or "feed sheet"
which, in turn, conveys them continuously between the feed rollers.
The feed apparatus in such machines is invariably of the roller type,
and sometimes it involves what is known as a "porcupine" roller. It
will be understood that the feeding of level slivers is a different
problem from that which necessitates the feeding of comparatively
uneven stricks.

[Illustration: By permission of Messrs. Douglas Fraser & Sons, Ltd.
FIG. 15 FINISHER CARD WITH DRAWING-HEAD]

The slivers travel horizontally with the feed-sheet and enter the
machine at a height of about 4 feet from the floor. They thus form,
as it were, a sheet of fibrous material at the entrance, and this
sheet of fibres comes in contact with the pins of the various pairs
of rollers, the cylinder, and the doffer, in much the same way as
already described in connection with the breaker card. There are,
however, more pairs of rollers in the finisher card than there are
in the breaker card, for while the latter is provided with two pairs
of rollers, the former may be arranged with 3, 4, 5 or even 6 pairs
of rollers (6 workers and 6 strippers). The number of pairs of
rollers depends upon the degree of work required, and upon the
opinions of the various managers.

There are two distinct types of finisher cards, viz--

1. Half-circular finisher cards.

2. Full-circular finisher cards.

The machine illustrated in Fig. 15 is of the latter type, and such
machines are so-called because the various pairs of rollers are so
disposed around the cylinder that they occupy almost a complete
circle, and the fibre under treatment must move from pair to pair to
undergo the combing and splitting action before coming into contact
with the doffer. There are five pairs of rollers in the machine in
Fig. 15, and all the rollers are securely boxed in, and the wheels
fenced. The arrangement of the wheels on the gear side is very
similar to that shown in connection with the breaker card in Fig. 14,
and therefore requires no further mention. Outside the boxing comes
the covers, shown clearly at the back of the machine in Fig. 15, and
adapted to be easily and quickly opened when it is desired to
examine the rollers and other parts.

The slivers, after having passed amongst the pins of the various
rollers, and been subjected to the required degree of draft, are
ultimately doffed as a thin film of fibres from the pins of the
cylinder and pass between the d