Apparatus for dispensing thread from a spool

An apparatus for dispensing at least one thread to the head of a recipient of a hair replacement unit for interweaving the thread with the recipient's natural hair comprising:

• housing means including means defining a front, a back, a top, a bottom and side walls between which is defined a cavity for supporting a spool of thread, said front wall defining an opening;
• at least one thread-tensioning means including means mounted within said cavity and against the top wall of said housing means defining a thread-accepting aperture, a pair of washers mounted adjacent said thread-accepting aperture each having a convex surface and arranged so that the convex surfaces face and engage one another so as to define an annular groove therebetween, and means for biasing the washers in engagement with one another;
• a spool containing thread;
• and
• said thread extending from said spool and being routed through said thread-tensioning means so that the thread extends though said thread-accepting aperture in one direction, around only the washers and so as to extend continuously along a major portion of the circumferential length of the annular groove defined therebetween, and back through said thread-accepting aperture in the other direction at an acute angle with respect to the first direction and out of said front wall opening to provide tension on the thread dispensed to the recipient's head.