Abstract: At least one assembly grouping of cooperating cylindrical rollers comprising a rotatable worker and a rotatable stripper roller is mounted in specific relation to a rotatable carding drum. The worker roller performs a pick-up and retaining function in that it picks up the fibrous web from the carding drum, retains the fibrous web thereon and delivers it onto the stripper roller whereon the web is combed, cleaned and discharged onto the carding drum. This operation may be repeated a plural number of times until the web is discharged from the carding drum. The worker and stripper rollers are rotatably journalled in the carding drum housing, both rollers being rotatable in a first direction, while the carding drum is rotatable in a second direction. The carding drum and rollers have a planetary arrangement. In the arrangement of the rollers relative to the carding drum, the worker roller is mounted upstream relative to the stripper roller. The gauge distances among the drum and rollers is constant.