Abstract: A mowing machine adapted for use in harvesting long stem textile fiber plants such as kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), comprises a lower cutting unit provided with counter-rotating cutting discs, mounted on a wheeled frame in front of the inlet of a sheaves-forming magazine, and insertion members which are operatively associated with the cutting unit effecting the mowing of the stems, for guiding and conveying into the said magazine the cut stems standing in a substantially upright position; the said magazine having one elastically yielding wall; sheaves-expeller means associated to said magazine, and adapted for intermittent operation upon a control from a sensor or feeler member, which continuously senses the size of a sheaf being formed in the magazine, and automatically controls the operation of said expeller means, whenever the sheaf being formed has reached a predetermined size, so as to expel or discharge the said sheaf.

Abstract: Process and apparatus are herein described for shearing and alternatively directing a continuously produced strand into or away from a strand collection device, particularly a pot spinning device. The novel apparatus is located between a strand producing unit and a collection unit and includes an elongate upright funnel with a transverse slide at the lower outlet of the funnel. The slide carries a straight tubular section and an angular tubular section, with a cut-off blade between the sections. The slide is reciprocated to bring either of the two sections into register with the outlet of the funnel, with the blade serving to sever the strand as the slide is moved to either position. When the staight section is in register, the strand enters the collection unit. When the angular section is in register, the strand is diverted away from the collection unit. The device is particularly used when operation of the collection unit is interrupted while allowing strand production to continue.

Abstract: A selvedge-forming device in shuttleless weaving looms, wherein two selvedge-forming needles are mounted for radial movement about a needle-carrying pivot arranged transversally to the warp threads and rotatably mounted in a selvedge-forming head that is slidably guided by the side of the warp threads, and is so reciprocated as to be driven forward, in the direction of the weft inserters path, and backwards, synchronously with the movement of the two weft inserters, means being provided positively controlled by the weft thread inserting needles which allow the selvedge needles to pivot back to their original position at the end of the forward run of the selvedge forming head.