Patent ID: 8205532

Claim:
A method of cutting a tow comprising: passing the tow through a cut/clamp frame; drawing a first blade into the tow, the first blade including a free end having a different configuration than a free end of a tow support deflector located upstream of the first blade with respect to a movement direction of the tow; deflecting a tow support using the tow support deflector contacting a top surface of the tow without contacting the tow support prior to the first blade contacting the tow, the tow support deflector preventing the first blade from contacting the tow support; cutting the tow with a shearing action using the first blade moving relative to the second blade; rethreading the tow through the cut/clamp frame; and preventing upward movement of the tow using the tow support deflector when rethreading the tow through the cut/clamp frame, the tow support deflector and the first blade being separate components in contact with one another and being attached together and moving together.