Addressed is the object of improving an unwinding performance of a glass direct roving at an end surface. A method of manufacturing a glass direct roving includes winding a glass strand into a cylindrical shape while traversing the glass strand. In the winding, the glass strand is wound traversing the glass strand under the conditions that a wind order of the crosswinding is or greater, and an interval parameter, which is the smaller value among b and Ab, is from (A/2)*(A/4)* to (A/2)*1, where A is the wind order, (A/2)* is a maximum integer no greater than the wind order, (A/4)* is a maximum integer no greater than the wind order, and a mixed fraction a+(b/A) is used to express a cyclewind of the crosswinding.

A fiber guide that guides fibers in a fiber processing system. The fiber guide has a surface having apertures through which fibers can pass in a direction from an upstream side of the surface to a downstream side of the surface. The apertures include at least one pair of apertures adjacent to and spaced from one another. The inlet of the first aperture is offset from the inlet of the second aperture. The offset is in the direction in which the fibers pass from the upstream side of the surface to the downstream side of the surface. A distance (d1) between the inlet of the first aperture and the inlet of the second aperture is larger than a distance (d2) between the first aperture and the second aperture measured transverse to the direction in which the fibers can pass.

A fiber guide that guides fibers in a fiber processing system. The fiber guide has a surface having apertures through which fibers can pass in a direction from an upstream side of the surface to a downstream side of the surface. The apertures include at least one pair of apertures adjacent to and spaced from one another. The inlet of the first aperture is offset from the inlet of the second aperture. The offset is in the direction in which the fibers pass from the upstream side of the surface to the downstream side of the surface. A distance d1 between the inlet of the first aperture and the inlet of the second aperture is larger than a distance d2 between the first aperture and the second aperture measured transverse to the direction in which the fibers can pass.

A filament winding apparatus includes a bobbin driving unit, a winding device, and a tension applying device. A filament winding method using the filament winding apparatus includes a temporary suspending step of temporarily suspending operation of the winding device in the middle of winding the fed-out fiber portion around the workpiece. In the temporary suspending step, the length of the feeding path is increased by moving the pressing member while causing the pressing member to press against the fed-out fiber portion in a state of continuing to feed out the fed-out fiber portion from the fiber roll portion.

A glass support apparatus (203) includes a frame including a plurality of walls defining an interior space extending along a frame axis. The glass support apparatus includes a first surface (227) positioned within the interior space and a second surface (229) positioned within the interior space and spaced apart from the first surface. The first surface and the second surface are non-parallel and converging. The glass support apparatus includes a closure (213) attached to one or more of the plurality of walls. The closure moves between an opened position, in which the interior space is in fluid communication with an exterior of the frame, and a closed position. Methods of porting a spool of glass are provided.