It will be evident that, since the sliver is delivered into the can at the rate of about 50 yards per minute, this constant flow will soon provide a sufficient length of sliver to fill a sliver can, although the latter may hold approximately 20 lbs.  The machine must, of course, deliver its quota to enable succeeding machines to be kept in practically constant work.  As a matter of fact, the machines are arranged in what are termed “systems,” so that this desirable condition of a constant and sufficient feed to all may be satisfactorily fulfilled.

The driving or pulley side of the breaker card is very similar to that shown in Fig. 15 which, however, actually represents the pulley side of one type of finisher card as made by Messrs. Douglas Fraser & Sons, Ltd., Arbroath.  All finisher cards are fed by slivers which have been made as explained in connection with the breaker card, but there are two distinct methods of feeding the slivers, or rather of arranging the slivers at the feed side.  In both cases, however, the full width of the card is fed by slivers laid side by side, with, however, a thin guide plate between each pair, and one at each extreme end.

One very common method of feeding is to place 10 or 12 full sliver cans—­which have been prepared at the breaker card—­on the floor and to the right of the machine illustrated in Fig. 15.  The sliver from each can is then placed into the corresponding sliver guide, and thus the full width of the machine is occupied.  The slivers are guided by the sliver guides on to an endless cloth 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.