Apparatus for the processing of textile fibers such as wool fibers to form a coherent and even layer of fibers at high velocity for further processing in which fibers are fed on a conveyor belt to a pinned cylinder, the pins of which have a negative inclination and which are forced by rotation of the cylinder into the layer of fibers picking it up from the conveyor and carrying it around. The fibers are then transferred to another pinned cylinder the pins of which also have a negative inclination and which rotates at a faster speed than the first pinned cylinder so that there is a drafting action between them, the fibers being completely stripped from the first pinned cylinder and transferred to the second either by means of a third pinned cylinder the pins of which pass between the pins of the other two or by means of a stripping plate partially encircling the first pinned cylinder to strip the fibers from its pins and lead then under a cover plate which partially surrounds the second pinned cylinder and which serves to hold the fibers while they are penetrated by the pins of the second cylinder. The fibers are finally stripped from the second pinned cylinder and passed to a second conveyor which conveys them for further processing. The negative inclination of the pins assists greatly in overcoming problems of stripping the fibers from the cylinders.