Apparatus and method for feeding fibers

A feeding device for fiber flocks or opened fibers which may be supplied by a pneumatic fiber transport device, for feeding a textile machine, the feeding device comprising:

• a first upper vertical fiber chute, which supplies the fibers or fiber flocks to an assembly of at least one roll for the opening of the fibers, and a lower fiber chute, which accepts the fibers released by the assembly of at least one roll and discharges a fiber mat via discharge rolls at the bottom end of the lower fiber chute;
• a segmented intake trough having several intake trough segments, which cooperate with a segmented, clothing-covered first roll of the assembly of rolls, the first roll being divided into several roll segments;
• wherein the torque of the roll segments can be controlled individually, and the widths of the gaps between the intake trough segments and the opposing roll segments can be adjusted on a segment-by-segment basis.