p of the inclined lattice or apron is
stripped off by what is denominated the stripping roller, and is then
deposited on the feed apron of the opener, where formerly it was placed
by hand.

It may be said that one man can feed two machines with Hopper Feeds as
against one without them, and in the best makes the work is done more
effectively.

The feed lattice of the opener carries the cotton along to the feed
rollers, which project it forward into the path of the large beater. It
is here that the opening and cleaning actions are chiefly performed.

The strong knives or spikes of the beater break the cotton into very
small portions indeed, and dash it against "cleaning bars" or "grate
bars" specially arranged and constructed. Through the interstices of
these bars much of the now loosened seed and dirt present in the cotton
passes into a suitable receptacle, which is afterward cleaned out at
regular intervals.

The opened and cleaned cotton is taken away from the action of the
beater by an air current produced by a powerful fan. This latter creates
a partial vacuum in the beater chamber by blowing the air out of certain
air exit trunks specially provided. To supply this partial vacuum
afresh, air can only be obtained from the beater chamber, and the air
current thus induced, takes the cotton along with it, and deposits it in
the form of a sheet upon what are termed "cages" or "sieve cylinders."

These are hollow cylinders of iron or zinc perforated with a very large
number of small holes through which the air rushes, leaving the cotton,
as it were, plastered on the outer surfaces of the cages.

It is usual to have a pair of these cages, working one over the other
like the pair of rollers in a wringing machine.

The cotton now passes between two pairs of small guide rollers, and is
fed by the second pair to a second beater, but of very different
construction from the first one.

This consists of two or three iron or steel blades extending the full
width of the machine and carried by specially constructed arms from a
strong central shaft.

The edges of these beater blades are made somewhat sharp, and they
strike down the cotton from the feed roller at the rate of 2000 or more
blows per minute.

This of course carries the opening work of the cotton of the first
beater to a still further degree, and as in this case the cotton is also
struck down upon "beater bars" or cleaning bars, a further quantity of
loosened