IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION AND USE OF A CERTAIN NATURAL PRODUCT OR PRODUCTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PICKERS FOR LOOM3, DRAWING ROLLERS FOR SPINNING MACHINERY COP TUBES AND FOR STEPS AND BUSHES GENERALLY WHERE LUBRICATION IS REQUIRED
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bird, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE APPLICATION AND USE OF A CERTAIN NATURAL PRODUCT OR PRODUCTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF PICKERS FOR LOOM3, DRAWING ROLLERS FOR SPINNING
MACHINERY COP TUBES AND FOR STEPS AND BUSHES GENERALLY WHERE
LUBRICATION IS REQUIRED."
Sealed the 13th October 1859, and dated the 14th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bird at the
Office of the Cominissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th April 1859.
I, THOMAS BIRD, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE APPLICATION AND USE OF A CERTAIN NATURAL PRODUCT OR PRO-
DUCTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PICKERS FOR LOOMS, DRAWING ROLLERS FOR
SPINNING MACHINERY, COP TUBES, AND FOR STEPS AND BUSHES GENERALLY WHERE
LUBRICATION IS BEQUIRED," to be as follows:-
I use the nuts known as the coquilla nut(attalea funiferi) and the vegetable
ivory nut (phytelephas macrocarpa), which from their oily nature require no
additional lubricating matter, which is a very considerable item in machinery
and manufacturing establishments, the same being peculiarly applicable to the
following purposes:-For pickers for looms; by putting a bush made of one of
the said products in the tube of the picker which runs on the spindle, whether

page_text: the said tube be made of buffalo hide, wood, metal, or other material;
and I make the picker of a simple T-shape, the tube at the top forming the
top part without any slot for the picking strap, the picking strap being
fixed round the tube and the centre of the picker; for drawing rollers
used in spinning machinery, which will require neither covering on the
outside nor oiling on the journals; for small tubes on which the cops are built
on the spindles; for all kinds of steps and bushes used in machinery where
lubrication is necessary, provided the said steps or bushes are not required
to be larger than the said nuts can be found.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Bird in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BIRD, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Bird, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Bird, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Thomas Bird, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION AND USE OF A CERTAIN NATURAL
PRODUCT OR PRODUCTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PICKERS FOR LOOMS, DRAWING
ROLLERS FOR SPINNING MACHINERY, COP TUBES. AND FOR STEPS AND BUSHES
GENERALLY WHERE LUBRICATION IS REQUIRED," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Bird, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
forined, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Bird, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
I use the nuts known as the coquilla nut (attalea funifera) and the vege-
table ivory nut (phytelephas inacrocarpa), which from their oily nature require
no additional lubricating matter, a very considerable item in machinery and
manufacturing establishments, the same being peculiarly applicable to the
following purposes :-
For pickers for looms; by putting a bush made of the said substance in
the tube, bush, or barrel of the picker, which runs on the spindle, whether
the said tube be made of buffalo hide, wood, metal, or other material; and
I make the picker of a simple T-shape, the tube at the top forming the top
part without any slot for the picking strap, the picking strap being fixed
round the tube and the centre of the picker; the bush or barrel may also be
bounded with caoutchouc, leather, buffalo hide, or other suitable substance.
The construction of the pickers will be clearly understood by reference to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with the letters of reference thereon, in
which Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are end and side views of two arrangements of my
improved pickers, which are T-shaped, seen also in section in Figs. 5, 6, 7,
and 8, the top part a being a bush or barrel of metal, wood, or other suitable
material, and fitted at the ends with other bushes b, to fit the picker spindle;
the said bushes are composed of the nuts above mentioned; or, if desirable,
they may be made of buffalo hide or similar material; but I prefer the nut,
as it will not require oil or lubricating matter; the said bush or barrel is
encircled by the part c, made of leather, buffalo hide, caoutchouc, or similar
material, and either thickened, as at d, where the shuttle strikes, or bent round,
as at e, so as to enclose a separate piece of buffalo hide, &c. The top part of
the bush or barrel a is furnished with a small slot f for connecting it with
the picker strap, and to strengthen the ends of the bush or barrel I make a
collar on each end of it, if necessary. It is evident that I can bush the
ordinary pickers now in use with the same material.
The said nuts are also applicable for drawing rollers used in spinning
machinery, which will require neither covering on the outside nor oiling on
the journals.
For small tubes on which the cops are built on the spindles.
For pulleys, wharves, cotters, journals, barrels and rollers for castors,
wharves for window or Venetian blinds, tips for skewers, steps and journals
for gas or water meters, steps, journals, and bushes for time-pieces, steps for

page_text: looms, bearings for heald shafting or other bearings for looms; in fine for all
steps, bushes, and bearings for machinery where lubrication is required, pro.
vided the same be not required larger than the said nuts can be found.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood, that although I have enumerated a number of articles to which
the said nuts are applicable, I do not confine myself to the same, as the useful
objects to which they may be applied are innumerable; but I claim as my
Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and belief has not been
hitherto used within the realm, the application of the nuts herein named to
all purposes in machinery where lubrication is required, and the size suitable,
and also the improved pickers for looms, as herein described and illustrated
in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bird, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Thomas Bird, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
THOMAS BIRD. (L.S.)