There is described and shown apparatus which is for the controlled feeding and taking-off of a thread 12 into or out of a thread treatment section 2 (for example a heating zone of a heat setting arrangement), and which comprises an externally-driven tapered drive roll 4 upon which bear two tapered counter-pressure rolls 5, 6, whereby the thread 12 can be fed into, and taken-off from, the treatment section 2, using only a single drive means for this feeding and taking-off. The arrangement shown is provided with two thread guide members 9, 10 of fork form, which are swivellable to vary thread tension, one of said guides being swivellable to move the thread engaged between roll 4 and roll 5 along one side of roll 4, and the other of said guides being swivellable to move thread engaged between roll 4 and roll 6 along the other side of roll 4. Swivelling of the one guide member to move thread along roll 4 towards the largest diameter of the roll 4 is accompanied by swivelling of the other guide member to move thread along roll 4 towards the smallest diameter of the roll 4, and vice versa. The members 9, 10 are carried by a common support responsive to a thread tension change at roller 14 to cause both thread engaged between rolls 4, 5, and that engaged between rolls, 4, 6, to move in the same direction along roll 4.