Key Leads and Inertia

[Sarah Fox]

Hi all,

Isaac wrote:
> Nowadays lead being a necessity, seems primordial to conceive the most
> optimum match between the strings, soundboard system+ &  the hammers
> to avoid unnecessary balancing .

Could springs not be employed instead of weights?  Lower inertia would mean
that more of the energy from the pianist's hand could be transferred into
kinetic energy of the hammer, rather than dissipated in the form of heat
when a more massive key bangs into the front rail punching.  Also, springs
can move very quickly (faster than gravitational acceleration), so the
system would be balanced and more responsive over a large dynamic range
(therefore still assisting, rather than hindering, during ff passages).
Piano actions are quite evolved, true, but it seems they have so far yet to
go.

Peace,
Sarah