The whip assembly is the lower part of the action of a Wurlitzer piano. It comprises of a jack, damper lever, the whip (known as the wippen in acoustic pianos), and a capstan that connects to the back of the key. This latter part is the adjustment for lost-motion.
The role of the whip assembly is to transfer the energy of the musician pressing the key to the hammer which strikes the reed. Its design is influenced by the action mechanism of acoustic grand pianos, using many of the same components such as jacks and flanges. Its design however is more light weight and compressed. This is to fit inside the compact space of a Wurlitzer piano.
The crucial component of its design, like an acoustic piano action; is to allow freedom to repeat the same note multiple times without the hammer being constrained. The way this happens is as the hammer strikes the reed, the jack falls back and resets underneath the hammer fly ready for the key to be struck again. This is different to a Rhodes piano which has a much simpler action by comparison.
