Method and apparatus for starting moving items into a processing machine

An apparatus for supporting and constraining fiber(s) moving away from a source of the fiber(s) in a direction of the of the fiber(s) path towards a fiber(s) processing machine comprises a shoe having a fiber(s) supporting and constraining surface in a first orientation, but not in a second orientation of the shoe, a pivoting finger guide for guiding and pushing the fiber(s) generally perpendicularly to their moving direction, a rotary actuator for moving the shoe between the first and the second orientations and between the second and the first orientations, a second rotary actuator for pivoting the finger guide, a mechanism for moving the shoe and the finger guide forward and backward in directions generally perpendicular to the moving direction of the fiber(s), a second mechanism for moving the shoe backwards and forwards in the parallel to the direction of the moving fiber(s), a frame for positioning and supporting elements a-e of the apparatus, and a controller for controlling the movable elements of the apparatus.