1. Opening and picking.
2. Carding.
3. Combing.
4. Drawing.
5. Spinning.
Picking and Carding
The picking and carding have for their object the removal of all foreign substances with as little damage to the fiber as possible. The foreign substances in cotton are sand, dirt, pieces of leaves, seed, husk, etc., which have become mixed with the fiber during the process of growing, ginning and transportation.
Cleaning
The cotton bales are opened and thrown into the automatic feeder which carries up a layer of cotton on a spiked apron from which it is removed by a rapidly revolving "doffer" underneath which is a screen which catches some of the dirt. It is next fed between rolls in front of a rapidly revolving blunt-edged knife which throws out more of the dirt through a screen. There is a suction of air through the screen which helps remove the foreign substances. The cotton passes through several of such machines, being formed into a soft web or "lap" which is wound into a roll.
Carding
The carding machine further cleans the fibers and lays them in a general parallel position. From this machine the web is formed into "sliver," a loose rope of cotton fiber about two inches in diameter. This is received in circular cans.
COTTON OPENER AND PICKER
The cotton from the bale is thrown into A, carried by the spiked aprons B and C, evened by E, removed from the apron by F (some of the dirt falls through the screen into box G) is beaten by the revolving "knife," N P, more dirt being removed through screen N, then goes through the flue C to the next machine.