Abstract: An apparatus and method for obtaining a blend of fibers from a plurality of fiber bales, such as bales of cotton, in which a fiber removing device repeatedly moves along a row of fiber bales while removing fibers from uppermost portions of the bales and depositing the fibers into a fiber collection hopper moving with the fiber removing device along the row of bales. The fiber bales are preferably positioned with the fiber layers in the bales extending longitudinally of the row of bales and oriented in a vertical plane and the fiber removing device removes fibers from all of the exposed layers of the bale to thereby achieve a highly uniform blend of fibers from all of the bales. The fiber bales are supported in a chute which is oriented at an incline with respect to the path of movement of the fiber removing device and the entire row of bales is advanced along the chute to thereby move the upper surfaces of the bales upwardly closer to the fiber removing device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method wherein a tow of continuous filaments is fed to a tow cutter and severed into fibrous material of predetermined staple length while the fibrous material delivered from the tow cutter is fed to and through at least one textile picker. The fibrous material may be formed into laps at the picker for being subsequently processed through cards, or the fibrous material may be fed in loose fibrous form from the picker to a bank of cards. Means are provided for automatically controlling operation of the tow cutter and pickers and for controlling feeding of the fibrous material to the pickers.