199,512. Naumburg, R. E. April 1, 1922. Drawing-frames; lap-forming apparatus.-In drawing-frames, sliver lap machines, and other analogous machines in which a number of slivers or ends are fed to the machine, a number of reserve slivers or ends are provided and means to feed these in successively as the active slivers &c. break or become exhausted. Further, when the last reserve sliver &c. has been used, the next failure of an active sliver &c. is adapted to operate a stopmotion and bring the machine to rest. As applied to a drawing-frame in which the slivers X, Fig. 4, pass over the usual gravity spoons S, a proportion of reserve ends are provided, and each end passes through a pivoted carrier head C adjacent the feed rollers r. When feeding properly, the spoon S is held with its back against the edge t of a slot in the top-plate T, and its hooked lower end s<2> out of the way of an oscillating feeler-trigger d. When the sliver breaks or becomes exhausted, the spoon rocks on its knife-edge support t<2> and the hook s<2> is engaged by the part d<3> of the feeler-trigger d. This trigger is pivoted on a trip lever e and held in position relative thereto by a spring d<2>. The lever e is controlled by a spring e' and is operated by a cam m on a rotating shaft M. When movement of the trigger d is resisted by its engagement with the end s<2> of a spoon S an arm d<4> on the trigger is depressed and engages a bar U extending across the frame. This bar is carried bv a bell-crank lever k pivoted at k<1> and connected by links L to levers b, Figs. 4 and 9, pivoted to arms a hanging from a bar f<4> and positioned adjacent to the side frames f<1>. The levers b also comprise arms b<1> carrying a rod B extending across the frame. The depression of the bar U thus causes the movement of the levers b and the raising of the rod B, and slightly later the movement of the arms a, the delay being obtained by the use of spring plungers p carried by the arms a engaging depressions f<11> in the side frames f<1>. The carriers C holding the reserve threads are pivoted on the bar f<4> and normally rest against a bar h. They are provided with tails c of varying length. When the rod B is raised it engages the longest tail and throws over this carrier, which moves the reserve sliver held in it into engagement with the rollers r. The carrier C is so formed that it is only necessary for the rod B to move its centre of gravity from one side to the other of the bar f<4>, the carrier then completes its movement under the action of gravity and its tail c<1> rests against a cushion t<3> on the top-plate T. The arm d<4> on the trigger d moves sufficiently to pass beyond the bar U and the spring k<x> then returns the parts to their normal position. The levers b are first rocked until they engage stops a<x> on the arms a which are then pressed back against the friction of the spring plungers p. The relative movement of the levers b and arms a ensures that the rod B shall operate only on the lowest of the arms c<1> on the carriers holding reserve ends and shall miss the others. The bar h against which the reserve carriers rest is carried in rocker-arms h<1> loose on the bar f<4>, Fig. 5, and having tails h<2> shorter than any of the tails c on the reserve carriers and adapted to be engaged by the rod B. When all the reserve carriers have been used the next failure of an end and operation of the bar B will cause the rocker arms h<1> to be rotated on the bar f<4> and to carry a cam projection h<x> round so that a pivoted lever G can fall and either block the oscillating arm v<1> of the usual stop-motion device or close an electric circuit in a stop-motion device.