US2222352A - Picker stick lug or block - Google Patents

Description

NGV. 19, 1940. A P. L Ewls 2,222,352Y

PICKER s-TIcx LUG on BLOCK Filed April 1o, 1940 2"v 13 INVENTCH k C?. vm y Patented Nov. Y19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE azzassz PICKER s'rxcx tucsonA BLOCK Application April 10, 1940, Serial No., 328,976

3 Claims.

This invention relates to loom pickers and is more especially concerned with the construction and mounting on the picker stick of the block or lug which engages the shuttle.

5 It has been customary for many years in the textile industry to make picker stick lugs of such materials as leather, rawhide, ber, or various rubber compositions. Because of the nature of the service required of these devices, the

l rate of wear of the lug itself is relativelyrapid, the strains imposed on the means for securing it to the picker stick are extremely severe, and it is, consequently, necessary to replace these lugs at relatively Afrequent intervals.

15 The present invention deals especially with these conditions. It aims to improve both the construction of the picker stick blocks or lugs and also the means for mounting them on the picker stick with a view to providing a more 20 serviceable construction, while still maintaining the factor of manufacturing cost within entirely practical limits.

'I'he nature of the invention will be readilyun'- derstood from the following description when 25 read in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view showing the upper end 80 of a picker stick equipped with devices embodying the present invention;

FiFig. 2 is a front view of the parts shown in Fig. 3 is a plan view of said parts;

$ Fig. 4 is a plan view of a strip from which the blocks are made;

Fig. 5 is a side view showing a slightly different form of picker block and means for securing it in its operative position on a picker stick; and

4o Figs. 6 and 7 are angular and horizontal sectional views, respectively, of still another form of block made in accordance with this invention, th'klatter figure showing it secured on a picker sti Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the construction there shown comprises a lug or block 2 mounted on the upper end of a picker stick i. The block 2 should be of a yielding, resilient character, so as to afford the necessary cushion- 50 ing action as the shuttle strikes it and comes to rest while being boxed at one end of its flight without creating any substantial rebound. At the same time it must have the necessary coherence and solidity to propel the shuttle with- 35 out damaging either it or the picker mechanism.

For this reason I prefer to make the block 2 of some fibrous material united by a resilient binder into a solid block having the desired degrees of hardness, elasticity, and the like. While it is contemplated that the block may be manufac- 5 tured in various ways, and of a considerable variety of materials, the best method which I have so far devised includes the steps of making a long, narrow strip, such `as that shown at I in Fig. 4, but having a. cross-sectional shape like that of the block illustrated at 2 in Fig. 3. This may conveniently be accomplished by assembling strips of a somewhat open mesh fabric, such as Osnaburg, one upon the other, these strips preferably being cut on the bias and havingpreviously been frictloned and skim coated with rubber prior to being cut into strips. Because considerable heat is developed in one of these blocks during operation, the rubber used should be a heat resisting compound possessing a high degree of adhesion. Raised edges or beads 5 5, Figs. 3 and 4, are formed at the opposite margins of the back of the strip 4 leaving a groove 6 between them to receive the forward edge of the picker stick I. This may be done, for example, by properly proportioning the volume of material in such a way that the excess of fabric and binder 'will be forced upwardly during the subsequent molding operation so as to produce these raised edges, or narrower strips of fabric may be so assembled with the others as to produce essentially the same results after molding. Typical cross-sectional dimensions for the strip are seven-eighths of an inch in depth (from -front face to the surface of the groove 6) and 35 one and an eighth inches in width. The beads 5 need be only approximately an eighth of an inch inheight. The strip should be vulcanized under high pressure, a pressure of at least one thousand pounds per square inch being desirable. 40 The composition and cure preferably are such that the finished strip has a hardness, as measured on a Shore durometer, of somewhere between 90 and 100. For most purposes I have found a value in the neighborhood of 97 seems 45 to 'give the best results.

Blocks of suitable length, say one and threeeighths inches, for example, are cut from the strip, the cut forming the top surface of the block being made at right angles to the front A face and that forming the bottom surface, Fig. l, being at an acute angle to said face so as to afford the necessary clearance with the raceway.

While the method above described produces a very satisfactory block or lug, it is contemplated that the rliber body may be made up in other ways and that equivalent binders, such as the synthetic rubbers and those synthetic products known as Nylon, Koroseal, and others having the block is centered on the stick by the groove in its rearward surface. Preferably the front and rearward edges of the picker stick, or the surfaces of the parts 2 and 9 to be engaged with 5 the necessary resilience and permanence of adthem, are coated lightly with oil or grease, both 5 hesion, may be substituted for rubber. Such a for the purpose of ultimately reducing the tendblock as that above described, however, has the ency of these parts to slip on the stick after necessary resilience or yield, both radially and having once been assembled thereon, and also longitudinally with reference to the point 'of ini-` to provide a certain amount of lubrication facilipact of the shuttle, and when made of a proper tating the assembly of these members on the 10 composition and correctly cured, gives a remark' picker stick.

ably long life without the laminations splitting It will be observed that when this assembling away from each other, which has been an imoperation has been completed, the parts 2, 1, I

' portant source of failure in prior art blocks or and 9 cooperate to encircle the upper end of the l5 lugsregardless of the materials of which they 'are picker stick and they are elastically held in 16 made; position by the engagement of this assembly with As above indicated, an important problem in the front and rear edges of the stick. In other the production of a satisfactory picker organizawords, the holder has a resilient oating connection consists in the mounting of the shuttle eny tion only with the picker stick through the elastic `gaging lug or block on the picker stick in such elements 2 and 9. The parts areso dimensioned 20 a manner that it will not work loose, will not that the assembling operation requires a very wear the stick, and will present no projecting surconsiderable degree of compression of the hacker faces likely to catch yarn. While picker stick pad or block 9, and a. lesser degree of compreslugs or blocks embodying this invention may be sion of the member 2. This condition isA mainsecured to a picker stick in a variety of ways, tained during the life of the picker, and the legs 25 j satisfactory arrangements for accomplishing this oi the holders 'l and 8 are constantly held under object will be herein disclosed. tension at all times and notwithstanding the Referring again to Figs. l, 2 and 3, it will be tendency to relieve the compression on the backer observed that the block 2 is held against the front block 9 at the instant of impact of the block 2 301 face of the picker stick by means of upper and with the shuttle either in stopping or propelling v lower U-shaped wire holders 1 and 8, respecit. There is, however, a tendency for such iml tively. These two members are similar; and the pact to move the block 2 upwardly and this tendforward ends of leach are hooked into opposite ency can be effectively overcome by any kind of a sides of the block 2, while their rearward porstop. The arrangement which I prefery is to tions extend around the back of the picker stick thread a screw I3 downward diagonally into the 35 and there engage a resilient backer block or pad picker stick at the upper end of the block, as 9 preferably notched to receive the wires. These shown in Figs. 1 and 3, where it holds the block 1 holders are made of wire having a high degree of 'against upwardmovement. tensile strength and sufliciently stiil.' so that there In using rubber in a. picker stick lug there is 40 is no danger of their hook-shaped ends being a tendency for therubber composition to poly-` 40 bent out of shape under the relatively high workmerize and disintegrate at the area of contact `ing pressure. As shown in Fig. 3, the forward with the extreme point vof the shuttle. This ends of the holder l are bent backwardly and inaction seems to occur only at the very small area l wardly toward each other at angles of approxi- `subjected to maximum pressure. I und that this mately 45, and they extend into holes drilled diiculty can be overcome by forming a hole, 45

`or otherwise formed in the sides of the block. In such as that shown at Il, in the block 2 so that addition, the lateral faces of the lug are grooves, the material which otherwise would be subjected l"as shownV at I0, to receive the wiresso that they to this destructive action is removed. I also 'will not project beyond the side faces of the iind that as wear progresses, the hole is deepened block. in a rearward and upward direction at an angle 50 The hacker block or cushioning pad 9 may conof approximately 15 with reference to a perpenveniently be made of rubber but should be condicular to the front face of the block, and ac- `siderably softer than the block 2 and have a wider cordingly, I make the hole i4 at this angle or at range of yield and elasticity. It is molded with a any other angle necessary to suit specific condicentral cut-out at the back, bounded by abrupt tions. It should also be observed that the points 55 `shoulders a and b, Fig. l, providing seats for of attachment of the hook ends of the holders of .the curved ends of the holders 'I and 8. The the block are entirely outside of the area. exposed latter naturally sink into the rubber somewhat to the wear of the shuttle point. and because of this fact and the presence of the It has been vfound in practice that this conshoulders, there is no tendency for them to slip struction gives exceptionally satisfactory service. 60 relatively to the pad or backer block itself. Pref- Not only does a block made in the manner above rabiy a Stiifening element 0i' 801116 appropriate described possess the peculiar combination of kind, Such aS a textile 00rd Or B stiffer rubber elasticity and rmness required for a good picker, COmPOllnd, iS mOlded into the body of this block but the mounting of the block on the stick seems along the side thereof in contact with the stick to -overcome completely the objections experi- 65 3, where it gives longitudinal stiffness and forms enced in using prior art constructions. abackbone whichis particularlyusefulin mount- It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 ing the' picker assembly on the stick. that as the hole I4 enlarges, due to the wearing In assembling the DBJIS On the Dicker Stick the away of its walls by long continued use, the fact holders 1 and s are hooked into the opposite sides that the warp and suing threads of which the 70 0f the block 2. the hacker block 0r CuShiOniDg/ plies of fabric in the block are composed are dispad 9 is placed in the loops of the holders, and posed diagonally with reference to the sides of the upper end of the picker stick then is forced the block, is of very material assistance in maininto position between the parts 2 and 9, as taining the strength of the reduced dimensions shown in. Figs. `l and 3. During this operation of these walls. In other words, this disposition 75 of the threads, due to the bias cutting of the stock when the strip l is made, presents long lengths of threads anchored securely in the thicker portions of the block. This would be true even if the .hole i4 became so enlarged as to almost break through into the opposite edges. On the other hand, if the threads were disposed parallel to the edges of the block, the walls at opposite lateral edges would be weakened very materially by such wear, and the horizontal threads could offer very little resistance indeed to lateral spreading, thus bringing practically all of the resistance to this force upon the threads extending parallel to said edges and lying between those edges and the hole. The bias cut construction, therefore, presents a very substantial advantage over the prior art construction.

A further and important advantage of this construction is that the parts of the holders nowhere project beyond the surfaces of the block 2, except at its back where they enter or leave the grooves. This is important in eliminating the presence of parts liable to catch on the yarn and in minimizing the opportunity for lint and fly to collect.

For the foregoing reasons this construction affords a long period of service. When replacement becomes necessary it may be accomplished easily and quickly. At the same time the expense of the entire picker structure compares favorably with that of t' le less serviceable prior' art constructions.

A slight variation of the form of the invention above described is illustrated in Mg. 5. Here the block 2' is like the block 2 except that the holes for receiving the hooked ends of the holders I5 and I6 are inclined in vertical planes instead of in approximately horizontal planes, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, and these holders extend across the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the block. In other words, the holders are not hooked into the opposite lateral sides of the block 2, but into the top and bottom sides of the block 2'. At the rearward side of the picker stick 3 the holders are engaged with a resilient packer block o'r cushioning pad 9 as in the construction previously described. This arrangement has the advantage, however, of permitting the holders to lie directly in contact with the opposite lateral surfaces of the picker stick 3' and thus making a very compact arrangement oifering little opportunity for accumulation of y and little danger of catching in the yarn.

Another form of picker stick lug or block embodying the invention is shown at 2" in Figs. 6 and 7.' Its construction is essentially like that of the block 2 except for the differences required because of modications in the means for securing this block to a picker stick. The opposite lateral surfaces of this block have grooves. one of which is shown at il in Fig. 6, molded or otherwise formed in them, to receive the apertured ends of a U-shaped sheet metal holder I8. Fig. 7, which straddles the picker stick 3. The holesin the forward ends of the holder are shaped.. to receive the projections IS-I! which are partially encircled by the grooves I1, and the holder is so biased that its legs or arms tend to Spring toward each other. Thus these ends are embedded in and interlocked with the block and when this assembly, including the elastic pad 9, is forced on to the stick 3, it holds the block and the'pad rmly against the front and rear surfaces, 4respectively-of the stick. In this construction, as in those above described, the metal holder is supported in a floating condition relatively to the stick by virtue of the fact that it has no connection with the stick except through the elastic block and pad.

'I'his application'is a continuationV in part of my pending application Ser. No. 261,752 led March 14, 1939, for improvements in Loom pickers.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A picker stick lug comprising a series of plies of fabric positioned one upon the other in face to face relationship and all extending in a generally parallel relationship to the front face of the lug, and a resilient lbinding 'medium securing al1 of said plies together into a solid but yielding block, the warp and filling threads of said fabric plies lying diagonally with reference to the lateral edges of said block.

2. A picker stick block comprising a series of plies of fabric positioned one upon the other in face to face relationship and l'all extending in a. generally parallel relationship to the front tace of the block, said plies being cut on the bias, whereby the warp 'and lling threads of said fabric plies lie diagonally with reference to the lateral edges of said block, a resilient binding medium securing all of said plies together into a solid but yielding block, the back of said block having a vertical groove therein to receive the front edge of the picker stick and said groove being anked by parte forming an integral part of the block.

3. A picker stick block comprising a series of plies of fabric positioned one upon the other in face to face relationship and all extending in a generally parallel relationship to the front face of the block, said plies being out on the bias, whereby the warp and filling threads of said fabric plies lie diagonally with reference to the lateral edges of said block, and a resilient bind-l ing material securing all of said plies together into a solid but yielding block, said block having recesses in the opposite sides thereof to receive parts of a metallic holder for securing the block to a picker stick.

ARTHUR P. LEWIS.

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