Abstract: A yarn winder includes a package support roller and traversing mechanism which comprises slot-like guides on closely spaced contra-rotating driving members which may be either concentric or eccentric. A deflector arrangement at each end of the resultant field of traverse assists the transfer of the yarn from a guide on one driving member at one end of the field and then back to a guide on the first driving member at the other end of the field, each guide being followed in the direction of motion by a cam-like compensating surface, for temporarily increasing the length of the yarn path to take up slack which would otherwise be formed during transfer from one guide to another, and, in the case of concentric driving members, preceded in the direction of motion by a ramp-like lifting surface.

Abstract: A winding head includes a supporting frame arranged so as to be capable of movement towards or away from a package driving roller, a plurality of pairs of arms pivoted about a common axis on the supporting frame, each pair being capable of moving a package center along a part-circular path into an operative position in which the center is capable of co-operation with the driving roller and subsequently moving a package carried by the center away from the operative position, a support member carried by the frame for supporting a package center in the operative position, the support member being movable from its supporting position to release a package wound on the center and allow it to move away from the operative position, whereby successive package centers may be brought into the operative position as each package is completed.

Abstract: A method of maintaining the peripheral speed of a textile yarn or tape package being wound on a positively driven take-up spindle at or about a predetermined speed comprising sensing the peripheral speed of the package, comparing this speed with the predetermined speed and varying the drive to the take-up spindle in accordance with variations between the actual and set or predetermined speeds of the package until the peripheral speed of the package is substantially equal to the set or predetermined speed.

Abstract: A yarn or tape winding machine comprising a take-up spindle which is arranged to be driven by a drive, the torque/speed of which is variable in accordance with the setting of a torque variator device and a control device for the torque variator, including means in the path of the tape or yarn prior to the take-up spindle to sense the tension of the tape or yarn and a control drive for the variator which is mechanically connected to the tension sensing means and which is effective to adjust the variator to alter the torque applied to the winding spindle when the yarn or tape tension varies beyond predetermined limits.