Sliver control drafting cradle

In an apron drafting system the improvement comprising in combination:

• an integral apron drafting cradle having a pair of spaced side plates, an upper drafting apron and a lower drafting apron carried by said side plates, a top roll and an upper apron guide about which said upper apron travel in respective first and second runs, a bottom roll and a lower apron guide about which said lower apron travels in respective first and second runs, said first runs of said upper and lower aprons being arranged in a fiber transport relation for delivering said fibers between said aprons during drafting, and window means formed by said side plates for visible inspection of said first runs of said upper and lower aprons and detection of unwanted fiber accumulations between said upper and lower aprons between said side plates.

In an apron drafting system the improvement comprising in combination:

• an integral apron drafting cradle having a pair of spaced side plates, an upper drafting apron and a lower drafting apron carried by said side plates, a top roll and an upper apron guide about which said upper apron travel in respective first and second runs, a bottom roll and a lower apron guide about which said lower apron travels in respective first and second runs, said first runs of said upper and lower aprons being arranged in a fiber transport relation for delivering said fibers between said aprons during drafting, a cradle shelf extending between said side plates which includes an one-piece sliver guide for guiding a sliver of fibers through said drafting aprons, and shelf attachment means for releasably attaching said shelf and guide to said side plates so that said shelf automatically detaches from said side plates in the event said sliver accumulates between a nip of said top and bottom roll and said silver guide.