Abstract: A medical absorption garment for use by wearers with medical appliances connected to their body in the vicinity of their upper chest or neck. The garment comprises a frontal bib member which has a neck yoke at its upper end, and an attenuated yoke panel immediately below and adjacent to the yoke's lower edge. The bib is fabricated in a laminate structure comprising at least one absorbant inner layer, with covering layers on the outside thereof. Strapping attached to the bib allows it to be temporarily fastened to the wearer.

Abstract: Full sliver cans are positioned in readiness for replacing cans being emptied with an end of the sliver exposed from the full can. A movable carriage is positioned at a full can and a gripper on the carriage extending vertically downward is rotated around the can to grasp the exposed end with suction. Any excess length of sliver is severed. The gripper is then raised to lift the sliver end and the gripper is pivoted in its raised position above a feed table onto which the gripper releases the sliver end for feeding on the table to the draw frame with the other slivers thereon. The full can whose sliver end is on the feed table is then pushed from the ready position into the sliver feed position and in doing so pushes the empty can out of sliver feed position to complete the replacement.