For use in the pivotal connections of wooden members in a piano action, a bushing formed of a suitable plastic or elastomeric material, such as Teflon, is inserted in bushing holes in each arm of a forked action member for supporting a bearing pin secured to the tongue portion of a mating action member. The bushing has an internal bore of substantially uniform diameter throughout its length, and an outer diameter at the end portions of that portion received in the bushing hole smaller than the outer diameter over the portion thereof mediate the end portions, whereby the bushing can rotate along its axis relative to the bushing hole so as to be self-aligning with the bearing pin received in the internal bore. Because of the "barrel shape" of the bushing, variations in the tolerance on the size of the bushing holes are taken up by compression, causing a slight reduction in the diameter of the internal bore and thereby providing a low-friction essentially line contact between the bushing and the bearing pin. Thus, the bushing is tightly held in the bushing hole, yet the center works freely, despite distortion of the wood parts when subjected to extreme climatic conditions.
展开▼