Apparatus for crimping fibers

Claim 1

IN TOW CRIMPING APPARATUS WHICH INCLUDES COOPERATING ROLLS WHICH FORM A NIP FOR ADVANCING A TOW, A CRIMPING CHAMBER BELOW SAID ROLLS FOR RECEIVING AND RESTRICTING THE ADVANCE OF SAID TOW, AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED PLATE MEMBERS HAVING THE INNER SURFACES IN ADJACENT PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PERIPHERAL SURFACES OF SAID ROLLS FOR RESTRICTING THE LATERAL PASSAGE OF SAID TOW BETWEEN SAID ROLLS: A PAIR OF STATIONARY FLANGED SPOOL GUIDES ADJACENT TO AND IN ADVANCE OF SAID ROLLS, SAID SPOOL GUIDES HAVING THEIR MAJOR AXES PARALLEL TO THE NIP FORMED BY SAID ROLLS, THE FLANGES OF SAID GUIDES HAVING INWARDLY TAPERING SURFACES WITH THE BASES OFF SAID FLANGES BEING IN A PLANE ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LATERAL SURFACES OF SAID ROLLS, SAID GUIDES BEING ARRANGED IN STAGGERED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AXIAL PATH OF ADVANCE OF SAID TOW TO CONTACT OPPOSITE SURFACES OF SAID TOW AND DEFLECT IT FROM ITS NORMAL AXIAL PATH AS IT PASSES BETWEEN SAID GUIDES TO SAID ROLLS.