Improvements in Picking Bands of Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Picking Bands of Looms for Weaving.
I GEORGE STANNARD of Dean House, Deansgate Lane, Timperley, in the
County of Chester, Picking-band Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of picking-bands used in looms for
weaving, the object of the invention being to produce a picking-band which shall
be lighter, more durable and less expensive than those hitherto used.
Picking-bands as now generally made are of leather which is an expensive
material, and to prevent them from becoming hard and brittle it is necessary to
saturate them with oil or grease which by the sudden jerk of the picking stick is
frequently thrown on to the surface of the fabric being woven, thereby producing
greasy marks or stains thereon.
According to my invention I make the picking bands of strong canvas; sail cloth
or other suitable woven fabric which is doubled or folded to the required width and
thickness and stitched together at the edges.
A band so made and of a suitable length, say, about 18 inches is doubled in the
centre so as to form a loop for the end of the picking stick and a small band'or
strap of leather is passed round and rivetted so as to keep the loop in place. This
loop is also lined with a strip or lining of leather to bear the friction of the picking-
stick which lining is also rivetted in its place.
The two free ends of the woven band are also strengthened each with a strip of
leather rivetted on, and through these strips and the ends of the woven band I make
holes for the pegs which connect the picking band to the short leather "tugs" by
which the band is attached to the picker.
The improved picking band therefore being chiefly made of strong folded canvas
or other suitable woven fabric instead of leather, is much lighter and less
expensive, and being strengthened with leather at those parts where the greatest
friction occurs will be more durable; and the material being flexible no oil or
grease is required, and all liability to grease splashes on the fabric will be
avoided.
Deted this 7th day of & waust 1806
COMPLETE SPECIFT SATION.
Improvements in Picking Bands of Looms for Weaving.
I GEORGE STANNARD, of Dean House, Deansgate Lane, Timperley, in the
County of Chester, Picking-band Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of picking-bands used in looms for
weaving, the object of the invention being to produce a picking-band which shall
be lighter, more durable and less expensive than those hitherto used.

page_text: Picking-bands as now generally made are of leather which is an expensive material,
and to prevent them from becoming hard and brittle it is necessary to saturate them
with oil or grease which by the sudden jerk of the picking stick is frequently thrown
onto the surface of the fabric being woven, thereby producing greasy marks or stains
thereon.
My invention is designed also to remedy this defect and the same will be readily
understood from the following description on reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figs. 1 and 14 are sections of parts hereinafter referred to, and Fig. 2 is a side
elevation of one of my improved picking bands.
Fig. 3 is an edge view thereof, and Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views shewing
modifications hereafter more particularly referred to.
According to my invention I make the picking bands of strong canvas, sail cloth
or other suitable woven fabric a which is doubled or folded to the required width
and thickness and stitched together at the edges as seen at Fig. 1.
I prefer also to insert a strip of woven fabric a* inside the doubled fabric a (see
Fig. 14), the said strip a* being coated or saturated with tallow or similar
lubricant to prevent the friction between the two sides of the fabric a.
A band so made and of a suitable length, say, about eighteen inches, is doubled
in the centre so as to form a loop for the end of the picking stick, and a small
band or strap of leather 6 or hide or the like is passed round and rivetted so as to
keep the loop a 1 in place (see Figs. 2 & 3). This loop is also lined with a strip or
lining of leather 1 (Fig. 3), to bear the friction of the picking-stick, which lining
is also rivetted in its place as shewn.
The two free ends of the woven band are also strengthened each with a strip of
leather rivetted on 62, (Figs. 2 and 3) and through these strips and the ends of the
woven band I make holes c for the pegs which connect the picking band as usual
to the short leather "tugs" by which the band is attached to the picker.
C
In some cases I propose to protect the fabric a from friction against the edges of
the band b and strips 62 by a thin strip of leather 63 (see Fig. 4) or acid cured
hide or the like. This strip 63 may be continued to the ends of the fabric a as
seen at Fig. 5, and in this case the strips 62 which may be on the inner side
of the fabric a may be thinner and made of acid cured hide or the like. In any
case the fabric a bears the strain in working.
The improved picking band therefore being chiefly made of strong folded canvas
or other suitable woven fabric a instead of leather, is much lighter and less
expensive, and being strengthened with leather at those parts where the greatest
friction occurs will be more durable, and the material a being flexible little or no
oil or grease is required, and all liability to grease splashes on the fabric will be
avoided. The canvas a can be made so strong as to stand greater tensional strain
than the ordinary leather band.
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 :-
The improved picking band the chief part of which (that is, the part which
bears the tensional strain) is formed of canvas or other suitable material protected
and strengthened at parts with leather or the like, substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.