Carding engine

Claim 1

A CARDING ENGINE, COMPRISING A CARDING CYLINDER, A LICKER-IN ADJACENT SAID CARDING CYLINDER, A SUCTION MEANS BELOW AND BETWEEN SAID LICKER-IN AND SAID CARDING CYLINDER AND HAVING A PERIPHERY CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID CARDING CYLINDER AND SAID LICKER-IN WITH THE CLOSELY ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID LICKER-IN, SUCTION MEANS AND CARDING CYLINDER AT THE APEXES OF A TRIANGLE, SAID SUCTION MEANS COMPRISING A MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES IN THE WALL THEREOF, A VACUUM BOX FIXEDLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER, SAID VACUUM BOX HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING THEREIN, SAID OPENING EXTENDING IN THE PERIPHERAL DIRECTION OF SAID MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER AT LEAST ALONG A PORTION OF SAID MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER AND OPENING OUTWARDLY OF SAID MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER TOWARD SAID LICKER-IN, AN EXHAUST FAN CONNECTED TO SAID VACUUM BOX, AN UPPER CASING COVERING AT LEAST THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID LICKER-IN, AN UNDER CASING COVERING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SUCTION MEANS AND A PART OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LICKER-IN AND HAVING AN OPENING AT LEAST BETWEEN SAID LICKER-IN AND SAID SUCTION MEANS, AND A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WALLS BELOW SAID LICKER-IN AND INCLUDING A FRONT WALL REMOTE FROM THE SUCTION MEANS, A REAR WALL BETWEEN SAID FRONT WALL AND THE SUCTION MEANS, AND TWO SIDE WALLS BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS, SAID WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY ENCLOSING AN AIR SPACE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID LICKER-IN, THE FRONT WALL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN AT THE TOP THEREOF FOR ADMITING AN AIR STREAM INTO THE TOP OF SAID AIR SPACE.