444 



FLAX 



rod L, hung on .1 fixed centre M, so that the top part K opens or shuts as the l>ody of 

 the box goes backwards or forwards. The levers N N N are only used to keep the* top 

 and bottom of the box parallel to each other. 



As shown in the drawing, the top of the feeding box is fitted with hackles passing 

 through two grates o and p, fast on bottom of feeding box, and leaving between them 

 a space through which the sliver has to pass. 



974 



By the above arrangement, the hackles are caused to withdraw from the tow, while 

 the whole box is drawn backwards on slides of table Q, by the excontric motion B R B. 

 The last backwards motion takes place while the jaw F is yet shut, and the top of the 

 box up ; but when the latter has got closed again, then the whole box slides down on 

 the table Q to its former position, bringing with it the sliver of a quantity equal to that 

 move : this completes the feeding motion. 



Now as the feeding box recedes, the lip E comes nearer to the combing cylinder o, 

 the hackles s s cleaning the tow projecting outside the nipper F. As soon as they are 

 passed through, the feeding box comes back to the most forward position, when the 

 nipper F leaves it, and the jaw E F opens : at the same time the two rollers T u have 

 reached their top position. The top one T is then thrown forwards (by the lever 

 arrangement shown in v v v) upon the leather w, stretched on parts of surface of 

 cylinder o ; this roller T is thus driven, and takes hold of the points of the tow pre- 

 sented to it by lips or bottom jaw E ; a fine detaining comb i being just before inter- 

 posed between them to keep back the ' noils/ that have not been carried off by the 

 combing cylinder. 



In that way the points of the tow are driven upon the sheet x, until the roller T, 

 by being thrown back again off the leather vr, their motion is stopped at the same 

 moment, the two rollers u and T are allowed to drop down by excentric v. drawing 

 with them (through the detaining comb i, and quite out of the rest of the sliver) the 

 other ends of the fibres of which they have got hold. 



While this has been going on, the feeding box has advanced the sliver a step, the 

 nipper closed, and forced the said feeding box forwards so as to bring the lip E within 

 the reach of hackles s on cylinder o, which then met it, cleansed the tow, and so on 

 as before. 



At that time the rollers T and r come up again, and during that upwards motion 

 the latter ends of the fibres partly combed nnd overturned by the cylinder hackles, as 

 shown in drawing, are combed by them in their turn, Then the roller T is once more 

 driven round by the leather w stretched on cylinder, the new points ]>lacc tlicmsdvi-s 

 above the back ends of the fibres combed before, and are carried forwards into ;i 

 continuous sliver on the leather sheet x, from the leather sheet to the rollers z z, then 



