IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKER MOTION
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKER MOTION."-A- communication
from abroad by Thomas Campbell Morton, of Waterbury, in the
County of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th June 1873.
.
I, EDWARD THomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKER MOTION," a communication
to me from abroad by Thomas Campbell Morton, of Waterbury, in the
County of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improvement in device for actuating the
picker staffs of looms, the object being to impart to the staff a motion of

page_text: the same power without regard to the velocity with which the loom is
operated in order to prevent the possibility of the shuttle stopping in its
passage across the loom. Various devices have been resorted to for this
purpose, but usually the spring which actuates the mechanism has been
strained to such an extent as to render it liable to break, a difficulty
which is overcome in this Invention.
This Invention consists in combining with such picker staff a lever
actuated by a cam to force it back, which back movement of the lever
acts upon a spiral spring to partially wind the said spring, that when
the lever escapes from the said cam the reaction of the said spring
will cause a quick throw of the lever and corresponding throw of the
picker staff.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of 2
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas 2
Hughes, 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 3
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PICKER MOTION," a communication to me from abroad by
Thomas Campbell Morton, of Waterbury, in the County of New Haven,
in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an improvement in device for actuating the
picker staffs of looms, the object being to impart to the staff a motion of
the same power without regard to the velocity with which the loom is
operated in order to prevent the possibility of the shuttle stopping in its
passage across the loom. Various devices have been resorted to for this
purpose, but usually the spring which actuates the mechanism has been
strained to such an extent as to render it liable to break, a difficulty
which is overcome in this Invention.
This Invention consists in combining with such picker staff a lever
actuated by a cam to force it back, which back movement of the lever
acts upon a spiral spring to partially wind the said spring, that when
the lever escapes from the said cam the reaction of the said spring
will cause a quick throw of the lever and corresponding throw of the
picker staff, as more fully herein-after described.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 represents a top view,
and Fig. 2 a section at line X, X, of Fig. 1.
t
A is the frame; B, the lay; C, the picker staff; D, the shaft, which
operates the lay by means of excentrics E and connecting rods F in
substantially the usual manner. At a convenient point in the frame a
shaft G is arranged, preferably taking its power through gears H, H³,
from the shaft D, and so that the velocity of the shaft G will be as 1
to 2. On this shaft are arranged two cams g, g', which are of worm
shape, the one, a right hand and the other a left. The worm extends
'

page_text: and levers P, P, I claim the bunters S, S¹, to receive the said levers at
the completion of their throw, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.