Tension apparatus for a plurality of continuous elements

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR WINDING A PLURALITY OF CONTINUOUS TAPES COMPRISING A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED ROLLS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AXES, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE ROLLS, THE ROLL WHICH LAST RECEIVES THE TAPES BEING DRIVEN AT LEAST AS FAST AS THE OTHER ROLL, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING GUIDES OF THIN CROSS SECTION DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ROLLS AND SPACED IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE ROLLS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE GUIDES COMPRISING ADJUSTABLE MEANS ATTACHED TO THE END PORTIONS THEREOF FOR PLACING EACH GUIDE UNDER SUCH TENSION AS TO HOLD IT STRAIGHT, ADJACENT PAIRS OF THE GUIDES BEING SPACED FOR PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN OF A TAPE FROM ONE ROLL TO THE OTHER, AND A WEIGHT FOR ENGAGING EACH TAPE SUPPORTED BETWEEN EACH ADJACENT PAIR OF GUIDES, EACH WEIGHT HAVING GUIDE SURFACES IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GUIDES WHEREBY THE WEIGHT MAY MOVE UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY WHEN SUPPORTED BY A TAPE.