in the proposed apparatus for winding a weft thread onto spools of carriers , there is provided a disk rotatable in the horizontal plane on which are mounted constantly meshed satellite gears and winding members rotated by these satellite gears which engage , in a zone of winding of the weft thread , a stationary toothed sector arranged coaxially with the rotatable disk . in addition , provided in the apparatus are also a device for retaining the winding members in a preset position after the satellite gears disengage from the toothed sector and a device for gradual starting of the winding members and for stopping them in a predetermined position which precludes impacts and breakage of teeth at the engagement of the satellite gears with the toothed sector . this arrangement makes it possible to increase the speed of winding of the weft thread onto the spools of the carriers and to wind a required amount of the weft thread onto the spools of the carriers .