Abstract: An overend unwind system for unwinding tacky elastomeric fiber threads such as uncoated spandex thread, capturing the ballooning affect of the thread as the thread leaves the spool, applying a first-stage tension control on the thread adjacent where the thread leaves the spool, feeding the unwound thread to a nip in a downstream process, and applying a final tension increment to the thread adjacent where the thread enters the downstream process. All thread guide surfaces encountered by the thread after leaving the spool, and while the thread is under designed operating tension, are moving surfaces, such that the tensioned thread thereby experiences a reduced level of drag as the thread traverses its path of travel from the spool to the downstream process.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for tension control in a thread feeding system that provides a fast and reliable method for feeding high tack elastomeric thread or fiber from a package to a thread processing system. A drive and tension control apparatus at least one of increments, maintains or decrements the speed of a driven take-off roll when the tension is out of a predetermined range of operation. A tension controller devices measures tension and determines whether the average tension for the moving threads is out-of-range relative to the predetermined tension values for the threads. Alarms and other indicators may also be used to determine the threads are at least one of broken, not moving and out-of-range for tension control.