Improvements in Picking Mechanism for Power Looms.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Picking Mechanism for Power Looms.
I, CHRISTIAN SCHMALZ, Sawmill Proprietor, of Nordhausen in the Empire of
Germany do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
sane is to he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The wooden arms of the picking mechanism hitherto employed in power looms
are subjected to very considerable wear and tear owing to the rapidity of their
motion and the concussion caused by their sharp contact with the lay beam and the
frame sides. Attempts have been made to obviate this disadvantage by shortening
the stroke of the arms or by providing leather cushions to receive the blows, but
this weakens the stroke and consequently the motion of the shuttle is rendered less
intensive, which disadvantage entirely outweighs the advantage gained by
decreasing the wear and tear of the arms.
According to the present invention the picker arms are rendered stronger by
letting into the same either at the end thereof, which is subjected to the most wear
and tear or along the whole length of the same, a layer of veneer of like, or
different wood to that of the arm itself. The thin intermediate layer is
advantageously applied to the arm by slotting the same along that part of its
length which it is desired to strengthen and inserting in the slot the layer of
veneer so as to allow the grain of the inlaid layer to lie in a different direction to
that of the material of the arm itself. The inlet layer may be secured in position
by means of glue putty or the like.
And in order to make the present Specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters denote similar parts
throughout the several views:―
Fig. 1 being a side elevation of a picker arm constructed according to the
present invention and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section through the same.
The upper part C of the arm A is provided with a layer of veneer let into the
same, the lower part B remaining full. A slot S is provided in the said upper
part C into which is inserted the layer J, which is secured by means of glue, putty
or the like.
As previously stated the layer may extend throughout the whole length of the
arm, in which case it is advantageous to form the said arm of three like
layers, which may then be glued or otherwise fixed together. The grain of the
central layer should however run in a different direction to that of the others.
The arms may also be formed of two layers only, suitably fixed together and
having the directions of grain of the wood running differently.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A picker arm for power looms having a veneer layer let into the same the
grain of said layer being in a different direction to that of the material of the
arm, and means for attaching said layer, substantially as described.
2. A picker arm for power looms consisting of three layers of wood, the middle
layer having its grain lying in a different direction to that of the outer layers and
means for attaching said layers together substantially as described.

page_text: 3. A picker. arm for power looms consisting of two layers placed together and
having their grains arranged in different directions, said layers being attached by
means of glue, putty or the like, substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of May 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.