Flange
Related Words: Damper flange, hammer flange, wippen flange, repetition lever flange
part
The flange is the connection between the action part and the action itself. There are many types of flanges on an action, but in general, they act as the stationary part that holds the screw and allows the action part to move freely.
The basic construction of the flange hosts a screw hole and a bushed center pin hole. This is a common type of flange that can be found on dampers, hammers, and wippens:
Other items may be attached to the flange depending on its specific function.
An upright damper flange with a return spring:
A grand hammer flange differs from the common flange in that it hosts the drop screw and does not have a bushed center pin hole:
This is a type of hammer flange that is common on Asian-made uprights:
On older Yamaha pianos, the thread on this flange was made with silk. This thread proved too fragile to support repetitive use and was replaced with a nylon thread around the mid 1980s.
Sluggish action parts are commonly due to the sizing of the flange bushings and how they relate to the pin that keeps the action part in place.