[Bf-funboard] Animation help needed

[Roger]

Apologies for this request on this forum
Need quick help
showing someone a quick blender animation technique.
set up 4 cubes vertically with space between
extruded armature and bones so bone joints are between the cubes in the gaps
an Ik on the top.
Just want to tilt the cubes not distort them

set each cube as a vertex group.
in pose mode parented each vertex group to it's bone.
Moving the IK moves the cubes as expected.
on frame 1 did an ipo I key <location rotation scale>
in pose mode on  frame 100  did an ipo  i <key location rotation scale>
The ipo showed flat line on all and there is no movement of the animation on the
time line.

Yet if I scale  a cube, I key  then  on frame 100  scale, move,rotate and I key
again I get the ipo curves.
Why doesn't it work with a bone set.

Got me tossed.
TIA
Roger