Improvements in Pickers for Looms.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 8th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL DI MULT
Improvements in Pickers for Looms.
We, JAMES MUIR, of 46 Tobago Street, Glasgow, Manufacturer, and ALFRED
MUIR, of 104 West George Street, Glasgow, Stockbroker, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to pickers for looms and it has for its object to render
them more durable and efficient than heretofore.
Some pickers have heretofore been made, in order to strengthen them, with a
band of steel inserted between the plies of leather, said band being passed down
one side round the back and up the other side of the picker, and then secured in
place, at the two ends, by means of rivets passed through the leather and steel.
In practice it has been found that the incessant hammering of the picker stick
against the back of the picker, causes, in many cases, the steel, at that part, to
splinter and break. When so broken the steel splinters drop out of the picker and
are apt to cause serious damage. Should the steel, as happens in some cases,
remain intact, it is found, that, after some use, it presents too hard and unyielding
a back to the picker stick with the result that the inner ply of leather becomes
gradually chafed and worn away, until, eventually, the steel is exposed and the
picker stick strikes against it and is soon more or less cut up.
Under our invention a piece of metal, preferably spring steel, is placed between
the inner and outer ply of leather, from the front of one side round the back to the
front of the other side, and is secured in place by means of, preferably, three rivets
having round, oval or square flat heads and chisel points.
The steel strip is made with V or somewhat Vshaped ends and with a narrow
or reduced back part, at the bend, formed, preferably, by cutting out, at that part,
pieces at the top and bottom.
When the steel strip is inserted in place, the rivets are driven through the picker
and are so clenched or turned over at the opposite side that their flat chisel points
lie level with the surface of the picker.
The rivets are passed through the V shaped openings in the steel in such manner
that they retain it in position without piercing it.
The spring steel strip, made as herein before described, gives the required rigidity
to the sides of the picker, and, as the steel is not fastened by the rivets, it is capable
of sufficient longitudinal movement to permit the leather at the back of the picker
to stretch under the action of the picker stick, thereby preventing the inner ply of
leather being readily worn away and at the same time also preventing the back of
the steel being readily broken or splintered. By making the back of the steel
strip narrow, sufficient yield is allowed to the leather, at top and bottom, to allow
it to stretch naturally without, on the one hand, breaking, or, on the other hand,
presenting too hard and rigid a back to the blow of the picker stick.
The spring steel may be made with U or other suitable shaped recesses in its
front ends instead of the V's.
Dated this 26th day of July 1894.

page_text: Improvements in Pickers for Looms.
We, JAMES MUIR, of 46 Tobago Street, Glasgow, Manufacturer, and ALFRED
MUIR of 104 West George Street, Glasgow, Stockbroker, 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 pickers for looms and it has for its object to render
them more durable and efficient than heretofore.
In the Specification of our prior invention No. 8269 of 1894 we have described
and shown pickers which are made, in order to strengthen them, with a band of
steel inserted between the plies of leather, said band being passed down one side
round the back and up the other side of the picker, and then secured in place, at
the two ends, by means of staples passed through the leather and steel.
In practice it has been found that the incessant hammering of the picker stick
against the back of the picker, causes, in many cases, the steel, at that part, to
splinter and break. When so broken the steel splinters drop out of the picker and
are apt to cause serious damage. Should the steel, as happens in some cases,
remain intact, it is found, that, after some use, it presents too hard and unyielding
a back to the picker stick with the result that the inner ply of leather becomes
gradually chafed and worn away, until, eventually, the steel is exposed and the
picker stick strikes against it and is soon more or less cut up.
Under our present invention a piece of metal, preferably spring steel, is placed
between the inner and outer ply of leather, from the front of one side round the
back to the front of the other side, and is secured in place by means of, preferably,
three rivets having round, oval or square flat heads and chisel points.
The steel strip is made with V or somewhat. V shaped ends and with a narrow
or reduced back part, at the bend, formed, preferably, by cutting out, at that part,
pieces at the top and bottom.
When the steel strip is inserted in place, the rivets are driven through the picker
and are so clenched or turned over at the opposite side that their flat chisel points
lie level with the surface of the picker.
The rivets are passed through the V shaped openings in the metal in such
manner that they retain it in position without piercing it.
We have illustrated on the annexed drawings, by way of example, a method of
carrying our invention into effect or practice.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved picker.
Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line x—x Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a metal blank and Fig. 4 is a side view of the same when
bent or folded.
Fig. 5 is a plan view and Fig. 6 a side view of a rivet.
Fig. 7 is a plan view of another form of metal blank and Fig. 8 is a side view of
the same when folded or bent.
The picker, Figs. 1 and 2, consists of an inner ply of leather a and an outer ply b
between which is inserted the metal strengthening strip c. The rivets d, which
have flat heads d', and chisel points d' (Figs. 5 and 6), are so driven through the
picker and its tongue g that they pass through the V shaped cuts h made in the.
ends of the metal strip c. The flat chisel points of the rivets are turned over, as
shown, so as to lie level with the surface of the picker.
The tongue g of the picker is, preferably, made of two pieces of leather g',
one folded or bent round the other as shown at Fig. 2. The two pieces may
held together at the top by a pin g³.
The strips c may be made from a piece of metal cut or stamped to the shape
shown at either Figs. 3 or 7.

page_text: As will be seen the piece Fig. 3 has the V shaped cuts h at each end and is also
gradually cut away at each side towards the centre i which is the narrowest part.
This piece when folded up ready for insertion in the picker has the appearance
shown at Fig. 4.
The piece Figs. 7 and 8 differs from that at Figs. 3 and 4 in that the back part i
is narrowed or reduced in width by cutting out semi-circular pieces at j, j¹.
The spring steel may be made with U or other suitable shaped recesses or cuts h
in its front ends instead of the V'e.
A metal strip c made as hereinbefore described, gives the required rigidity to
the sides of the picker, and, as the metal is not fastened by the rivets, it is capable
of sufficient longitudinal movement to permit the leather at the back of the picker
to stretch under the action of the picker stick, thereby preventing the inner ply
of leather being readily worn away and at the same time also preventing the back
of the metal being readily broken or splintered. By making the back of the
metal strip narrow as at i sufficient yield is allowed to the leather, at top and
bottom, to permit it to stretch naturally without, on the one hand, breaking, or, on
the other hand, presenting too hard and rigid a back to the blow of the picker
stick.
The metal strip may be covered with cloth or yarn if so desired.
The body of the picker may be made of canvass, rubber or other suitable material
if so desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. The improved construction or combination of parts of a picker for looms
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings annexed.
2. The application and use in a picker for looms of a metal strengthening strip
having recessed ends and a narrowed or reduced part (i) at the back, substantially
as and for the advantages hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 6th day of November 1894.
IKEתיחAINZ
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.