Abstract: An apparatus for removing fully wound cheese-type textile yarn packages from a textile machine and replacing them with empty yarn winding tubes comprises an endless transport apparatus having a plurality of transport units connected via a traction member. Each transport unit has a freely accessible, upwardly facing transport receiver surface which is selectively used for receiving a completed cheese package as well as receiving an empty replacement tube. The exchange of a full package for an empty tube is performed by means of a traveling servicing unit on the textile machine, equipped with, among other things, a tube gripper for handling the empty replacement tubes and servicing elements for handling the completed cheese packages.

Abstract: A package carrier member is positioned under a wound package by being pivoted at the end of a support arm that in turn is pivoted at the end of an arm of a package moving mechanism that includes a translational motion gear set so that upon rotation of the positioning arm the gear set will maintain the package in translational motion to a position closely above a package handling assembly at which the positioning mechanism pivots the carrier member to withdraw it from underneath the package. During this withdrawal a stop member is positioned against the package on the side opposite the direction of carrier member withdrawal to maintain the package in position against twisting, tilting or rotating as it is being released onto the package handling assembly.

Abstract: A housing is mounted on a column outwardly of a package conveyor at the rear of the machine. A pair of support arms are connected to gears of a gear assembly in the housing and extend at a downward inclination inwardly toward the machine. One of the arms is mounted above the other arm and is longer so that package supporting rods extending from the ends of the support arms will be substantially parallel in a generally horizontal plane for receipt of packages positioned thereon at the winding station. The housing is vertically movable to lower the support arms for deposit of the package onto the conveyor. The support arms pivot through arcs sufficiently long to clear the rods of the package upon raising of the housing and connected support arms into position for receipt of the next package.