Improvements in Picking Gear for Looms.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 20th Aug. 1889-Accepted. 5th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Picking Gear for Looms.
1 FREDERICK WILLIAM DURHAM Engineer of 1 Jacob Street Manchester Road
Bradford in the county of Yorkshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to do away with the picker stick or lever used for
throwing the shuttle from one end of the loom to the other and consists of attaching a
spring to the picker either directly or by means of a chain, cord, strap, rod or other
equivalent device so arranged that when the picker is drawn to the outer end of its
guides or race by suitable gear worked by the loom, it winds up or stores power in the
spring, and is held there by a trigger, clutch or other equivalent mechanism until
released by a motion for liberating it, the power of the spring is then given out
throwing the picker to the other end of the guides or race and so sending the shuttle
across to the same arrangement at the opposite end of the loom. I.also use a spring
buffer consisting of a spring with a pad of leather, rubber, or other suitable material so
fixed as to receive the blow at the end of the stroke of the picker to lessen shock and
noise.
Dated this 19th day of November 1888.
FREDERICK WILLIAM DURHAM.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Picking Gear for Looms.
FREDERICK WILLIAM DURHAM Glemham Lodge New Barnet and 27 Leadenhall
Street London Engineer 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 relates to Improvements in picking gear for looms, the object being
to do away with the picker stick or lever and consists of attaching a spring to the
picker either directly or by a chain cord strap rod or other equivalent device so
arranged that when the picker is drawn to the outer end of its guides or race by
snitable gear worked by the loom it winds up or stores power in the spring and is held
there by a trigger clutch cam or other equivalent inecbanism, until released by a
motion for liberating it, the power of the spring is then given out throwing the picker
to the other end of the guides or race so sending the shuttle to the same arrangement
at the other end of the loom. I also use a spring buffer consisting of a spring-with
a pad of leather rubber or other suitable material fixed so as to receive the blow at the
end of the stroke of the picker to lessen shock or noise.
Fig. 1 shews the front elevation of a loom A. A¹ are two spring barrels having in
them coiled springs held in tension by ratchet wheel & pawl similar to a clock spring
& barrel, to the outside of these barrels are attached straps steel bands or chains B. B
running over the guide pulleys C. C and connected to the horizontal rods D. D' the
other end of these rods are connected to the picker standards E. E' which work in the
groove slides F. F', the levers G. G' are connected by the rods H. H' to the horizontal
rods II' which work in the guides or eye J at one end and at the other end are
connected to the shoes or guides K. K which also work in the guides F. F' the
levers G. G are worked by the ordinary cams or tappet gear being connected to the
picking shafts L. L¹ by the rods M. M¹ and the levers N. N¹.-The action is as follows,
when the picking tappets 0. 01 move the cones P. Pas in ordinary picking motion it
operates the levers G. G¹ throwing them into position shown by dotted lines so

page_text: carrying the picking standards E. E¹ into the position shewn which standard is held
there by the triggers QQ against the tension of the springs which are now wound up
in the drums A. A' the levers G. G₁ are then immediately brought back by the
springs W. W and remain there until the picker has made its stroke when the operation
is repeated On the going part is mounted at each end a bell crank R, shewn in side
elevation Fig. 3. which is connected to the trigger S. So that when the pin in the
picking tappet O strikes the bell crank R on its underside it operates the trigger Q
and releases the picker standard E. which having the tension of the spring on it throws
the shuttle across. This operation is repeated alternately at either end.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the underside of half the sleigh board.
Fig. 4. is a plan shewing the ordinary cones or tappets.
Another modification is shown in Fig. 5 and 6 in this arrangement the cones or
tappets O. O driven by the loom, work the cones and stud P. P₁ on the horizontal
shaft L L which is connected to the rocking levers G. G₁ by a rod M M¹ and
levers N N which are connected to the horizontal rod B. B' which rods have one end
plungers or pistons A. A' working in the tube C., the other end of the rods B. B¹ are
connected. to the picker standards E. E' and work in the guides F'F-the action of
the arrangement is that when the cones or tappets O. O' operate the cones P. P₁ the
levers GG are thrown to the position shewn by dotted lines carrying with them
the pistons A A¹ picker standard E. E and shuttle. The springs W. W bringing the
levers G. G¹ back to the position shewn immediately the stroke is completed. The
plungers or pistons A. A working in the tube C. form an air spring or elastic
cushion by compressing the air in the tube between the two plungers or pistons one
of which is always at the completion at each stroke at the outer end of the tube so
forming a closed-end to the tube or cylinder.
Fig. 7 shews an arrangement of air spring for cushioning & lessening shock or
noise of the picking gear at each end of its stroke, this I do by putting a plunger or
piston in a tube bored to receive it, the said tube being fixed underneath (or at the
side of the sleigh board in circular or drop box looms) and having slot A. A' a little
longer than the travel of the picker with a chamber B. B¹ at both ends, the plungers
or pistons C. O are connected by a rod. D and travel freely along the tube as far as
the slots are open, till they enter the chamber at either end when they compress the
air, and form an air cushion which stops the plunger, these chambers are provided
with cocks or valves (or a small hole) for adjusting the length of stroke or bringing
the plunger to a stop at any desired point.
I put a pin or projection in the plunger C to receive the picker, which picker I
make of any suitable material and of square or oblong form, so as to allow of its
being reversed when one side is worn by the shuttle striking it. For checking the
shuttle when striking the picker I use the air cushion formed by the plunger
entering the chamber B' which plunger comes to a standstill before quite completing
its stroke and as the air escapes through the small hole or cock or valve used to
regulate the size of the hole, when the springs W. W pulls the plunger home to the
end of the stroke so lessoning or cushioning the shock or force of the blow of the
shuttle when it strikes the picker and remains in that position till the cam again'
strikes the cones P. P' when the operation is repeated.
I apply the same arrangement to both ends of the loom, setting the cams in the
usual way so that it picks at each end alternately. To reduce the shock or blow as
much as possible 1-make all connecting rods hollow and put a spring or air plunger
inside but I may use solid connecting rods on slow running looms.
For circular and drop box looms the tubes with their plungers or pistons are
placed in the front or side instead of underneath the sleighboard, and the picker
standard or pin and picker placed in a horizontal line so as to travel in any box
presented to the picker and operate the shuttle as herein described. I have only
shewn the arrangement for plain or single shuttle looms but it is obvious that they
can be applied to circular & drop box looms in the manuer described. I also use
the air spring buffer for cushioning the pickers iii looms of any kind this I form
substantially as shewn in Fig. 8-the air chamber A receives the end of the guide

page_text: rod B, which forms an air plunger or piston and when the picker strikes the shoulder
or collar C the plunger compresses the air in the chamber A. and so forms an air
spring cushion for lessoning the blow of the picker. It should be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise detail herein shewn but substantially to the
arrrangements for the purposes claimed and described.
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.
1. The general arrangement of parts as herein shewn and described in Figs. 1, 2,
3 & 4 for the purpose of operating pickers and shuttles in looms.
2. The method of air springs cushioning and guiding the picker substantially as
herein set forth.
3. The spring or air cushion connecting rods for operating the picking gear of
looms.
4. The use of a plunger and air cushion for buffering the picker in looms.
Dated this 20th day of August 1889.
FREDERICK WILLIAM DURHAM.