Abstract: First and second slivers (6, 5) are pieced together by the following steps: overlapping a trailing portion (6a) of a first sliver and a leading portion (5a) of a second sliver; introducing the overlapped portion (5a, 6a) into a drafting zone provided between a pair of lower and upper back rollers (11, 12) and a pair of lower and upper front rollers (13, 14) arranged along a sliver path from upstream to downstream; maintaining the peripheral speeds of the back and front rollers (11, 12; 13, 14) at the same speed, so that no draft is imparted to the overlapped portion until a leading end of the overlapped portion has reached the nip zone of the front rollers (13, 14); increasing only the peripheral speed of the front rollers (13, 14) to impart a predetermined draft to the overlapped portion until a trailing end thereof has passed through a nip zone of the back rollers (11, 12), whereby a thickness of the overlapped portion becomes substantially equal to the original proper sliver thickness; laterally rubbing th

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for removing short fibers from a mass of ibers. A pair of perforated cylindrical bodies are opposed to each other with a predetermined spacing defined therebetween, and static electricity is applied across the perforated cylindrical bodies. A suction-wise removing device is installed in at least one of the perforated cylindrical bodies. The initial end of a transfer conveyor is located on the surface of one perforated cylindrical body adjacent the opposed region. Short fibers contained in the mass of fibers fed to the opposed region by a feeding device are drawn into the suction-wise removing devices through the through holes in the cylindrical bodies by the action of electrostatic force and suction air currents. The mass of fibers having the short fibers removed therefrom are oriented by electrostatic force and transferred by the conveyor while being maintained in this oriented state.