Patent ID: 6869004

Claim:
A fiber feed system comprising: a fiber source from which a fiber is drawn; a dampening bar assembly having a surface portion for receiving and contacting the fiber being drawn from the fiber source; an intake housing arranged to receive the fiber from the dampening bar assembly, the intake housing providing a large front opening through which the fiber enters the intake housing and a small rear opening through which the fiber exits the intake housing; a feed tube having an inlet arranged adjacent the rear opening of the intake housing to receive the exiting fiber and an outlet; and a fiber processing apparatus to receive and process the fiber exiting from the feed tube outlet; wherein, the dampening bar assembly comprises a first dampening bar and a second dampening bar, each of the dampening bars being generally cylindrical and characterized by a longitudinal axis and a diameter, the first and second dampening bars being arranged so that their longitudinal axes are both substantially parallel to one another and perpendicular to the fiber being drawn from the fiber source, the fiber making contact with both a first rounded outer surface on the first dampening bar and with a second rounded outer surface on the second dampening bar before entering the intake housing.