IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Priestley, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Manufacturer, and William Deighton, of the same Place,
Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
Scaled the 23rd April 1869, and dated the 26th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Priestley and
William Deighton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 26th October 1868.
We, THOMAS PRIESTLEY, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manu-
facturer, and WILLIAM DEIGHTON, of the same Place, Mechanic, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the picking motion or the means of picking
the shuttles in plain looms for weaving, and our object is to dispense

page_text: with the picker spindles now employed and which require lubrication,
and thereby avoid the grease spots which are so frequently produced on
the fabric while being woven by the action of the pickers throwing off
the lubricant from the said spindls upon the fabric. To accomplish this
object we have a slot hole formed in the bottom of each shuttle box, and
the shank of the picker is formed to slide freely in the slot with a T head
or projection under the box to prevent the picker coming out of the slot
when the loom is in action. We employ picking sticks which we hinge
in a line with the axis of the lay or lathe swords, and have them to
project upward through the slots of the boxes and also through slots
formed in the pickers. Motion or action is given to the picking sticks
by horizontal shafts actuated by tappets fixed on the low shaft of the
loom, the said shafts having levers thereon connected by adjustable
metallic rods or links suitably jointed to allow the required duplex
motion of the said picking sticks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Priestley and William Deighton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wе, THOMAS
PRIESTLEY, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manufacturer, and
WILLIAM DEIGHTON, of the same Place, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Priestley and William
Deighton, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Priestley and
William Deighton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Thomas Priestley and William Deighton, our
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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Thomas Priestley and William Deighton, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our
or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Priestley and William
Deighton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
Sheet of Drawings (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the picking motion or the means of picking
the shuttles in plain looms for weaving, and our object is to dispense
with the picker spindles now employed (and which require lubrication),.
and thereby avoid the grease spots which are so frequently produced on
the fabric while being woven by the action of the pickers throwing off
the lubricant from the said spindles upon the fabric. To accomplish this
object we have a slot hole formed in the bottom of each shuttle box, and,
the shank of the picker is formed to slide freely in the slot with a T head
or projection under the box to prevent the picker coming out of the slot
when the loom is in action. We employ ordinary upright picking sticks
which we hinge in line with the axis of the lay or lathe swords, and have
them to project upward through the slots of the boxes and also through
slots formed in the pickers. Motion or action is given to the picking
sticks by horizontal shafts actuated by tappets fixed on the low shaft of
the loom, the said shafts having levers thereon connected by adjustable
metallic rods or links suitably jointed to allow the required duplex,
motion of the said picking sticks.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood we herein give
reference to an accompanying Sheet of Drawings of an ordinary loom
with our improvements applied thereto.

page_text: B, the picker; C, the picking stick which is hinged on the axis D of the
lathe; E, the horizontal shaft which is operated by an ordinary tappet F
fixed on the low shaft of the loom; G is a lever fixed on the shaft E, and
is connected by universal or other suitable joints to an adjustable link or
rod H, which connects it to the picking stick and by which motion is
communicated thereto. The picking stick passes through a slot formed
in the bottom of the shuttle box and also through a slot made in the
picker. These parts are shewn in detail at Fig. 3, which is a cross
section, and Fig. 4, which is, a longitudinal section of the said box
and picker, with a portion of the picking stick drawn half full size.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are three views of the picker, shewing its construction
for this purpose, where it will be seen that the shank is formed with a T
end, or flanged to fit under the box bottom to prevent the picker from
being lifted out of place by the action of the picking stick; and it will
be also seen, on reference to Fig. 4, that the box bottom is of varying
thickness, or that the under side thereof is inclined, and a parallel
groove is formed underneath by a pair of flanges to guide and give the
picker a slight lift off the box bottom in picking, which is found
requisite for driving the shuttle properly across the loom. It will be
observed that by this Invention picker spindles are dispensed with and
consequently the lubrication thereof.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and shewn by
Drawings in what manner the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical operation, we would have it understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the precise details of construction or arrange-
ment which we have herein shewn and described, as modifications may
be made therein, nor do we claim any of the parts separately considered,
excepting the peculiar construction of the picker, but what we claim
as our Invention is,--
Firstly. The constructing of the shanks of pickers with T heads, or in
having one or more projections to slide under the shuttle box bottom for
keeping and guiding the said picker in its place and with proper move-
ments, and thereby dispensing with picker spindles, a slot hole being
formed in the bottom of the box and a groove under it for that purpose.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of the parts of looms, as

page_text: severally herein referred to and set forth in manner substantially as
herein described and shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Priestley, for and on behalf
of myself and the said William Deighton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Priestley,
in the presence of
WM. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
THOMAS PRIESTLEY. (L.S.)
Halifax & Bradford.