Carding element for a carding machine

In an apparatus at a flat card or roller card, a carding element 23 has end regions and, between the end regions, an elongate body for covering a cylinder. The body includes a first part 24 provided with a fixing face (24b, figure 3a) for a clothing strip, which in operation faces the working region of the card, and a second part 28 serving as a rigidity-providing spine. The two parts 24, 28 are connected together. To provide an apparatus in which the carding element is dimensionally stable in operation even when subject to the effects of heat, the material and cross-section of the first part 24 provides homogeneous temperature distribution with a small heat gradient and the second part 28 counteracts heat related changes such or sagging of the first part. The second part may be made of a heat insulating material such as glass fibre reinforced plastics. Alternatively the first and second parts may be made of aluminium alloy with a thermally insulating layer (30, figure 5) between them. The heat insulating layer may extend over the upper and two lateral side surfaces of the first member. Ribs or clips (40, 41, figures 10 and 11) may provide lateral support for the spine 28.