Clamping devices

A clamping device for holding a plurality of discrete tufts of filaments in a bristle cluster, the device comprising:

• first and second clamp elements movable with respect to each other between a loaded and an unloaded position, each of the first and second clamp elements comprising a plurality of clamping plates defining an array of apertures therethrough, each clamping plate of the second clamp element being disposed between adjacent clamping plates of the first clamp element, the apertures of the first clamp element being arranged to align with the apertures of the second clamp element when the clamping device is in the unloaded position, thereby forming tuft channels, and offset relative to each other when the clamping device is in the loaded position, to secure the bristle tufts in the device by applying a transverse load to each tuft,
• wherein the apertures of the clamping plates of the second clamp element are configured such that, in the loaded position, each clamping plate of the second clamp element secures only selected tufts, while other tufts extending through that clamping plate are secured by another of the clamping plates of the second clamp element.