a winding apparatus including a winding roll driving a bobbin and a yarn reservoir arranged between a yarn supply point and the winding roll . the state of filling of the reservoir is monitored by a monitoring device which generates a signal for controlling the speed of the winding roll . interposed between a driven drive shaft and the winding roll are a pair of intermediate wheels which are selectively brought into engagement with the drive shaft and the winding roll responsive to predetermined states of filling of yarn on the reservoir that is sensed by the monitoring device so as to either drive the winding roll at speed higher or lower than the delivery speed at the yarn delivery point . a brake lever is operably connected to a mechanism which supports the intermediate wheels and is brought into contact with the winding roll when both the intermediate wheels are out of engagement with the shaft and winding roll for stopping the winding roll .