Lecture on Picking

Prepared By
Taslima Ahmed Tamanna
Lecturer, Dept. of Textile Engineering
BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT)
Pick: A single weft thread in a woven fabric.
Picking:
Picking is the second primary motion in the weaving.
It is the action of filling insertion i.e., the weft through
the warp shed from one edge of fabric to the other
edge.
Picking may be carried out with or without shuttle. The
mechanism of shuttle picking is negative, complicated,
elaborate, costly and unsatisfactory.
So, now a days, positive picking may be invented in
shuttle less looms.
Function/Purpose of picking:
To insert the weft of a predetermined velocity
through the shed
To deliver the filling insertion device across
the current flight path or shed.
To produce picks for continue weaving.
Picking faults:
Early picking
Late picking
Smash/Banging-off
Short picking
Harsh picking
Shuttle flying picking
Early picking:
Incase of early picking, the shuttle enters into the shed a little earlier. This gives
the shuttle more time to travel across the sley race. This occurs before the
completion of shedding. An earlier pick gives loss of power, broken selvedges, as
the shed is not sufficiently open for the entry of the shuttle.

Late picking:
Incase of late picking the shuttle enters the shed when the going part of the loom
is nearer to back centre. This occurs through the shedding is completed. Late
picking will cause weft stitches, broken selvedges and loom knocking off, jerky
motion of the loom.
Weak picking:
When insufficient force is applied to the shuttle box to reach the
opposite box, called ‘weak pick’. Weak pick may be due to slack
picking band, loose picking stick, worm nose piece, insufficient
power.
Weak pick causes- loom knocking off, Broken selvedge thread and
stitching at the side.

Banging-off/Shuttle trapping in shed/Smashing:

Causes due to-
Entangled warp ends
Late or weak pick
Worn out picker
Wrong timing of boxes
Boxes moving too slow
Boxes not steady when pick is delivered
Swell spring broken
Loose guide plates
Shuttle rebounding/trapping after entering a box
Harsh picking:
When more force is applied to the shuttle than required to pass the shed,
the pick becomes harsh.
Harsh picking may be due to-
 A new picking tappet nose
 Prominent curve of nose
 Strong pick
 Broken cone stud

It will cause-
 The shuttle to rebound
 Given broken cops
 Cracked shuttle
 Broken ends
 The picker may be damaged

Short picking:
This defect arises due to-
 Unsuitable angle
 Setting of picking

Shuttle flying out:

It causes due to –
 Excess picking force.
 Boxes not steady when pick is delivered
 Classification of picking
Picking are mainly two kinds. They are
1. Hand picking
2. Power picking

1. Hand Picking are two types. They are

Throw shuttle
Fly shuttle
2. Power Picking are two types. They are
Conventional
Modern
Conventional picking are two types. They are
I. Tappet & cone
II. Bowl & shoe

Modern picking are 4 types. They are

I. Rapier
II. Projectile
III. Air jet
IV. Water jet
Tappet & cone picking are two types. They are
Cone over picking
Cone under picking
Bowl & shoe Picking are two types. They are
Side lever under picking
Side shaft under picking
 Classification of picking
Picking

Hand Power
picking picking

Through Fly Conventi

Modern
shuttle shuttle onal

Over Under Projectil Water Electrom Tension

Rapier Air jet Multiphase
picking picking e jet agnetic bar

Tappet Bowl
and and
cone shoe

Parallel Side Side

Link Pick
shoe lever shaft
 Throw shuttle
In throw shuttle process weft yarn is pas one
side to another side completely by hand
Fly shuttle
Definition of over pick & under pick:
Over pick:
If the picking is done due to picking arrangement is
situated upon the shuttle box, then it is called over
pick.
Loom runs in high speed in this mechanism. Fine,
medium and coarse fabrics are produced by this
mechanism.
Under pick:
If the picking is done due to picking arrangement is
situated under the shuttle box, then it is called under
pick.
Loom runs in low speed in this mechanism. Filament and
heavy fabric produced by this mechanism.
 Difference between over & under picking mechanism

Over Picking Under Picking

Picking arm is above shuttle box Picking arm is under shuttle box

Works more smoothly Works less smoothly

Relatively higher loom speed Relatively lower loom speed

Used for narrow loom Used for medium & wider loom

Used in weaving light and medium weight Used in weaving heavy weight fabric
fabric
It is easy to adjust & maintain It is difficult to adjust & maintain

Less direct action More direct action

Consumes less power than under pick Consumes more power than over pick

Less wear & tear More wear & tear

 Over picking mechanism
Construction:
• The cone over pick mechanism consists
of vertical picking shaft which is placed
either inside or outside the loom framing
• The picking shaft consists of a stud,
which is passed through a slot in picking
shaft
• The picking tappet placed in contact with
picking cone
• The picking tappet is mounted on the
bottom shaft
• The picking lever/arm/stick is attached to
a ring on the top of picking shaft
• From the forward end of the picking arm
a lather picking strap passes down to a
buffalo-hide picker, which is freely
mounted upon a spindle, placed over the
centre of the shuttle box.
A picking tappet, driven by the bottom shaft and
carrying a nose bit, hits a cone, which in turn drives a
vertical shaft. From here, the motion is transmitted to
the picker through a picking stick and picking strap.
The picker pushes the shuttle into the shed. Fig.: Tappet and Cone over picking mechanism
Working principle:
With the rotation of loom/bottom shaft, picking tappet or cam rotates
↓
In revolving, picking tappet nose strikes the cone shaped antifriction roller on
the stud and partly rotates the picking shaft and the picking lever/stick
↓
The picking arm/lever moves from right side to left side of the loom. It will give
angular movement which causes the picker to move inward with sufficient
velocity to drive the shuttle across the loom
↓
When the picker strikes the shuttle, the shuttle moves into the open shed
through race board
↓
Picking is done
↓

The spring causes the picking arm and picker to move back after the delivery of
a pick.
Figure : Over picking mechanism
Adjustment of over picking mechanism:
There are mainly two adjustment:
Picking force adjustment
Timing adjustment

Picking force adjustment/intensity of force in over pick motion

Cone stud: The strength of pick may be increase or decrease by
setting the cone stud nearer to or away from the picking tappet
By lowering the cone stud in relation to the position of picking
tappet, the force is sent in a straight direction and smooth pick is
obtained

Picking strap: By decreasing the length of picking strap, picking force

can be increased and vice-versa

Picking stick/arm: By altering the position of the picking arm towards

the center of the loom, the strength of a pick (i.e. picking force) is
increased
How to increase PPM:
1. increasing motor seed.
2. increasing the nose shape of picking
tappet.
3. decreasing the length of picking arm.
 Working principal of Cone under pick mechanism
Slide shaft under picking: In under
picking mechanism a race board is
situated over picking arm. Under picking
is controlled by picking cam which is fixed
on the bottom shaft. At first the motion
comes from motor and m/c pulley.
Then the motion comes in to the bottom
shaft and thus picking cam. When picking
cam rotates and its nose portion comes
in contact with cone and pushes it then
the treadle lever pushes the angular
lever. The picking arm gets motion from
angular lever which is connected with
picking arm.
A picker is placed in the picking arm
which pushes the shuttle. When shuttle
gets motion by picking arm then shuttle
begins to move to and fro on the race
board. Thus picking is done.
 Figure of under pick mechanism:

Figure: Under pick mechanism (Side shaft picking mechanism) on M/C view
Cone under pick mechanism: (slide shaft picking)
Construction:
Picking tappet is connected with the bottom shaft. There is a cone joined with the side
shaft
There are two bearings, which are joined with the side shaft
Side shaft joined with the picking stick with the help of picking strap
Picking stick is pivoted at an elbow. At the upper position of the picking stick picker is
placed above the spindle
Shuttle is placed at the centre of the picker
Working principle:
The tappet is driven by the bottom shaft
↓
When the picking tappet strikes the picking cone, it displaced and the side shaft is
turned
↓
The turning action of side shaft pulls the picking stick which is connected to side shaft
by picking strap
↓
The lower end of picking stick is pivoted. So that is pulled with the pulling of side shaft
↓
Then the picker connected to picking arm strikes the shuttle and causes it to pass
through the warp shed
Construction:

1) the circular disk received motion from the bottom shaft. The disk contain a
bowl named picking bowl able to push down the picking shoe of side lever.

2) Side lever of loom pivoted with loom frame and the up-down motion of
side lever is controlled by fixed guide.

3) Side lever is connected with elbow of picking stick which attached with
returning spring on the top of rocking shaft.

4) Each picking stick contains picker which push the shuttle through the
passage.

Working Principle:

Due to motion of circular disk the picking bowl strike on picking shoe. For the
strike lever pushed down. The front side of the lever push the elbow of
picking stick, the result picking stick move forward and it hit the picker which
push the shuttle to insert weft and the pushing force is enough to send the
shuttle to opposite shuttle box.
 Positive picking
In this mechanism, the weft yarn is inserted
through the warp shed directly or positively by
air, water, a projectile, a rapier or a needle
 Advantages of positive picking
• Required small depth of shed
• Low warp thread breakage.
• Pirns are not required.
• Saving in floor space and labour.
• Produce high quality fabric
Projectile (gripper):
The picking action is accomplished by a small Bullet like
Gripper(Projectile), which grips the weft yarn & carries it through the
shed.
Several gripper are normally used in the loom , while one is crossing
the loom with the weft yarn, the others are return to the starting
position. The return by conveyer chain.
 Advantages of projectile machine
 Low power consumption
 Reduced waste of filling
 Quick warp and change style
 Easy operation ,
 maintenance and low spare parts requirements
 Energy saving
 Different designs and color sequences can be
woven.

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DRAW BACK OF PROJECTILE:-

The dragging of the weft yarn across a loom creates

strain on the yarn so projectile loom are not suitable
for weak yarn.
2)RAPIER:-
A Rapier loom use a Rapier to pull the weft yarn across the loom.

For a single Rapier a long rapier device is required to

extend across the full width of warp.

Two rapier enter the shed from opposite side of loom

& transfer the weft yarn from one rapier to another
rapier near centre of loom. Double Rapier further
divided into two categories 1) Flexible Rapier & 2)
Rigid Rapier
 A loom in which the weft yarn is propelled through the shed by means of
a jet of air. Nozzle are used to insert the weft yarn into the shed. The
Fabric width of Air Jet loom is normally narrower than Rapier or
Projectile loom.

3) AIR JET ;-

DRAW BACK;-

Air jet loom cannot produce great variety of fabrics.

 Multiphase loom picking
• Multiphase loom continually inserts weft
yarns from yarn carriers.
4) WATER JET LOOM:-

In this water is shoot under high force & with it a weft yarn. The force of
water as it propelled across the shed cross the yarn to opposite side ..

In water jet unit use vacuum suction & heat to remove water
from the fabrics.

Only use for Hydrophobic fibres.

 Advantages of Water Jet Picking

• High Efficiency
• Low Maintenance
• Smooth and Quiet
• Total Safety