A professional who tends machine that cuts strands of nitrocotton or pyrocotton into smaller segments for processing. Respnsibilities include:

• Pumps nitrocotton slurry to feed tanks, starts beater blades, and opens valves to force slurry against blades.
• Turns handwheel to adjust speed of blades during operation according to gauge reading and process specifications, to produce uniformly beaten product.
• Pumps beaten slurry over sieve to remove water.
• Submits samples of batch to laboratory for approval of product texture.
• Starts agitators in tub to loosen nitrocotton and pumps it into poaching tubs for removal of impurities.