The hanks of fiber are fed by hand into this machine several at a
time, where it is grasped by steel pins fitted to a slowly revolving
endless chain. A second set of pins moving more rapidly draws out the
individual fibers and combs them into a continuous form.
The operations which follow are very similar. A number of “ropings”
are allowed to feed together into a first slowly revolving set of pins
and are drawn out again by a high speed set into a smaller sliver, the
pins becoming finer on each succeeding machine until the draw frame is
reached. Here the fiber is pulled from a single set of pins between two
rapidly moving leather belts called aprons. On all of these machines
the fiber passes between rollers as it goes onto and leaves the pins
and the sliver is given its cylindrical form by being drawn through a
circular opening.
A finished sliver must conform to the special size desired for
spinning.]
[Illustration: SPREADER.]
[Illustration: SECOND BREAKER.]
[Illustration: DRAW FRAME.]
[Illustration: A ROPE MACHINE THAT IS ALMOST HUMAN