IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS, AND PICKERS FOR LOOMS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bird, of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, Richard Ashton, of the same Place, Overlooker,
and Thomas Bird, of Manchester, in the said County, Engineer, for the
Sealed the 28th May 1858, and dated the 2nd December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bird, Richard
Ashton, and Thomas Bird at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd December 1857.
Wo, WILLIAM BIRD, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
RICHARD ASHTON, of the same Place, Overlooker, and TпоMAS BIRD, of Man-
chester, in the said County, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS, AND PICKERS FOR LOOMS," to be as
follows:-
We fix a parallel lever either to the body of the slay or lathe, or the bottom
part thereof, upon a stud or pin near the surface of the slay or lathe plate.
The said lever passes through the picker and projects above the top of the
box, and in the end of it is a small stud or slot, so as to attach the usual
strap and connect the two levers together. By this our improved plan of
picking, the shuttle will have a direct motion without the ordinary picker
spindle. We also work the picker in the slot of the slay or lathe plate, the
bottom picker being fixed with a plate underneath the lathe plate, and

page_text: attached to the top part, the said top part being hollow, so as to admit of a
piece of buffalo hide, gutta percha, leather, or other yielding material to be
fixed with a screw pressing on the lever and holding the yielding or flexible
material fast in its position. We fix a pin or stud behind the lever to attach
the ordinary strap or cord to the picking stick. A small spring buffer or
strap may also be applied to the ends of the lathe plate or in other convenient
position to prevent the concussion of the picker with the lathe plate, thereby
giving greater case to the shuttle and preventing excessive friction. It will
be thus evident that we can work our improved picker either with or without
our improved lever, always dispensing with the usual picker, spindle, studs,
&c., and decreasing to a very great degree the amount of lubricating matter
hitherto used, as well as the power for driving the looms. We also make
our pickers of bone, horn, or similar material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bird, Richard Ashton, and Thomas Bird, in tho
'Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, WILLIAM
BIRD, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, RICHARD ASUTON,
of the same Place, Overlooker, and THOMAS BIRD, of Manchester, in the said
County, Engineer, senil greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Bird, Richard Ashton, and Thomas Bird, Her special licence
that we, the said William Bird, Richard Ashton, and Thomas Bird, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William
Bird, Richard Ashton, and Thomas Bird, 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 LOOMS, AND PICKERS FOR LOOMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Bird, Richard Ashton, and
Thomas Bird, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: 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 I, the said Thomas Bird, for and on behalf of
myself and the said William Bird and Richard Ashton, do hereby declaro
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
Our Invention consists in coupling or attaching at each end of the loom
two or more picking sticks or levers by means of straps, ropes, or joints.
When two are used, one of the sticks or levers is connected with the picker
and placed either inside or outside of the slay or lathe. We work this lever
either on a fulcrum fixed to the body of the slay or lathe, or on a fulcrum
fixed to the loom side, the latter mode requiring an extra joint for the
purpose of picking. The aforesaid lever passes either through the centre or
the side of the picker, projecting above the top of the shuttle box, and having
at the end a stud or slot, so as to couple or attach it to any ordinary picking
stick either above or below the slay or lathe, and also inside or outside the
framing of the loom. Or, instead of connecting the two sticks together we
may attach them to the picker itself. By employing our improved. plan or
system of picking, the shuttles will have a direct parallel motion without the
ordinary picker spindles, check straps, box ends, springs, or studs, the pickers
working simply in the boxes, thereby preventing the usual chafing and
excessive friction, thus requiring no oil, preventing oily slubs or dirt being
thrown into the cloth, and taking less power to propel the shuttle. Our
improved pickers are made of bone, horn, or similar material, each being
furnished with a hoop placed either externally or internally, in order to
prevent splitting, the hoop being filled with leather, gutta percha, or other
similar material, which hoop may be advantageously employed in the ordinary
pickers of leather, buffalo hide, wood, or other material.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and letters of reference thereon,
in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the framing and other parts of a loom
having one modification of our improved additional picking sticks attached to
the ordinary over picking sticks; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;
Fig. 3 represents another mode of applying the additional. lever or picking
stick; and Figs. 4 and 5 are views of one of our improved pickers for working
in the slot of the slay or lathe.

page_text: ment.
the boxes.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the ordinary over picking sticks aro shewn at a, the
straps of which are connected to the ends of our additional lovers or picking
'sticks c, which pass through the slay or lathe d and also through the pickers é,
each lever or stick c being connected at the bottom to a double joint f, which
works on the fulcrum g fixed to the loom side, and is also furnished with a
strut or projection h, to which one end of a spring i is connected, its other
end being attached to the lever c in order to give it a recoil or return move-
When motion is given to the sticks a they impart a corresponding
motion to the sticks c, giving a parallel and easy motion to the pickers è,
there being no straining or twisting, but only a tendency to follow the line of
After the picks have been given, the springs draw both pairs of
sticks back to their original position ready for a fresh pick, and being kept
tight by the attachment of the two sticks the necessity of a check strap is
dispensed.with. Although we only shew spiral springs other shapes may be
employed, and also in any suitable position. In Fig. 3 the additional lever
or stick is shewn at k, working on a fulcrum attached to the slay or latho m,
the stick projects above the picker n, and is connected to the ordinary picking
stick o.
Or, when required, both sticks may bo connected with the picker
itself. In either case springs are employed to cause the return movement.
Figs. 4 and 5 ropresent one of our improved pickers adapted for working
on the slay or lathe; it is furnished with an internal hoop p filled with leather,
gutta percha, or other similar material for acting on the tip of the shuttle, the
said hoop also preventing the splitting. or breakage of the picker, whether it
is formed of bone, horn, wood, or of the materials in ordinary use. Wo
connect the pickor to the plate q, which works underneath the slay or lathe
plate, and attach one or more picking sticks to the picker itself for the
purpose of giving the picks. We also work our improved picker in the slot
of the slay or lathe, which has a plate underneath the slay plate connected
with the bottom of the picker, thereby keeping it from rising and maintaining
it parallel. Any of the ordinary picking sticks are connected by straps, cords,
or joints to the picker. By this arrangement we dispense with the necessity
of our additional lover or picker and also with the ordinary picker spindles
and parts connected therewith, thereby economizing lubricating matter as well
as power. It will be seen that the foregoing arrangements are exceedingly
simple, though they may be modified to a considerable extent, so as to adapt
them to every kind of loom, the peculiar character of our system consisting in
connecting two or more picking sticks together or to the picker itself, in order
to maintain it ou a parallel course without the ordinary picker spindles, check
straps, box eads, and springs.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein
set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle thereof; but we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of
our knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm,―
Firstly, the connecting two or more picking sticks together or to the picker
itself when the sticks pass through or at the side of the picker.
Secondly, our improved pickers of bone, horn, or similar material.
And, thirdly, the employment of a hoop or ring of metal or other material
attached to our improved pickers oither externally or internally, and also to
pickers in general, as all such improvements are herein described, and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bird, for and on behalf of
myself and the said William Bird and Richard Ashton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Thomas Bird, in the presence of
THOMAS BIRD. (L.S.)
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.