Continuous tension monitor for webfeeding mechanisms

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS TENSION MONITOR FOR USE WITH WEBFEEDING MECHANISMS, COMPRISING: A SINGLE-FORCE-BALANCING VALVE UNIT FORMING A SINGLE VARIABLE FLUID-RELEASE ORIFICE FOR BALANCING AN APPLIED FORCE AND FOR CONTROLLING A FORCEINDICATING PRESSURE IN RESPONSE TO THE APPLIED FORCE, SAID VALVE UNIT INCLUDING A BASE HAVING A SINGLE VALVE MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED THEREON AND A FIXED ORIFICE FORMED IN SAID BASE AND VALVED BY SAID MEMBER TO FORM SAID FLUIDRELEASE ORIFICE THEREBETWEEN; MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED FOR OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH A WEB FED BY SAID MECHAINSM FOR APPLYING A FORCE, PROPORTIONATE TO THE TENSION OBTAINING IN SAID WEB TO SAID VALVE MEMBER IN A DIRECTION TENDING TO CLOSE SAID VALVE UNIT; SAID FIXED ORIFICE BEING ARRANGED FOR DELIVERING PRESSURE FLUID AGAINST SAID VALVE MEMBER TO DEVELOP A PRESURE FORCE OPPOSING THE CLOSING OF SAID VALVE MEMBER FICED ORIFICE; FLUID CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID FICED ORIFICE; FLUID SUPPLY MEANS FOR DELIVERING FLUID TO SAID CONDUIT UNDER PRESSURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO BALANCE SAID FORCE AND THEREBY RETAIN SAID VALVE UNIT OPEN; AND MEANS FORMING A CONTINUOUSLY-OPEN RESTRICTION INTERPOSED IN SAID CONDUIT TO LIMIT THE RATE OF SUPPLY OF FLUID TO SAID FIXED ORIFICE FOR MAINTAINING THE VALVE UNIT OPEN TO AN EXTENT WHICH IS AN INVERSE FUNCTION OF THE APPLIED TENSION FORCE, WHEREBY THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONDUIT INTERMEDIATE SAID RESTRICTION MEANS AND SAID FLUID-RELEASE ORIFICE IS A CONTINUOUS FUNCTION AND INDICATION OF THE TENSION OF THE WEB.