Apparatus and method for winding elastomeric fiber

Apparatus for winding an elastomeric fiber under no or low axial tension comprising in combination:

• a. a housing;
• b. a pair of wheels mounted on the housing in spaced relationship to each other that are adapted to receive and hold a spool of said fiber in the space between them and rotate the spool in response to their rotation;
• c. a fiber take off pulley mounted on the housing over which the fiber from the spool is threaded;
• d. at least one fiber guide sheave mounted on the housing over which the fiber is threaded from the fiber take off pulley such that the fiber is wrapped about a substantial portion of its circumference;
• e. a wind up reel mounted on the housing into which the fiber is threaded from the fiber guide sheave and wound;
• f. means for driving the pair of wheels, the fiber take off pulley, the fiber guide sheave, and the wind up reel whereby the same are driven such that the linear speeds of the spool of fiber, the fiber guide sheave, and the wind up reel are substantially equal and the linear speed of the fiber take off pulley is substantially greater than the linear speed of the spool of fiber;
• and
• g. means associated with the pair of wheels for varying the rotational speed thereof whereby the linear speed of the spool of fiber may be varied to compensate for its decrease in diameter as the fiber is taken off it and any inherent axial tension in the fiber on the spool and thereby maintain the linear speed of the spool substantially equal to that of the wind in up reel.