IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKERS FOR WEAVING, AND IN APPARATUS CON-NECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Porter, of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinery Agent and Mill Furnisher, for the Invention
of “IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKERS FOR WEAVING, AND IN APPARATUS CON-
NECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 15th July 1873, and dated the 17th January 1873.
·PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Porter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th January 1873.
I, BENJAMIN PORTER, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinery Agent and Mill Furnisher, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKERS FOR WEAVING, AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the construction of pickers of such
form as to render available the smaller portions or 66 scrap" material or
hide, and the use of picker spindles arranged so as to ensure a steady
movement of the pickers when in operation, and so prevent or reduce
the chances of and danger consequent on the shuttle being thrown out
of the box or the shuttle race, and pickers made as herein described may be
reversed so as to render both faces available."

page_text: I employ for the outer portion or faces of the picker two rectangular
strips of hide, between which are other similar strips but shorter. The
centre or middle strip is somewhat wider than the body of the picker, in
which are elongated holes and buttons for securing the picking strap to
the picker. This centre or middle strip may be made of metal, and an
opening formed in the centre thereof, so that should the tip of the
shuttle in time pierce the outer face of the picker the tip will not be
damaged. Holes are formed in the upper and lower portions of the
picker, through each of which a picker spindle is passed, so as to prevent
lateral or unsteady motion of the picker.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Porter in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
PORTER, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Machinery Agent
and Mill Furnisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Porter, Her
special licence that I, the said Benjamin Porter, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Porter,
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 Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN PICKERS FOR WEAVING, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Porter,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Porter, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 has for its object the construction of pickers of such
form as to render available the smaller portions of " scrap "material or
hide, and the use of picker spindles arranged so as to ensure a steady
movement of the pickers when in operation, and so prevent or reduce
the chances of and danger consequent on the shuttle being thrown out
of the box or shuttle race, and pickers made as herein described may be
reversed so as to render both faces available.
I employ for the outer portion or faces of the picker two rectangular
strips of hide, between which are other similar strips but shorter. The
centre or middle strip is somewhat wider than the body of the picker (or
it may be of the same width provided with buttons) in which are
elongated holes for securing the picking strap to the picker. This centre
or middle strip may be made of metal, and an opening formed in the
centre thereof, so that should the tip of the shuttle in time pierce the
outer face of the picker the tip will not be damaged. Holes are formed
in the upper and lower portions of the picker, through each of which a
picker spindle is passed, so as to prevent lateral or unsteady motion of
the picker.
The following description will, with the Drawings annexed, fully
describe the Invention:-
Fig. 1 is a front view of a picker having its centre piece made wider
for the reception of picking strap ends or bands; Fig. 2 is a side eleva-
tion of the same, shewing the spindles on which it is to work; Figs. 3
and 4 are front and side elevations of a like picker provided with buttons
to which the picking strap or band is to be secured; the centre piece of
this picker is made of iron or other metal (see Fig. 5), having a beading
thereon, which latter indents the hide when the picker is pressed
together, and so securely beds therein; Fig. 6 is the edge view of Fig. 5;
and Fig. 7 is a view of part of a shuttle box, with spindles and picker
applied according to this Invention.
A, A, are the rectangular strips of hide forming the faces of the
picker, or the facings may be made from a strip of hide, folded as at B、

page_text: Between the strips A, A, are other shorter ones C, which form the body
of the picker. On reference to Fig. 1, at D, the centre or middle strip it
will be seen is made wider than the others, and is provided with elon-
gated openings E, through which both ends of a picking strap are to be
passed and secured. This double attachment I employ on looms where
the arrangement of swell and springs admit, because of the more direct
motion or action of the picker; F, F, are the spindle holes; H, H, are
the buttons for the picking strap, cast to and forming part of the centre
piece J (see Fig. 5); `L, are holes in the casting for the passage of the
ordinary wires employed for binding the picker together; K, is an
opening or aperture, so that should the tip of the shuttle penetrate the
layers of hide it will not be damaged by the metal; M are the picker or
fly spindles; and at N is shewn part of the slay or shuttle race (see
Fig. 7). The recesses P, P, are formed so as to enable this picker to work
in the groove in the bottom of the ordinary shuttle box.
、
Having thus described the nature and particulars of the said Invention,
I would have it understood that I claim the construction and use of
pickers, as herein described and illustrated by Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Porter, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
BENJN, PORTER. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed and delivered by the
within-named Benjamin Porter,
in the presence of
Wч. TASKER,
Tasker & Brierley,
Patent Agents,
Halifax, Bradford, & Blackburn.