in Fig. 8, each head being laid on a travelling feed cloth which
carries the heads of jute successively between a pair of feed
rollers from which they are delivered to two pairs of very
deeply-fluted crushing rollers or breakers. The last pair of
deep-fluted rollers is seen clearly on the right in the figure.
These two pairs of heavy rollers crush and bend the compressed heads
of jute and deliver them in a much softer condition to the delivery
sheet on the right. The delivery sheet is an endless cloth which has
a continuous motion, and thus the softened heads are carried to the
extreme right, at which position they are taken from the sheet by
the operatives. The upper rollers in the machine may rise in their
bearings against the downward pressure of the volute springs on the
bearings; this provision is essential because of the thick and thin
places of the heads.

A different type of bale opener, made by Messrs. Charles Parker, Sons, &
Co., Dundee, and designed from the Butchart patent is illustrated in
Fig. 9. It differs mainly from the machine illustrated in Fig. 8 in
the shape of the crushing or opening rollers.

It will be seen on referring to the illustration that there are
three crushing rollers, one large central roller on the top and
situated between two lower but smaller rollers. Each roller has a
series of knobs projecting from a number of parallel rings. The
knobs are so arranged that they force themselves into the hard
layers of jute, and, in addition to this action, the heads of jute
have to bend partially round the larger roller as they are passing
between the rollers. This double action naturally aids in opening up
the material, and the machine, which is both novel and effective,
gives excellent results in practice. The degree of pressure provided
for the top roller may be varied to suit different conditions of heads
of jute by the number of weights which are shown clearly in the
highest part of the machine in the form of two sets of heavy discs.

[Illustration: FIG. 9 BALE OPENER _By permission of Messrs. Charles
Parker, Sons, & Co_.]

The driving side, the feed cloth, and the delivery cloth in this
machine are placed similarly to the corresponding parts of the
machine illustrated in Fig. 8, a machine which also gives good
results in practice.

In both cases the large heads are delivered in such a condition that
the operatives can split them up into pieces of a suitable size
quite freely.

The me