Improvements in Certain Leather Pickers for use in Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Certain Leather Pickers for use in Looms for
Weaving.
I, THOMAS OXLEY, of 18 Saint Mary's Parsonage, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to leather pickers for use in looms for weaving, of the kind
in which the picking-sticks in conjunction with which the pickers are employed are
passed through holes in the pickers and consists in improvements by which such
pickers are rendered less liable to injury and more capable of withstanding the
shocks and strains to which they are subjected while in use, than such pickers as
hitherto constructed.
A picker formed with a hole into which the picking stick in conjunction with
which the picker is used passes; is while in use subjected to shocks and strains by
the picking stick when the shuttle is being propelled and by the shuttle striking it
after being propelled from the side of the loom opposite to the side at which the
picker is placed. The shock to which the picker is subjected in stopping the
shuttle propelled from the opposite side of the loom is that which is most destructive
to the picker, by splitting such picker and by causing such picker to be distorted
by being compressed longitudinally, although the strains to which the picker is
subjected by the picking stick are also productive of injury to the such picker.
My invention consists in improvements by which I reduce the injurious effect
upon the picker of the shocks to which such picker is subjected and render the
picker stronger and more rigid so that it will be more capable of withstanding the
shocks and strains to which it is subjected while in use than pickers as hitherto
made.
In order that my invention may be readily understood and carried into effect I
will at once proceed to describe it in reference to the accompanying drawing in
which
Fig. 1 is a horizontal section, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the plane
indicated by the line A A of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the
plane indicated by the line B B of Figs. 1 and 2.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawing illustrate a picker constructed
according to my invention.
According to my invention I form the picker of leather which is arranged to
some extent in the ordinary manner but as is apparent from an inspection of the
accompanying drawing I do not follow the ordinary practice and form the picker
entirely of pieces of leather pressed into shape and secured together by means of
rivets. In the accompanying drawing, (a) and (b) are the pieces of leather which
I employ, the piece (a) of leather being employed to form the central portion of
the picker and the piece (6) being coiled around the piece (a) so as to form the
part (C) by which the shuttle to be propelled is struck and against which the shuttle
strikes, and the part (D) which is caused to embrace the picking-stick in conjunc-
tion with which the picker is to be employed. In the piece (a) of leather I form a
notch forming a segment of a circle and in the notch so formed I place a piece (c)
of indiarubber made to fit into such notch and project from such notch towards
the part (C) of the picker by which the shuttle to be propelled by the picker is
struck. The piece (c) of indiarubber is retained in the notch in which I place it

page_text: by the piece (b) of leather, in conjunction with which I employ a plate (d) of steel
of any suitable thickness which commencing at one side of the picker near the part
by which the shuttle to be propelled by the picker is struck, extends through the
part (D) by which the picker embraces the picking-stick in conjunction with which
it is to be employed, and terminates at the other side of the picker near and
opposite to the part at which it commenced. At the rear of the part (D) by
which the picker embraces the picking-stick in conjunction with which it is
employed the plate (d) of steel is shaped or bent so as to correspond with the
form which the exterior of the picker is required to present at such part and
accordingly the plate (d) of steel is bent into the shape which is clearly indicated
at (E) in Fig. 2.
The plate (d) of steel is made of such height or width that when placed in
position in the picker it will not extend to the upper surface (F) of the picker
or to the lower surface (G) thereof. The portions (d') of the plate (d) of steel
which embrace the piece (a) of leather are made substantially parallel with the
external surfaces (H) (J) of the picker. When the piece (c) of indiarubber,
the piece (a) of leather, the piece (6) of leather and the plate (d) of steel have
been placed together in the relative positions in which they are indicated in the
accompanying drawing, rivets (f) are passed and clinched through the pieces (a)
and (b) of leather and the plate (d) of steel so as to secure the whole picker
together.
When a picker such as is illustrated in the accompanying drawing is in use
the piece (c) of indiarubber by yielding somewhat when the picker is struck by
a shuttle propelled from the opposite side of the loom in which such picker is
employed tends to preserve the face or part (C) of the picker from injury and
the shock imparted to the picker by the said shuttle is transmitted through the
rivets (f) (f) to the plate (d) of steel and so throughout the picker. The
strains to which a picker constructed according to my invention is subjected by
the picking-stick when in use are transmitted by the rivets (f) (f) and the
plate (d) of steel throughout the picker. Thus the shocks and strains which in
pickers as hitherto constructed are required to be borne by particular portions of
the pickers are in a picker constructed according to my invention distributed
throughout the picker and are thus prevented from injuring the picker as much
as in the case of pickers as hitherto constructed. The employment of the plate (d)
of steel according to my invention renders a picker stronger and stiffer in every
direction than pickers as hitherto constructed. The employment of my invention
thus enables me to produce pickers which are much more durable than pickers as
hitherto made.
The piece (b) of leather may be caused to pass any required number of times
around the piece (a) of leather in the formation of the picker and for each of the
pieces (a) and (b) of leather may be substituted two or more pieces as may be
desirable in any particular case.
I would have it understood that two or more plates of steel similar to and
employed in a manner similar to that in which the plate (d) of steel is employed
may be employed in a picker constructed according to my invention whenever it
may be desirable or necessary.
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 :-
A leather picker provided with a piece (c) of indiarubber placed in its interior
in order to render the part of the picker which strikes and is struck by the shuttle
when in use capable of yielding somewhat so that the said part of the picker is
less readily injured by the shuttle and the shocks to which such picker is subjected
when in use, and provided with a plate or plates of steel such as (d) placed in the

page_text: interior of such picker in order to strengthen and render stiffer the said picker,
for the purposes and substantially in the manner herein before described in reference
to and illustrated in and by the accompanying drawing.
Dated this First day of November 1892.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicants.