Abstract: An apparatus for winding and unwinding a band has a horizontal shaft extending from a housing and carrying on its end an array of rings in which noncompressible metallic rings alternate with elastomeric rings. Axial displacement of at least the end rings of the array compresses the elastomeric rings and expands them outwardly away from the shaft and into engagement with the interior of a coil being wound up or unwound on the extending end of the shaft. Hydraulic actuating means may simply move the two end rings toward one another to compress the entire array, or each of the noncompressible rings may be comprised of two parts and spreadable by hydraulic pressurization of a compartment between them to compress the elastomeric rings. The shaft may have a frustoconical end snugly receivable within a frustoconical socket mounted via bearings in the housing attached to a drive motor for interchangeability of the shaft.