This paper reports a novel modification to the drafting system of conventio
nal ring spinning. The modification entails the use of a pinned middle bott
om roller, together with the conventional double aprons for fibre drafting.
The additional pins on the middle bottom roller are intended to improve fi
bre opening and alignment during fibre drafting. The pinned roller features
a combing action coupled with fibre control due to fibre/pin interaction,
which is thought to be particularly important for slippery fibres such as m
ohair. Both mohair and wool yarns were spun with the modified drafting arra
ngement. The yarn assessment results obtained indicate significant improvem
ent in yarn evenness and imperfections. Yarn hairiness and tensile properti
es were also improved.