IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOM SHUTTLES, PICKERS AND BOBBINS
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF
"and in what manner the same is to be
LOOM SHUTTLES, PICKERS AND BOBBINS
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to shuttles pickers and bobbins for looms for weaving.
It is well known to all practical manufacturers that the shuttles, pickers and
shuttle-bobbins of weaving looms as ordinarily constructed are expensive to
manufacture, liable to be easily broken, rapidly wear out and are comparatively
heavy.
The shuttle, being usually made of wood, splits or cracks in use, and when
splintered is liable to break the warp threads and thereby cause much injury and
delay. It is also heavy and requires more power to throw or operate it than
would be necessary if made of lighter materials.
The shuttle bobbin is also usually made of heavy wood, thereby unduly
increasing the weight of the shuttle, and is liable to split or be broken in use.
The picker being ordinarily made of green hide or leather is not so liable to
break as though composed of some other material, but is heavy, expensive to
construct and wears out with comparative rapidity, whether fitted to slide on a
rod or spindle or attached to the upper end of the staff.
My invention is designed to obviate these objections and to that end I make use
of means which will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters
from the following explanation, the extreme simplicity of the invention rendering
an elaborate description unnecessary.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view of a shuttle embodying my
improvement, a portion being represented as broken away to show the counter-

page_text: Figure 4 is an end view of the same.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a spool; and
Figure 6 is a like view of a bobbin.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
A represents the body of the shuttle, B the body of the picker, C the eye or
head of the picker, D the body of the bobbin, E the head of the bobbin, the
body of the counterbalance for the shuttle, and b b the arms of the counter-
balance.
Instead of making the body of the shuttle and the bobbin of wood, and the
picker of green-hide or leather, I construct each of these parts of the loom of
papier mache or paper pulp, moulded or formed in suitable dies and compressed
therein by means of a hydraulic press, or any other suitable device whereby the
pulp or muché can be submitted to great pressure and solidified.
Before moulding and compressing the shuttles, bodies, pickers or bobbins, as the
case may be, in the dies or moulds, I thoroughly mix with the pulp or maché of
which they are to be composed, a small proportion or quantity of fibrous material
such as hemp or jute, to give it greater strength. I also add to the other ingre-
dients a small quantity or proportion of pulverized terra-alba or clay, glue and
shellac, the glue being first dissolved in water and the shellac in any suitable
solvent for that article. The clay is designed to give the mass more "body," the
glue to cause the particles to adhere with greater firmness, and the shellac to
render the compound water-proof, proper quantities of each of these articles being
used to accomplish the respective purposes for which they are designed.
I do not deem it essential to represent a picker attached to the upper end of a
picker staff, but instead of the leather or green hide picker usually employed,
I make use of one composed of paper pulp or papier maché and moulded under
pressure substantially as described for the style of picker shown.
In Figure 5 a spool is shown which may also be composed of maché or paper
pulp moulded under pressure in substantially the same manner as described.
It will be obvious that a shuttle body, picker, or bobbin formed of paper pulp
or papier maché compounded substantially as described, and moulded under
pressure, will be very light, strong and durable, and will have none of the serious
objections which respectively pertain to those articles when made in the usual
manner.
The counterbalance x consists of a lead or other heavy metal ball provided with
the two laterally-projecting arms b, said arms being inclined towards the centre of
the body A, and arranged on the same horizontal plane.
The object of the counterbalance is to prevent the shuttle from "riding" or
flying upward when struck by the picker, one being embedded in either end of
the body A, the arms b serving to balance the shuttle or prevent it from oscillating
or rocking on its longitudinal axial line.
I do not, however, confine myself to the use of the counterbalances in the shuttle,
or the employment of fibre, terra-alba, clay, glue, or shellac in the pulp or maché
as either or all of these may be omitted without departing from the nature of my
invention, the essential feature of which. consists in constructing the body of the
shuttle, and the picker and bobbin of papier maché or paper pulp moulded or
formed under sufficient pressure to solidify the same.
It will be understood that all parts of the body A. of the shuttle are integral,
and that the body B and head C of the picker, and likewise the body D and head E
of the bobbin are integral; also that the shuttle body is provided with metallic tips
or end pieces, and a spring, spindle, eye and guide in the usual manner.
It will also be furthermore understood that I do not confine myself to com-
pressing the pulp or maché, as it may be moulded and dried, or otherwise suitably
hardened, without compressing if desired.

page_text: 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
First A weaving loom shuttle body composed of papier maché or paper pulp,
and moulded under pressure or compressed, substantially as described.
Second A weaving loom picker composed of papier maché or paper pulp, and
moulded under pressure or compressed, substantially as set forth.
Third A weaving loom shuttle bobbin composed of papier-maché or paper pulp,
and moulded under pressure or compressed, substantially as described.
Fourth The shuttle body A provided with the counterbalance x, substantially as,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Fifth In a weaving loom shuttle, the counterbalance provided with the arms b,
constructed and arranged to operate substantially as specified.
Sixth The improved compound for making shuttles, pickers and bobbins, the
same consisting of papier maché or paper pulp, fibre, glue, clay or terra-alba and
shellac, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.