IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKERS AND PICKING BANDS USED IN LOOMS"
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Booth of Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Manager for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKERS AND
PICKING BANDS USED IN LOOMS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Booth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1882.
EDWARD BOOTH of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Manager, "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PICKERS AND PICKING BANDS USED IN LOOMS
"
My Invention relates in the first place to loom pickers and has for its object to
obtain durability and to lessen the friction so as to dispense with lubrication or to
lessen the necessity therefor. I form a half or open topped bearing for the spindle
on the top of the picker which slides between the spindle and the foot race or
bottom of the box. The band passes through a hole formed in the body of the
picker or is attached to a short piece which passes through such hole or the
attachment is otherwise effected. In some cases I make the picker or the body of
the picker of wood. In one form of picker the wood body is faced with buffalo
hide or leather which is enclosed within a shield of soft iron or of other suitable
metal in which is formed a countersunk hole into which the shuttle tip enters
when the picker is at work. The said shield is or may be formed to extend along
the sides of the picker and is riveted or secured to the body of the picker. I also
apply such shields to ordinary pickers and particularly to pickers for under-pick
looms. In the second place I make packing bands by braiding or plaiting together
a number of yarns or cords or small braids whereby I obtain strength combined
with a suitable amount of elasticity

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Booth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th January 1883.
EDWARD BOOTH of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Manager " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PICKERS AND PICKING BANDS USED IN LOOMS
"
My Invention relates in the first place to loom pickers and has for its object to
obtain durability and to lessen the friction so as to dispense with lubrication or to
lessen the necessity therefor. I form a half or open topped bearing for the spindle
on the top of the picker which slides between the spindle and the foot race or
bottom of the box. The band passes through a hole formed in the body of the
picker or is attached to a short piece which passes through such hole or the
attachment is otherwise effected. In some cases I make the picker or the body of
the picker of wood. In one form of picker the wood body is faced with buffalo
hide or leather which is enclosed within a shield of soft iron or of other suitable
metal in which in some cases is formed a countersunk hole into which the shuttle
tip enters when the picker is at work. The said shield is or may be formed to
extend along or partly along the sides of the picker and is riveted or secured to
the body of the picker. I also apply such shields to ordinary pickers and
particularly to pickers for underpick looms. In the second place I make picking
bands by braiding or plaiting together a number of yarns or cords or small braids
or strips of material.
In order that the first part of my Invention may be well understood I have
attached hereunto a sheet of drawings which for the sake of clearness are drawn
to an enlarged scale of about eighteen inches to the foot and illustrate some of
the forms which my improved pickers may assume. Referring to the said
drawings Fig: 1 is a side view and Fig: 2 an end view of a picker suitable for an
ordinary over-pick loom. In the said Figs a is the body of the picker b is the
facing and c is the shield of soft iron. The body a is made of wood and is formed
with a foot a' and with a hole a for the attachment of the picking band. In the
top of the picker is formed an open channel & having a semi-circular bottom.
When in use the ordinary picker spindle passes through this channel so that the
picker is guided in its course to and fro. The facing b is formed of buffalo hide
and between this facing and the body a is an elastic backing e consisting of folded
woven material or of felt or other suitable material. The shield c is made of.
charcoal hoop or sheet iron or of a suitably soft iron and extends nearly around
the picker the ends nearly meeting over the facing as seen in Fig: 2. The shuttle
tip is intended to strike or come into contact with the facing which is exposed
between the ends of the shield but when a depression is formed and the tip comes
into contact with the iron the action of the picker, is not impaired as the soft iron
yields sufficiently to aid in forming a conical depression for the shuttle tip and at
the same time checks the too rapid formation of such. depression so that the
durability of the picker is increased. In some cases I make the shield extend
entirely across the front of the picker as in the case of the picker illustrated by
Figs 5 and 6 which will be referred to hereinafter but in such cases I prefer to
form a countersunk depression by means of a conical punch or by other means
previously to putting the picker to work but this is not absolutely necessary. The
shield c need not extend around the corners of the picker. In the example the
shield is secured by means of screws f but rivets or other means may be employed.
Copper or other metal may be substituted for soft iron and also the picker having
an open topped bearing may be made without the metal shield and may be of any i
other form than as indicated in the said Figs and may be of other material than
wood. Fig 3 illustrates a slight modification in which the backing c is dispensed
with and a facing consisting of two thicknesses of hide or leather is employed.
If desired a thin packing of woven material or other suitably elastic substance
may be interposed between the thicknesses of hide and between the hide and the

page_text: body of the picker. In some cases the facing b may be dispensed with as for
example Fig: 4 illustrates a picker made of folded buffalo hide and having an open
topped bearing as indicated in Fig 3. To form a better shoulder to sustain the
picker I have added a plate g which runs upon the bottom of the race in the box,
but this is not essential. I may use any suitable material or moulded composition
in the construction of my channel topped or open topped pickers.
Figs 5 and 6 represent a picker for an underpick loom.. In this example the
body h of the picker is supposed to be made of leather as is usual but the front end
is protected by means of a metal shield c which is bent so that its central part
extends across the front of the picker the ends of the shield extending sufficiently
down the sides of the picker to enable the shield to be firmly screwed or secured
to the body. Behind the shield is a backing e of woven or other elastic material
but in some cases I dispense with this backing as its use is not essential. Figs 7
and 8 illustrate two of the modifications which may be made in the method of
construction of the under-pick picker. In these examples the sides of the picker
consist of pieces of wood i which are separated by pieces le of leather, hide or wood
so as to form the slot for the picking stick, screws or rivets securing the parts
together. In both cases a metal shield protects both ends of the picker but in
Fig: 7 a backing e of hide or leather is interposed between the body of the picker
and the shield whereas in Fig 8 this backing consists of woven material or felt.
I do not claim these methods of construction illustrated by Figs 7 and 8 apart
from the use of metal shields.
When carrying into effect the second part of my Invention I braid together
yarns of a suitably good quality and material so as to form narrow braids say for
example about one sixteenth of an inch in width and I braid together a sufficient
number of these narrow braids, to obtain a picking band of a suitable width.
Picking bands so made are strong and durable and possess a suitable amount of
elasticity. In place of the narrow braids I may use suitably strong yarns, twines,
cords or strips of material braiding them together as when using the narrow
braids.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention and
the manner in which I carry or may carry the same into practical effect I would
have it to be understood that I claim:-
First the construction of pickers substantially as set forth and indicated herein-
before and in and by the accompanying drawings
Secondly forming over-pick pickers with open topped or channel bearings in lieu
of the ordinary bored spindle bearings substantially as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly the employment of shields of soft iron or other suitable metal applied to
the pickers substantially as set forth and indicated.
Fourthly the hole a as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
And lastly the formation of picking bands by braiding or plaiting together
narrow braids or yarns, cords, twines or strips of material substantially as set
forth.
In witness whereof I the said Edward Booth have hereunto set my hand
and seal this eighth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand
.
Signed, sealed and delivered
in the presence of
ed}
EDWARD K. DUTTON
41 John Dalton St., Manchester
(Agent for the Patentee)
EDWARD BOOTH (L.&.)