Means to process fibers in a tow or sheet-like material

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A NONWOVEN WEB FROM A TOW OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS HAVING A FREE LEADING END PORTION, A PAIR OF FEED ROLLS IN SIDE BY SIDE FRICTIONAL CONTACT BETWEEN WHICH THE TOW EXTENDS DOWNWARDLY BEYOND SAID ROLLS AND EFFECTIVE TO DELIVER SAID PORTION DOWNWARDLY IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CONTACT AT A GIVEN LINEAR RATE, A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY ROTATABLE MEMBERS IN SIDE BY SIDE SPACED RELATIONSHIP UNDERNEATH AND REMOTE FROM SAID FEED ROLLS AND BETWEEN WHICH THE LEADING END PORTION OF THE TOW EXTENDS, TOW BEATER BLADE ELEMENTS ON EACH OF SAID MEMBERS AND EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM IN VERTICALLY MESHING BUT NONENGAGEABLE RELATIONSHIP REMOTELY BELOW AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CONTACT, AND MEANS TO ROTATE SAID MEMBERS AND CAUSE SAID ELEMENTS TO MOVE DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE FILAMENTS AT SAID END PORTION AT A RATE SEVERAL TIMES SAID GIVEN RATE AND FLEX THE END PORTION FIRST IN ONE DIRECTION AND THEN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO EFFECT RUPTURE OF SAID CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS BETWEEN SAID ELEMENTS INTO DISCONTINUOUS FIBERS OF RANDOM LENGTHS FOR DEPOSITION THEREOF ON A CONVEYOR TO FORM THE NONWOVEN WEB.