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: Apparatus for compacting a nonwoven textile fabric mat is disclosed which includes an arrangement of rollers having a pair of juxtaposed rollers (2,3) and a superposed roller (4) arranged in a fiber compacting arrangement. Juxtaposed rollers (2,3) are spaced apart to define a space (9) in which central superposed roller (4) extends for compacting fibers. Perforations (5) extend through the surface of a shell (6) of each of the rollers. A first conveyor (16,19) conveys the textile fibers to the roller arrangement and a second conveyor belt (17,20) conveys the fibers away from the roller arrangement. Belts (19,20) may be perforated and surround rollers (2,3), respectively. Suction applied to the interior of the rollers assists in compacting the fibers in the mat as air is drawn through perforations (5) which are of a predetermined diameter and shape.