Parent roll for tissue paper

A uniformly wound parent roll of soft, high bulk tissue has greater uniformity in sheet basis weight, machine direction stretch and bulk when compared to parent rolls wound by conventional winding methods. The method involves carrying the tissue sheet on a relatively air impermeable transfer belt which traverses an unsupported span between two winding drums. The sheet is transferred from the transfer belt to the parent roll as the parent roll is urged against the sheet/transfer belt at a point within the unsupported span. The resulting deflection of the transfer belt is detected and, in response, the reel spool position is controllably changed to maintain the deflection within predetermined limits. The tension of the sheet is controlled by the predetermined differential speed between the outer most surface of the parent roll and the transfer belt.