Carding machines

A carding machine for forming a fibrous web from textile fibres comprising at least three carding cylinders arranged in succession, worker means associated with the carding cylinders for working fibres progressively from cylinder to cylinder, means for rotating the cylinders at successively increasing peripheral speeds in the direction of travel of the fibres and for rotating each successive cylinder in an opposite direction to the preceding cylinder, a doffer in working relationship with the last cylinder for receiving the fibres, means for rotating the doffer at a peripheral speed less than the peripheral speed of the last carding cylinder, and means for removing the fibres from the doffer in the form of a fibrous web, the doffer being mounted with its peripheral surface spaced from the peripheral surface of the penultimate carding cylinder by a distance between 0.017 and 0.50 inches to receive fibres projected from the last carding cylinder to the doffer through a confined space defined between the doffer, the penultimate carding cylinder and the last carding cylinder.