IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PICKERS FOR LOOMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Fielden, junior, and Thomas Fielden,
both of Walsden, in the County of Lancaster, Picker Manufacturers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PICKERS
FOR LOOMS."
• Sealed the 15th July 1870, and dated the 22nd January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Fielden and
Thomas Fielden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,.
with their Petition, on the 22nd January 1870.
We, ROBERT FIELDEN, junior, and THOMAS FIELDEN, both of Walsden,
in the County of Lancaster, Picker Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
PICKERS FOR LOOмs," to be as follows:
-
This Invention consists in certain improvements upon the Invention
for which former Letters Patent were granted to us on the 25th February
.1859, No. 514.

page_text: The pickers manufactured in the manner described in the Specification
of the said Patent consist of a piece of buffalo hide or skin coiled or
folded up and then pressed into the form of a picker, the foot of the
picker in some cases being covered by a separate piece of hide or skin,
and the ends of this covering piece being secured to the shoulder of the
picker by cramps, and in some cases without the separate piece of hide
or covering, but the foot is fastened together with rivets or wire pins..
These cramps and rivets are found to be objectionable, as they injure the
shuttle when the picker has been in use for some time. ·
Now our present improvement consists in so constructing the pickers
that the cramps and rivets above referred to may be dispensed with. In
coiling or folding up the piece of hide or skin we enclose a mandril
within it, and after being pressed this mandril is drawn out and leaves a
hole at each end, and when the folded piece of hide or skin has been
bent so as to bring both ends together a strip of hide or skin is inserted
into the said holes. The picker is then pressed into the required form,
and the strip of hide or skin is secured by a bent wire. Pickers so
constructed are more durable than those made heretofore, and the injury
to the shuttle is avoided.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Fielden and Thomas Fielden in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 21st July 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
FIELDEN, junior, and THOMAS FIELDEN, both of Walsden, in the County
of Lancaster, Picker Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Robert Fielden, junior, and Thomas Fielden,
Her special license that we, the said Robert Fielden, junior, and Thomas
Fielden, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as .we,
the said Robert Fielden, junior, and Thomas Fielden, our executors,

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF PICKERS FOR LOOMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Robert Fielden, junior, and Thomas Fielden,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of our or 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.
i
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robert Fielden, junior, and Thomas
Fielden, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in certain improvements upon the Invention
for which former Letters Patent were granted to us on the Twenty-fifth
February One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, Number 514.
The pickers manufactured in the manner described in the Specification
of the said Patent consist of a piece of buffalo hide or skin coiled or
folded up and then pressed into the form of a picker, the foot of the
picker in some cases being covered by a separate piece of hide or skin,
and the ends of this covering being secured to the shoulder of the
picker by cramps, and in some cases without the separate piece of hide
or covering, but having the foot, fastened together with rivets or wire
pins. These cramps and rivets are found to be objectionable, as they
injure the shuttle when the picker has been in use for some time.
Now our present improvements consist in so constructing the pickers
that the cramps and rivets above referred to may be dispensed with.
After coiling or folding up the piece of hide or skin in the manner.
described. in the Patent above referred to we insert a mandril within it,
and after being pressed this mandril is drawn out and leaves a hole
hrough the folded piece of hide or skin. This piece is then bent so as.

page_text: to bring both ends together, and a strip of hide or skin is inserted into
the holes in the ends. The picker is then pressed into the required
form, and the strip of hide or skin is secured by a bent wire. Pickers
so constructed are more durable than those made heretofore, and the
injury to the shuttle is avoided.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation we will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. I represents a plan, and Fig. 2 a section
of the mandril; Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4 a section of the piece of
hide or skin after it has been folded around the mandril; Fig. 5 repre-
sents the piece of hide or skin partially bent into shape; Fig. 6 is a
plan, and Fig. 7 an edge view of a strip of hide or skin forming the
exterior of the foot of the picker; and Fig. 8 is a plan, and Fig. 9 an
edge view of the improved picker complete.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The hide or skin of which the
picker is to be made is first cut to the proper dimensions according to
the size of the picker required, and then it is folded around the split
mandril described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted
to us on the Twenty-fifth February One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-nine, Number 514. The split mandril is then withdrawn, and
the mandril shewn in Fig. 1 is inserted. The hide or skin is then
connected
subjected to pressure, and the overlapping sides
together by studs or nails, as shewn in Fig. 3. The mandril shewn
in Fig. 1 is then withdrawn, leaving the piece of hide or skin in
the form of a tube, as shewn in Fig. 4. The tube is then bent so as
to bring both ends together, as shown in Fig. 5, and the previously
prepared strip shewn in Figs. 6 and 7 is inserted into the open ends of
the tube, as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The partially made picker
is then pressed into the required form by suitable dies and moulds of the
ordinary description, and the strip is secured to the tube by a bent wire,
as shewn in Figs. 8 and 9. The foot of the picker is then trimmed to the
required shape. The holes for the picker strap and the holes for guiding
the picker on the picker spindle are then punched or otherwise made
to complete the picker. The machinery for effecting these operations
forms no part of our present Invention.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do

page_text: not intend to limit ourselves to the details given, but that we claim, the
improved mode of constructing pickers as shewn and, described, and
particularly the mode of forming the foot of the picker.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Fielden, junior, and Thomas
Fielden, have hereto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day
of July One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
ROBERT FIELDEN, JUN. (L.S.)
THOMAS FIELDEN.
(L.S.)