Patent ID: 7841375

Claim:
A tow catch, for selectively clamping a fiber tow against a support in a manner allowing one-way motion of the tow in a forward direction from an input side to an output side of the support and precluding motion of the tow in a reverse direction from the output side to the input side of the support, the tow catch comprising: an arm, adapted for pivotable motion about a pivot point disposed at a minimum distance from the support, and terminating in a distal end of the arm disposed at a distance greater than the minimum distance from the support; the distal end of the arm being adapted for resting against the tow on the output side of the support during motion of the tow in both the forward direction and the reverse direction; whereby motion of the tow in the reverse direction urges the arm to pivot in the reverse direction in such a manner that the distal end of the arm clamps the tow between the distal end of the arm and the support, and motion of the tow in the forward direction causes the arm to pivot in the forward direction in such a manner that the distal end of the arm does not clamp the tow against the support.