43 therein need not be prethreaded since the screw threads readily out into the plastic material.

The back or inner end of each key bar or key frame is provided with a vertical transverse partition or wall 60 which upstands a short distance above the shank to the limit noted as 62, and which depend a substantial distance below the shank to the bottom edge 64. Sidewalls or flanges 66 forming continuations of the flanges 54 extend from top to bottom of the wall or flange 60. The walls or flanges 66 extend rearwardly away from the shank 50 and are terminated at the rear edge by adiagonally downwardly directed edge 68. The flanges 54 of the shank 50 are joined to the transverse wall 60 and hence to the flanges 66 by fillets or gussets 70 for reinforcement, and to avoid corners at which fracture might otherwise tend to occur. I p

A horizontal, transverse web 72 extends betweenthe bottom edges of the flanges 66 and rearwardly thereof to form a thickened base 74. This base is provided in its upper surface with a transverse V-shaped notch 76. A circular bore 78 extends vertically up through the Web 72 immediately to the rear of the partition or wall 60. The web 72 is recessed at the bottom thereof as at 80 intermediate the bore 78 and the base 74. The base 74 also is recessed at the central portion of the V-shaped notch 76, as indicated at 82 in FIG. 4.

Intermediate the ends of the key bar or key frame, but relatively toward the back end thereof, there is provided an opening 84 in the web 52. Depending transverse walls 86 lie on opposite sides of this opening, and the flanges 54 depend at 88 between the walls 86. The depending position i connected or joined to the remainder of the sidewalls or flanges 54 fore-and-aft of the transverse walls 86 by fillets or gussets 90. A horizontal partition 92 is provided approximately on a level with the bottom edges of the major portion of the flanges 54, and this partition is provided with a central aperture 94. As will be seen, the partition combined with the walls 86, and the depending flange portions 88 forms a well 95 extending into the key frame from the bottom thereof.

A sheet metal nut 96 having downturned flanges 98 thereon fits in this well and is held in place by the flanges 98 which have a slight outward tension on them.

A switch actuating screw 100 extends through the wall 94 and is threaded down through the sheet metal nut 96. The screw has secured to its lower end a switch actuating button 102 thereon.

The switch actuating button 102 is formed of an elastomeric material, such as rubber or a synthetic rubber, neoprene being a satisfactory example. As may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the button is provided with an upper vertical bore 104 of smaller diameter than the threaded shank of the screw 100. The bottom end of the screw thus may be threaded into the button which will remain aggressively in place thereon. The outer configuration of the button is frusto-conical, and the bottom surface of the button is recessed at 106 for cooperation with a switch actuator, as hereinafter will be set forth.

At the front or outer end of the key frame, the flanges 54 extend diagonally downwards from back to front as indicated at 108 to provide depending sidewalls 110. The sidewalls are joined by a vertical transverse wall 112, and the sidewalls extend slightly upwardly and forwardly therefrom along a bottom edge 114. The sidewalls continue forwardly at the bottom edge 114 as projections 116 which are somewhat thickened relative to the wall thickness, but which are provided with a longitudinal center space or opening 118 therebetween.

As best may be seen in FIGS. 5, 8 and 9, the sidewalls 120 forwardly of the wall 112 become progressively thicker from bottom to top. The walls are spaced apart at the top \122 a slightly greater distance than the width of the opening 118 between the projections 116.

A strip of polyethylene 124 is folded over to more or less U-sh-ape and is cemented between the sidewall portions 120 at the upper edges thereof. The thickness of the polyethylene insert 124 is such that the space between the confronting portions thereof as indicated at 126 is substantially the same as the width of the opening 118.

Now that the key and key bar or key frame have been described, it is in order to consider additional parts of the action on which the key is mounted, and with which the key cooperates.

Beneath the rear end of the key frames there is provided a channel or extrusion 128 having a lower horizontal wall 130, a back upright flange 132, an immediate and higher upright flange 134, and a forward floor or horizontal wall 136 somewhat above the wall 130. This extrusion extends completely across the key board or manual 26 (and note that the construction of the lower manual is similar). It is supported at the ends by suitable brackets 138, and also intermediate the ends by means which are not shown.

A back balance pin rail 140 is secured to the extrusion on top of the wall 130 and against the front flange 134. This back balance pin rail extends almost the full length of the extrusion 128 and is made of wood. It is secured to the extrusion in any suitable manner. Back balance pins 142 are driven into the rail 140, and the rail may be predrilled for this purpose to avoid splitting. The

pins are high enough that they extend some distance above the tops of the key frames 148 when the key frames are assembled therewith as hereinafter set forth.

A felt Washer 144 encircles each pin 142 on top of the back balance pin rail. A plastic bushing 146 is received in the bore 78 of each key frame 148. The bore is somewhat in the nature of a counterbore beneath the sidewalls or flanges 66, whereby upward movement of the bushing 146 is limited. The bottom end of the bushing is conical or frusto-conical in shape at 148 so as to form a pivot bearing. The bushing 146 preferably is made of Delrin or nylon plastic.

A fibre tube 150 is received between the walls or flanges 66 and rests on the top of the bushing 146, being received over the pin 142. The tube 150 is slideably moveable between the flanges 66 so as to serve as a lateral bearing for the key and key frame.

A leaf spring of somewhat unusual shape is used for holding each key and key frame in position about each pin 142. This spring, hereinafter identified by the numeral 152, and seen best in FIG. 6, although also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, comprises a substantially vertical portion 154 with a depending central tongue or lug 156 thereon. At the upper end of the vertical portion or leg 154, the spring is provided with an arcuate or reentrant portion 158 which is joined to a horizontal arm 160. The horizontal arm 160 is provided substantially centrally thereof with a hole 162 of substantially the same diameter as the pin 142. The free end of the horizontal arm 160 is provided with a notch 164 which results from stamping out successive springs end to end from a strip of sheet stock, the notch 164 corresponding to the tongue 156 of the next succeeding spring.

A small spring clip 166 somewhat in the nature of a hose clamp is made of spring sheet material, preferably steel,...and is provided at one end with two radially extending axially spaced tongues 168 and at the other end with a central radially extending tongue 170. The tongues overlap one another somewhat circumferentially so that they may be squeezed by a suitable tool, such as a pair of pliers, to expand the clip radially.

As readily may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tongue 156 is received in the recess 82, while the lower end shoulders 166 of the spring on either side of the tongue are received in the V-shaped notch 76. The aperture 162 is received over the corresponding pin 142. The top of the spring is normally flexed up, and the spring in FIG. 6 may be seen to have an initial tension providing an obtuse angle between the leg 154 and the arm 160. The arm 160 is held down, as the spring clip 166 is aflixed to the upper end of the pin, whereby to hold the spring down. The arm typically is spaced above the upper end of the tube 150*, and the arm may be adjusted up or down upon loosening of the clip 166, whereby to vary the spring force imposed on the base 74. This allows ready variation of the finger pressure required to pivot the key down, and hence provides convenient touch regulation from above the key. It will be appreciated that the spring holds the key and key frame down, and also tends to hold the key and key frame in a horizontal, raised position, the spring force being exerted in a clockwise direction in FIG. 3.

At the front end of the keyboard there is provided an extrusion 168, also secured to the brackets 138 and suitably supported at intermediate positions. The extrusion 168 includes a horizontal floor 170 and a front wall 172 upstanding therefrom and having a forward offset 174 therein. The forward wall 172 extends upwards a suflicient distance to overlap the depending flanges 44 of the keys, whereby to cooperate therewith in hiding the internal parts of the action. A rearwardly directed horizontal flange 176 is provided along the upper edge.-

Spaced somewhat downwardly from the upper flange 176 and parallel thereto is a rearwardly directed upstop flange 178 having a reinforcing vertical rib 180 thereon, and an underlying strip of felt 182. The projections 116 of each key frame press up against the felt 182, whereby to limit the upward position of the key frames and keys as urged by the respective springs 152.

A front balance pin rail 184, also of wood, is secured on top of the floor 170 and against the inner face of the forward wall 172. Front balance pins 186 are driven into the wood of the rail 184, and the rail may be predrilled for this purpose to avoid splitting, in accordance with conventional practices. The pin 186 is provided with a depending lower portion 188 received in the wood, and with a thickened upper portion received between the sidewall portions 120 and by the bearing insert 124.

An insulating board 188 is secured in vertical position beneath the horizontal wall or floor 136 of the rear or back extrusion 128 in vertical position. This board supports a plurality of movable switch assemblies as hereinafter set forth.

Each movable switch assembly is identified generally by the numeral 190, and one thereof is shown in FIG. 7. Each movable switch assembly includes a bracket 192 having an elongated shank 194. At the lower end of the shank 194 the bracket 192 is provided with a rearward extension 196, and a similar, somewhat more massive extension 198 is provided at the upper end. The entire bracket is molded of suitable thermoplastic material, and

integral pins

200 and 202 extend rearwardly of the respective projections 196 and 198. In order to mount the bracket on the insulating board 188, these pins are inserted through apertures of the same diameter as the pins, and subsequently a soldering iron or other hot implement is touched to the ends of the

pins

200 and 202 to soften and enlarge them, thereby permanently to mount the brackets on the insulating board 188.

The bracket 192 is molded with flexible or whisker contacts 204 extending forwardly therefrom in horizontal, vertically spaced relation. These contacts also are molded in a vertical actuator bar 206 of suitable plastic material, conveniently the same as that of the bracket 192. The upper end of each actuator bar 206 is received in the bottom recess 106 of the corresponding actuator button 102. The screw 100 corresponding thereto provides for vertical adjustment to insure proper contact. The contacts 204 throughout most of their extent must b'efiexible, and to this end they preferably are made of a suitably flexible, conductive material such as bronze or copper or an alloy thereof. In order to provide for best electrical properties, the tips 208 of the contact preferably are welded on at 210, and these tips may be of silver or an alloy thereof.

As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ends 210 of the contacts 204 are disposed

adjacent stop rods

212, 214,

216 and 218. These stop rods are made of nonconductive material, such as fibreglass-reinforced plastic, and each is provided with a longitudinally extending conduct element 220. The uppermost contact 210 normally engages .the underside of the rod 212 and is spaced above the rod 214. The other two contact portions 210 are spaced above the

respective rods

216 and 218. The rods are mounted for rotation in accordance with known practice to position the contact elements 220 thereof for engagement or nonengagement by the contact tips 210 depending upon the selection of stops set up by the organist.

When a key is to be installed in its proper position in the keyboard, the projections 116 are hooked under the felt upstop 182 on the flange 178. (It will be seen that there is a strip of felt 222 in the nature of a downstop extending across the front rail 184 immediately to the rear of the pins 186.) The bushings 148 have previously been positioned about the rear pins 142, and the apertures 78 in the rear ends of the keys are inserted over the pins 142 and over the bushings 146 concomitant with insertion of the projections 118 beneath the upstop 182. Since the space between the key frame walls 66 is open at the rear, it will be apparent that there is a sufliciency of play in that direction. Since the walls 66 are spaced considerably greater than the diameter of the pin 142, there is also a good deal of play in this direction. Thereafter, the fibre bushing or sleeve 150 is placed over the pin, thereby taking up the play between the pin 142 and the side walls 66 It will be appreciated that the space 118 between the projections 116 is sufiicient to allow the key frame to be slipped over the pin 186 with a partial endwise movement of the key frame. Lateral play at the front end of the key is prevented by the polyethylene insert 124.

Subsequent to installation of the key and key frame as just described, the spring 152 is inserted in the notches 76 and recess 82 and the aperture 162 thereof is pushed down over the top of the pin 142. The spring clip or clamp 166 then is installed over the top of the pin 142, and is lowered to the position necessary to insure proper spring tension on the key frame, and hence on the key. The screw is adjusted up or down in order for the member 102 to make proper contact with the top of the actuator member 206. 7

As will be appreciated, removal of a key and key frame is as easy as installation, the operation being precisely the reverse of that just described. The accompanying movable switch assembly is also installed and removed with equal facility. It previously has been noted that the pins or

projections

200 and 202 on the bracket 192 are simply inserted into holes in the circuit board. 188, following which the ends of the

projections

200 and 202 are touched with a soldering iron to cause them to melt, thereby permanently to hold them in place. It will be observed that'the flexible switch elements 204 themselves project through this board, and readily may be soldered to printed circuits thereon. Removal of a movable switch assembly is effected by an opposite sequence to that just discussed, as Will be understood.

It will now be apparent that there has been disclosed and described herein a key and key bar which are simple in construction, and which are extremely easy to install initially, and subsequently to disassemble and reassemble for servicing. The two-piece plastic construction allows a plastic to be chosen for appearances sake for the key, and another plastic to be used for the key bar which is strong and durable, and dimensionally stable. It will be appreciated that the plastic key bar is quieter in operation and presents no electrostatic problems as compared with a metal key bar.

As will be appreciated, various changes in structure will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art. The exemplary embodiments are to be understood as being for purposes of illustration only, and changes that will occur to those skilled in the art will be understood as forming a part of the present invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A key action comprising key means including a finger engageable front portion and a rear portion having substantially vertical aperture means therein, said rear portion further having a reaction base means thereon disposed on the opposite side of said aperture means relative to said front portion, mounting base means, pin means upstanding from said mounting base means and received in said aperture means and extending above said key means, and spring means secured to said pin means above said key means and bearing against said reaction base means resiliently to hold said-key means down about said pin means, said reaction base means having spring anchor means thereon engaging and fixing one end of said spring means relative to said reaction base means.

2. A key action as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mounting base means includes a strip of Wood, and Wherein said pin means is driven into said strip of wood.

3. A key action comprising key means including a finger engageable front portion and a rear portion having substantially vertical aperture means therein, said aperture means including a pair of substantially parallel side walls extending longitudinally of said key means in spaced relation, said rear portion further having reaction base means thereon disposed on the opposite side of said aperture means relative to said front portion, mounting base means, pin means up tanding from said mounting base means and received in said aperture means and extending above said key means, lateral bearing means on said pin pivot bearing means encircling said pin means and interposed between said key means and said mounting base means, said aperture side walls sliding past said lateral bearing means upon pivoting of said key, and spring means secured to said pin means above said key means and bearing against said reaction base means resiliently to hold said key means down against said bearing means.

4. A key action as set forth in claim 3 wherein said aperture means includes a downwardly opening counterbore, and wherein said bearing means comprises an insert received in said counterbore and extending below said key means.

5. A key action as set forth in claim 4 wherein said bearing means insert has a bevelled lower end.

6. A key action comprising key means including a tinger engageable front portion and a rear portion having substantially vertical aperture means therein, said aperture means including a pair of longitudinally extending spaced apart sidewalls having confronting faces spaced a predetermined distance, mounting base means, pin means upstanding from said mounting base means and of lesser diameter than said predetermined distance, said pin means being received in said aperture means, and sleeve means encircling said pin means and slidably engaging said confronting faces of said spaced apart sidewalls, said aperture means including a downwardly opening counterbore, and further including a bearing insert received in said counterbore and extending below said key means.

7. A key action comprising key means including a finger engageable front portion and a rear portion having substantially vertical aperture means therein, said rear portion further having reaction base means thereon disposed on the opposite side of said aperture means relative to said front portion, mounting base means, pin means upstanding from said mounting base means and received in said aperture means and extending above said key means, and leaf spring means secured to said pin means above said key means and having a portion adjacent one end thereof bearing against said reaction base means resiliently to hold said key means down about said pin means, said reaction .base means having means thereon engaging said spring portion to preclude movement thereof longitudinally of said key means.

8. A key action as set forth in claim 7 wherein said leaf spring means includes a pair of integral arms initially forming an obtuse angle and tensioned substantially to a right angle in installation.

9. A key action as set forth in claim 8 wherein said leaf spring further includes a looped portion integrally interconnecting said pair of arms.

10. A key action as set forth in claim 8 wherein one of said arms is substantially horizontal and is provided with an aperture received over said pin means, and wherein the other of said arms is substantially vertical and has a lower end with a protruding, central tongue, said lower end including said tongue being received by said bearing base means.

11. A key action as set forth in claim 7 and further including a clip resiliently secured to said pin means above said leaf spring and selectively positionable on said pin means to determine the tension on said leaf spring.

12. A key action comprising key means including a finger engageable front portion having a manually engageable first top surface and a rear portion having a second top surface on a lower level than said first top surface, said rear portion having substantially vertical aperture means therein, said rear portion further having reaction base means thereon disposed on the opposite side of said aperture means relative to said front portion and on a lower level than said second top surface, rear mounting base means, rear pin means upstanding from said rear mounting base means and received in said aperture means and extending above said key means, spring means secured to said pin means above said key means and bearing against said reaction base means resiliently to hold said key means down about said rear pin means, said reaction base means having means thereon engaging said spring means to secure said spring means against relative movement longitudinally of said key means front mounting base means disposed below said finger engageable front portion, front pin means upstanding from said front mounting base means, and guide means on said key means below said finger engageable front portion and slidingly interfitting with said front pin means for guiding the front portion of said key means.

13. A key action as set forth in claim 12 wherein the key guide means comprises a pair of longitudinally extending spaced apart walls, said walls having confronting faces spaced apart a predetermined distance adjacent the bottom and spaced a lesser distance adjacent the top.

14. A key action as set forth in claim 12 wherein the key guide means cooperable with the front pin means comprises a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending walls, and further including a substantially U-shaped bearing insert disposed adjacent the top of said walls and having substantially parallel sidewalls slidingly cooperable with said pin means.

15. A key action as set forth in claim 14 wherein the guiding walls have confronting faces, said confronting faces being spaced a greater distance adjacent the bottom than adjacent the top.

16. A key action comprising key means including a finger engageable front portion and a rear portion having spring anchor means thereon, mounting base means disposed adjacent said rear portion, pivot mean interposed between said mounting base means and said key means rear portion, and a single spring operatively acting between said mounting base means and said spring anchor means on said key means rear portion to urge said key means longitudinally of itself and against said pivot means and said mounting base and simultaneously resiliently to bias said key means with said finger engageable front portion in a raised position.

17. A key action as set forth in claim 16 wherein the single spring comprises a leaf spring.

18. A key action as set forth in claim 16 and further including front guide means comprising a front base and means projecting upwardly therefrom, a pair of spaced walls on said key means below said finger engageable front portion and fitting on opposite sides of said upwardly projecting means, said walls being spaced apart a predetermined distance, and upstop means comprising a fixed stop adjacent said pair of walls, and a forward projection on each of said walls disposed beneath said fixed stop, said forward projections being spaced apart a lesser distance than said spaced walls but a sufiicient distance to allow passage of said upwardly projecting means.

19. A key action comprising key means including a finger engageable front portion and a rear portion having substantially vertical aperture means therein, said rear portion further having reaction base means thereon disposed on the opposite side of said aperture means relative to said front portion, mounting base means, pin means upstanding from said mounting base means and received in said aperture means and extending above said key means, spring means secured to said pin means above said key means and bearing against said reaction base means means resiliently to hold said key means down about said pin means, a front guide means base disposed below the finger engageable front portion of said key means, an upstanding pin mounted on said guide of said Walls, and a pair of projections respectively on said walls and underlying said fixed stop, said projections being spaced apart a distance less than the spacing of said walls but great enough to permit relative trans verse passage of said front pin means.

20. A key action as set forth in claim 19 and further including a guide insert between said walls adjacent the 10 tops thereof and of substantially the same spacing as said projections, said guide insert forming sliding engagement with said front pin means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,607,257 8/1952 Hadden 84439 2,852,973 9/1958 Corbett 84-434 2,999,411 9/1961 Rice 84439 3,026,760 3/1962 Fauser 84-423 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A KEY ACTION COMPRISING KEY MEANS INCLUDING A FINGER ENGAGEABLE FRONT PORTION AND A REAR PORTION HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL APERTURE MEANS THEREIN, SAID REAR PORTION FURTHER HAVING A REACTION BASE MEANS THEREON DISPOSED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID APERTURE MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID FRONT PORTION, MOUNTING BASE MEANS AND MEANS UPSTANDING FROM SAID MOUNTING BASE MEANS AND RECEIVED IN SAID APERTURE MEANS AND EXTENDING ABOVE SAID KEY MEANS, AND SPRING MEANS SECURED TO SAID PIN MEANS ABOVE SAID KEY MEANS AND BEARING AGAINST SAID REACTION BASE MEANS RESILIENTLY TO HOLD SAID KEY MEANS DOWN ABOUT SAID PIN MEANS, SAID REACTION BASE MEANS HAVING SPRING ANCHOR MEANSD THEREON ENGAGING AND FIXING ONE END OF SAID SPRING MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID REACTION BASE MEANS.