a winding frame , identified as a whole by the reference numeral 1 , is schematically represented in front elevational view in fig1 . such winding frames 1 usually have a number of like winding stations 4 arranged in alignment with one another between their machine end frames 2 and 3 ( see also fig2 ). as is known and therefore not explained in greater detail , spinning cops 22 produced on a ring spinning machine ( not shown ) are rewound at these winding stations 4 into cheeses 5 of large volume ( see also fig3 ). the finished cheeses 5 are pushed on a cheese conveyor belt 7 by means of an automatically operating service device , for example by means of a cheese changer 6 , and are transported to a tube loading device ( not shown ) or the like , which is arranged at the end of the machine . the cheese changer 6 is movably arranged to travel back and forth along the machine above the winding stations 4 , and is operative not only to push the fully wound cheeses 5 finished at the winding stations 4 outward onto the cheese conveyor belt 7 but also to automatically transfer an empty winding tube 8 into the winding frame of each respective winding station 4 . in the representative winding machine shown , the cheese changer 6 takes each respective empty tube 8 out of an interim reservoir 9 which is part of each respective winding station . the interim reservoirs 9 are connected via a tube conveying device 10 extending over the length of the machine to a central magazine 11 of the winding frame 1 arranged at the end of the machine , by means of which the interim reservoirs 9 are supplied with empty tubes . the central magazine , represented in its entirety at 11 in fig1 and 2 , essentially comprises a central unit 50 with an integrated control device 30 , a vertically displaceable gripper carriage 16 , and a storage unit 51 , which is fixed on the central unit 50 in an easily exchangeable manner . in the illustrated embodiment , the storage unit 51 has several storage columns 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 arranged next to one other , each such storage column having a number of tube reception rows , sometimes referred to as feed shafts 22 , arranged on top of each other for receiving and storing conical and / or cylindrical empty tubes 8 . the central magazine 11 is functionally connected with the tube conveying device 10 by means of the vertically displaceable gripper carriage 16 which , as indicated in fig2 has a positively controllable tube gripper 17 in the area of the storage columns 12 to 15 . the tube conveying device 10 essentially consists of a horizontally extending stationary track 18 , a control strip 19 extending alongside the track 18 and arranged to be axially displaced relative to the track 18 , and a tube transport carriage 20 arranged for movement along the track 18 . the track 18 is configured in a u - shape cross - section and is made from a ferromagnetic material , for example steel , with a plurality of windows 23 formed at spacings along the length of the track 18 . in the illustrated embodiment , the windows 23 are arranged at the same spacing as the winding stations 4 along the winding frame 1 , with each window 23 centered with respect to a respective winding station 4 and therefore correspondingly centered in respect to the respective interim tube reservoir 9 arranged thereat . the windows 23 are likewise arranged at the same spacing as , and centered with respect to , the storage columns 12 to 15 of the central magazine 11 . the control strip 19 , also made from a ferromagnetic material , has windows 24 which are similarly shaped and of corresponding dimensions and spacings to the windows 23 of the track 18 . in addition , for reasons of accident protection , the windows 24 of the control strip 19 are preferably provided with a grid - like finger protector . the control strip 19 is supported within a guide device 36 mounted to the track 18 to be longitudinally displaceable relative to the track 18 by means of a thrust piston 25 between a first control position a and a second control position b ( represented in fig6 and 7 ). as seen in fig4 and 5 , the tube transport carriage 20 has an undercarriage 37 having wheels supported on the inner profile 39 of the horizontal track 18 and is connected via a traction device 26 , preferably an endless toothed belt , to a reversible electric drive 27 . the tube transport carriage 20 is preferably affixed to the endless traction device 26 by a connecting bracket 41 , arranged on the undercarriage 40 of the tube transport carriage 20 . in addition , a tong - like tube gripper device 21 is fixed in place on the undercarriage 40 , and has gripper arms 31 , 32 mounted for restricted pivotability in pivot shafts 42 . the gripper arms 31 , 32 are preferably angled and connected to one another via a spring steel strip 33 , on which a permanent magnet package 35 is fastened . also , coil spring elements 34 are respectively attached to the gripper arms 31 , 32 , to act on the gripper arms 31 , 32 in an opening direction to urge the arms 31 , 32 apart . the operation of the device may thus be understood . with the winding frame 1 is in a state ready for operation , the storage columns 12 to 15 of the central magazine 11 are filled with empty tubes 8 . the control device 30 is set in accordance with the desired charging program via an input keyboard 43 of the central magazine 11 . thereupon , the tube transport carriage 20 initially moves into a zero , or starting , position in the area of the electric drive 27 and is adjusted thereat by means of a sensor device 29 , for example by means of a highly resolving incremental transducer . at the same time , in the central unit 50 of the central magazine 11 , the gripper carriage 16 approaches the tube reception row of the central magazine 11 as predetermined by the charging program input to the control device 30 ( for example , respectively eight to ten tube reception rows are arranged one above the other per storage column ). one of the tube grippers 17 of the gripper carriage 16 removes an empty tube from the selected tube reception row and transfers the empty tube to the tube gripper device 21 of the tube transport carriage 20 , which in the meantime has been positioned above the respective storage column 12 to 15 of the central magazine 11 . during this operation , the control strip 19 is in the control position a ( see fig5 and 6 ), in which the windows 23 of the track 18 and the windows 24 of the control strip are superimposed . thus , in the control position a , the control strip 19 is shielded by the track 18 from the tube transport carriage 20 and the permanent magnet package 35 arranged on the tube gripper device 21 thereof whereby no opposing ferromagnetic pole is located opposite the permanent magnet package 35 on the tube gripper device 21 of the tube transport carriage 20 . therefore , the permanent magnet package 35 remains deactivated and the spring elements 34 act on the gripper arms 31 , 32 to urge them in the opening direction to remain spread apart . in this manner , the tube gripper device 21 of the tube transport carriage 20 is ready for taking over an empty tube 8 in the control position a of the control strip . as soon as the respective tube gripper 17 of the gripper carriage 16 has moved the tube 8 which was removed from a tube reception row of one of the storage columns 12 to 25 into a position between the gripper arms 31 , 32 of the tube gripper device 21 of the transport carriage 20 , the control strip 19 is axially displaced into the control position b ( see fig7 ) wherein the windows 23 in the track 18 are completely closed by the ferromagnetic control strip 19 . as a result of the closing of the windows 23 of the track 18 , a continuously ferromagnetic , i . e . magnet - activated , zone results in the area of the track 18 . the permanent magnet package 35 of the tube transport carriage 20 immediately attempts to place itself against this opposing ferromagnetic pole , so that the spring steel strip 33 is deflected in the direction r ( fig5 ) by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet package 35 , and the gripper arms 31 , 32 are pivoted toward one another in the direction s . in the process , the gripper arms 31 , 32 being pivoted in the direction s grasp the empty tube 8 between them . thereafter the tube transport carriage 20 is immediately conveyed at a relatively high speed to the interim tube reservoir 9 of the selected winding station 4 and is positioned thereat exactly above the interim tube reservoir 9 . following this movement , the control strip 19 is returned into the position a , whereby the zone in front of the permanent magnet package 35 of the tube transport carriage 20 is rendered non - magnetizable . as a result , the permanent magnet package 35 loses it opposite ferromagnetic pole , so that the gripper arms 31 , 32 are pivoted back into a tube release position by the biasing force of the spring elements 34 . thereupon , the tube 8 falls into the interim tube reservoir 9 of the respective winding station 4 . the tube transport carriage 20 immediately returns to its initial position , i . e . it moves into its zero position in the area of the electric drive 27 , whereupon the freshly aligned tube transport carriage 20 is ready for the next tube conveying operation . it will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application . many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described , as well as many variations , modifications and equivalent arrangements , will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof , without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention . accordingly , while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention . the foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments , adaptations , variations , modifications and equivalent arrangements , the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof .