Picking Sticks employed in Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1888

page_text: Picking Sticks employed in Looms for Weaving.
I, THOMAS KENDRAY, of Sarnia, in the County of Lambton, Province of
Ontario, Canada, Weaving Overlooker, 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 has reference to the tug or pulling strap of picking sticks employed
in looms for weaving. Hitherto there has been no reliable method of connecting the
tug strap to the picking stick, neither has there been any reliable method of altering
the position of the tug strap on the picking stick, which is sometimes necessary
when the throw or power of the picking stick is required to be increased or
diminished.
My invention consists in the employment of apparatus for safely connecting the tug
strap to the picking stick; and also in means to be employed whereby the tug strap
can be readily raised and lowered on the picking stick, when the power of the picking
stick requires altering.
For the purpose of carrying out my invention, I employ a slotted plate, which I
place upon the picking stick, such slotted plate being made with an eyelet or loop for
the reception of one end of the tug strap.
This slotted plate is made with one or more racks, or with one or more rows of
holes, on the top of which I place a small plate having teeth or other projections
corresponding to the rack or rows of holes. A bolt passes through the picking stick
and through the slot in the plate, on which bolt is a winged nut having ratchet or other
form of teeth around the outside thereof, therefore when the position of the tug strap
requires either to be raised or lowered, the winged nut is released, which permits the
plate to be either raised or lowered as required, after which the winged nut is tightened
and by placing a ratchet-pawl in the teeth formed around the winged nut, such nut
cannot work loose by the vibration and working of the loom.
Such being the nature and object of my invention, I will now proceed to describe
the same more fully, and for that purpose make reference to the accompanying sheet
of drawings illustrative thereof.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a plan of my improved apparatus.
Fig. 2 is edge view thereof.
Fig. 3 is end view of same.
A represents the picking stick, and B the sliding plate, made with an eyelet C, for
the reception of the tug or pulling strap D. The sliding plate is also made with a slot
E and with racks F. A short plate G is also employed, having on the underside
thereof teeth or other projections a for the purpose of fitting into the racks F. A bolt
His passed through the picking stick, through the slot in the plate B, and through
the short plate G, and by means of the winged nut the sliding plate is securely
attached to the picking stick; and in order to prevent the winged nut working loose
by the vibration and movement of the loom, ratchet teeth c are formed around the
outside of the said nut, into which teeth is placed a pawl d which will absolutely
prevent the said nut working loose, and when the said nut requires to be slackened
the pawle can be lifted out of contact with the teeth of the winged nut, so as to allow
the said nut to be slackened. Therefore when the tug strap requires to be moved
either higher up or lower down the said picking stick for the purpose of altering
the power or throw of the stick, the winged nut is slackened, and the teeth on the
underside of the small plate G lifted out of the rack, allowing the sliding plate B to
be moved either up or down as required, when the small plate G is put back again,
the winged nut tightened up, and the pawl placed into the teeth of the winged nut,
when the loom is ready to proceed, the operation of adjusting the tug strap being
easily and quickly performed.
Instead of employing a rack on the sliding plate B, as shewn in Fig. 1, rows of
holes may be made in the plate B as shewn in Figs. 4, 5, 6, on sheet 2; and other
forms of recesses and corresponding projections may be employed for permitting the
adjustment of the sliding plate up and down the picking stick.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
Firstly. In connection with picking sticks of looms for weaving, the employment
of the plates or parts B and G, made with projections and recesses for adjusting the
position of the tug or pulling strap in manner substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Secondly. In connection with picking sticks, the employment of the plates or
parts B and G, made with projections and recesses, in combination with a bolt for
holding the parts together, substantially as described and shewn herein.
Thirdly. In connection with picking sticks, the employment of the plates or parts
B and G, made with projections and recesses, in combination with a toothed nut and
retaining pawl c, all arranged in the manner and for purposes substantially as shewn
and described.
DL: 10th
1000