SYSTEM AND METHOD OF UNSPOOLING A MATERIAL INTO A TEXTILE MACHINE

There is provided an unspooling assembly capable of tensioned dispensing of a material (9) to a knitting machine during a knitting process, the unspooling assembly comprising: a variable motor drive assembly (36) comprising: a motor configured to be coupled to a material package (28) and to rotate the material package during the knitting process; a variable motor drive coupled to the motor and configured to drive the motor: in a first rotational direction at a plurality of speeds; and in a second rotational direction; a roller guided stop motion assembly comprising: roller guides (48, 52, 54, 55) for guiding the material (9); spring arm (29); and a spring arm trigger sensor (29). The spring arm (29) and spring arm trigger sensor (29) are configured to: sense various tensions of the material (9) during rotation of the motor when a first position of the spring arm (29) is sensed by the spring arm trigger sensor (29); and reposition the spring arm (29) to one of a plurality of predetermined positions that corresponds to a tension of the material (9). The unspooling assembly further comprises a controller coupled to the variable motor drive and the roller guided stop motion assembly and configured to: receive a first signal from the spring arm trigger sensor (29), wherein the first signal is indicative of the one of the plurality of predetermined positions of the spring arm (29); and generate a second signal for supply to the variable motor drive in response to receipt of the first signal indicative of the position of the spring arm (29), wherein the second signal indicates a selected speed of the plurality of speeds. The variable motor drive is further configured to, in response to receipt of the second signal, adjust the motor to the selected speed and rotational direction to rotate the material package (28).