Abstract: A rodless cylinder rope tensioning apparatus maintains tension in an endless rope system operable for threading a web in a paper-making apparatus and includes at least one rodless cylinder having at least one yoke sheave attached to the internal piston in the rodless cylinder. A rope is stretched around an entry guide roller and the yoke sheave and is stretched by operation of the rodless cylinder, which selectively causes the piston to relocate the yoke sheave along the length of the rodless cylinder and apply a selected degree of tension to the rope. In a preferred embodiment a pair of entry guide rollers is provided in a frame containing a pair of parallel rodless cylinders, each having a yoke sheave independently movable along the respective rodless cylinder by operation of the corresponding rodless cylinder piston, to effect tensioning of a pair of ropes in the paper-making apparatus.