Tow catch for fiber placement head

A tow catch apparatus, for selectively clamping one or more fiber tow of a plurality of fiber tows against a support in a manner allowing one-way motion of the clamped tow or tows in a forward direction from an input side to an output side of the support and precluding motion of the clamped tow or tows in a reverse direction from the output side to the input side of the support, the tow catch apparatus comprising,

• a tow catch module, including a plurality of tow catches, with each tow catch of the plurality corresponding to a given one of the plurality of tows and including some or all of the members of a group consisting of:
• a) 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, with the distal end of the arm being adapted for resting against the tow on the output side of the support, such that 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;
• b) a spring, operatively connected between the pivot point and the arm for urging the arm to pivot about the pivot point in the reverse direction;
• c) the spring being selectively adjustable to provide a variable spring force acting on the arm for urging the arm to pivot about the pivot point in the reverse direction;
• d) the arm including a manual release lever extending therefrom and adapted for application of force thereto for pivoting the arm in the forward direction about the pivot point, to thereby lift the distal end of the arm away from the support;
• e) a roller, rotatably attached to the arm with a one-way clutch, and having an outer periphery thereof defining the distal end of the arm and adapted for contact with the tow, with the one-way clutch being configured and oriented to allow rotation of the roller by the tow when the tow is urged toward the forward direction, and to not allow rotation of the roller by the tow when the tow is urged toward the reverse direction;
• and
• f) a stop, for limiting pivoting motion of the arm about the pivot point.

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;
• a roller, rotatably attached to the arm with a one-way clutch, and having an outer periphery thereof defining the distal end of the arm and adapted for contact with the tow;
• the one-way clutch being configured and oriented to allow rotation of the roller by the tow when the tow is urged toward the forward direction, and to not allow rotation of the roller by the tow when the tow is urged toward the reverse direction;
• and
• 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.