Method of automatically changing winding tubes and winding apparatus for implementing the aforesaid method and improved spool doffing mechanism

A method of and apparatus for automatically changing tubes seated upon tube clamping mandrels and wherein each tube, through rotation of a member carrying the tube clamping mandrels, is alternately brought out of a position in contact with a friction drive drum for the purpose of taking-up an endless thread delivered at a high speed and after reaching the desired package size thereon the tube with its package is brought into a package doffing position. A gripper is rocked out of a rest position essentially perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube clamping mandrel carrying the tube with the package wound thereon, and the package and its tube are engaged by means of the gripper. Then the engaged package and its tube are withdrawn from the tube clamping mandrel by moving the gripper in a direction away from the tube clamping mandrel and essentially parallelly with respect to the axial direction of the tube clamping mandrel into a predetermined position, and thereafter the package and its tube are released by carrying out an opposite rocking movement of the gripper.