the apparatus for winding a weft thread onto spools 1 ( fig1 ) of carriers 2 overlies an arcuate portion of a trajectory 3 of movement of the carriers 2 , shown by the dot - and - dash line , and includes a disk 4 rotatably mounted in a horizontal plane , a stationary toothed sector 5 , winding members 6 , satellite gears 7 , a device a for retaining the winding members in a preset position after the satellite gears 7 disengage from the toothed sector 5 , and a device b for gradually starting and stopping the winding members 6 in a predetermined position . since a description of the structure of the winding members 6 , the manner in which the weft thread is wound onto the spools of the carriers and the structure of the apparatus for moving the carriers along the trajectory 3 are well - known and conventional and bear no relevance to the features of the present invention , a detailed description thereof is not set forth . for example , winding members illustrated in u . s . pat . 3 , 943 , 976 may be utilized . alternatively , the known curved hollow tubes as shown in fig1 through which the weft thread passes and which , in the process of winding , enter a cavity 8 of the carriers as sown in fig1 and rotate around the spool 1 with the end of the weft thread being nipped by a grip may be utilized . in the latter case , it is essential that a gear 9 arranged on each winding member 6 be constantly meshed with the satellite gear 7 . in totality , each gear 9 , while being constantly meshed with the satellite gear 7 , forms a train of satellite gears 7 , 9 , since these gears start rotating around their axles only when one of them ( the satellite gear 7 ) engages the toothed sector 5 . as a result , the length of the toothed surface of the toothed sector 5 determines the zone of winding of the weft thread . it is evident that in the apparatus for winding the weft thread onto the spools of the carriers there are provided all necessary and conventional devices or mechanisms for cutting the wound weft thread , grips for the ends of the cut weft threads , as well as a drive for bringing the disk 4 into rotational motion , etc . the disk 4 ( fig2 ) is loosely seated on a stationary axle 10 to obtain rotational motion from any known drive not shown . bores 11 are formed at the periphery of the disk 4 , for accommodating axles 12 of respective satellite gears 7 and through bores 13 through which the shafts of the winding members 6 pass as is shown in fig2 . the device a ( fig1 ) for retaining the winding members 6 in a preset position after the satellite gears 7 disengage from the toothed sector 5 comprises a fixing sector 14 and lugs 15 secured on the satellite gears 7 . the stationary fixing sector 14 is installed diametrically opposite the toothed sector 5 below the latter and on the axle 10 which is common for both of them , as is shown in fig1 and 2 . thus , as seen in the drawings , the shaft 10 extends through a central bore formed in disk form , the latter being rotatably mounted on the shaft 10 by conventional apparatus , such as a bearing ( not shown ). lower portions of shafts 12 which are centrally affixed at their upper ends 2 and support respective satellite gears 7 are rotatably carried in bores 11 formed in the peripheral region of disk 4 by conventional apparatus , such as bearings ( not shown ). thus , the disk 4 is rotatably mounted in shaft 10 and in turn rotatably supports the satellite gears 7 by means of shafts 12 . the relative dimensions of the toothed sector 5 ( fig1 ) and fixing sector 14 may be varied by suitably pivoting one with respect to the other about the axis of shaft 10 , such relative dimensions depending on the chosen winding mode , as is shown in fig1 and 3 . gaps 20 and 21 are formed between the respective butt edges 16 , 17 , 18 and 19 of the fixing and toothed sectors 14 , 5 . each lug 15 is located at the lower end face of the satellite gear 7 and by at least two freely rotating rollers 22 cooperating , when the satellite gears 7 are displaced by the disk 4 , with the periphery of the fixing sector 14 . thus , referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings , each lug 15 comprises a pair of rollers 22 rotatably mounted on the bottom portions of respective shafts which are affixed at their upper regions to a respective satellite gear 7 . as seen in fig1 and 3 , when a satellite gear is moved over a pair adjacent to the periphery affixing sector 14 by rotating disk 4 , the peripheral surfaces of both of the rollers 22 engage the periphery of the fixing sector 14 so that the particular satellite gear 7 is prevented from rotating on its shaft 12 . the device b for gradually starting the winding members 6 and stopping them in a predetermined position includes two elongated slatted cams 23 and 24 for starting and stopping the winding member 6 , respectively , and a pairs of pins 25 and 26 associated with each winding member . each pair of pins 25 and 26 is mounted on a respective satellite gear 7 on the upper end face thereof , the pin 25 of the pair being appropriately located and of an appropriate height so as to cooperate with the cam 23 i . e ., so that the upper end is received within the slot of cam 23 , for starting at the beginning of winding of the weft thread . the pin 26 is alo appropriately located and has an appropriate height ( greater than the height of pin 25 in the illustrated embodiment ) to interact with the slot of cam 24 for stopping at the end of winding of the weft thread . the cam 23 is stationary above the portion wherein the satellite gears 7 transfer from the fixing sector 14 to the toothed sector 5 , i . e .., above the gap 20 , thereby partially overlapping these sectors in plan as is shown in fig3 along the trajectory of movement of the satellite gears 7 . the cam 24 is fixedly mounted above the portion wherein the satellite gears 7 change over from the toothed sector 5 to the fixing sector 14 , i . e ., above the gap 21 , thereby partially overlapping these sectors in plan , as is shown in fig3 . the cams 23 and 24 are located relative to the toothed sector 5 in different vertical planes parallel to each other , so that the cam 23 ( fig2 ) is located somewhat lower than the cam 24 , the end faces of the pins 25 and 26 , respectively , being also disposed in different planes for interacting with a respective cam , as a result of which the pin 25 is smaller than the pin 26 . the cams 23 and 24 are made as strips extending in a horizontal plane , on the underside of each of them there is made a guiding slot 27 and 28 , respectively , the slot 27 of the cam 23 beng intended to receive the pin 25 and the slot 28 of the cam 24 beng intended to receive the pin 26 . the shape and length of the guiding slots 27 and 28 ( as is shown in fig1 and 3 ) of the strips are chosen so that the rotational speed of the satellite gears and , accordingly , of the winding members 6 is smoothly increased or decreased , and they are fixed in a predetermined position for the satellite gears to engage the toothed sector 5 without impacts . this condition is attained by a calculation method known to those skilled in the art . by similar calculations , each pin 26 is appropriately located on its respective satelite gear so that upon the gear reaching the end of the toothed sector 5 , pin 26 will enter into the slot 28 of cam 24 . the cams 23 and 24 may be secured by any known manner to any stationary part of the winding apparatus . however , it is most advantageous to secure the cams 23 and 24 on the toothed sector 5 . in this case , as the cams are made as strips , they have a somewhat elongated form , as is shown in fig3 in distinction to the form of the cams shown in fig1 . therewith , the cams 23 and 24 , according to fig3 are attached on a lug 29 of the toothed sector 5 in any known way . while at dwell , the satellite gears 7 ( ref . point c of fig3 ), by virtue of the engagement of rollers 22 with the periphery of fixing sector 14 , do not turn about their axles but rotate together with the disk 4 around its axle 10 . in this case , the rollers 22 run over the periphery of the fixing sector 14 , thereby preventing the satellite gears from being spontaneously turned . the satellite gears 7 are appropriately oriented by rollers 22 so that immediately upon at least the leading roller 22 clearing the periphery of fixing sector 14 ; the pin 25 enters the guiding slot 27 of the cam 23 ( ref . point d ) after which the fixing sector 14 is interrupted . then , the satellite gears start accelerating ( ref . point e ), while the radius of the profile of the slot 27 of the cam 23 gradually increases , due to which the rotation , via the pin 25 , is transmitted to the satellite gear 7 and the winding member 6 , as a result of which the winding of the weft thread onto the spool of the carrier is initiated . the satellite gear 7 moves adjacent to the gap 20 during the accelleration phase so that the gear is not constrained from rotating under the influence of cam slot 27 . the guiding slot 27 of the cam 23 ensures impact - free acceleration of the gears 7 up to the maximum speed and accurate engagement thereof with the toothed sector 5 which occurs immediately upon pin 25 exiting from slot 27 . the profile of the slot 27 of the cam 23 is designed so that the gear 7 attains the maximum speed just before it meshes with the toothed sector 5 . after the satellite gear 7 is meshed with the toothed sector 5 , the cam 23 terminates and the satellite gears 7 start rotating at a constant speed around their axles due to engagement with the toothed sector 5 , while continuing winding the weft thread ( ref . point f ). in the course of this rotation , the pin 26 enters the guiding slot 28 of the cam 24 ( ref . point p ). thus , upon reaching the end of the toothed sector 4 , the satellite gear 7 is located through the appropriate calculations mentioned above in a manner such that the pin 26 is aligned with the entrance area of slot 28 of cam 24 . thus , immediately after termination of the toothed sector 5 the satellite gear 7 , owing to the profile of the slot 28 , is decelerated by the cam 24 till it comes to a stop at a predetermined position and the winding of the weft thread is terminated ( ref . point q ). in this case , the pin 25 passes beneath the cam 24 without cooperating with the latter due to its relatively short length . after the satellite gears 7 have stopped completely , the rollers 22 come again into contact with the fixing sector 14 and the cam 24 is interrupted . thereafter , the process repeates itself . the disk 4 may carry several satellite gears 7 and the winding members 6 requiring one fixing 14 and one toothed sector 5 and two cams 23 and 24 , respectively .