PURPOSE: To make it possible to rapidly and easily detect an empty peg by detecting it by means of detecting switches longitudinally arranged while scanning the front of a creel in which a plural number of pegs have been implanted.

CONSTITUTION: A carrying car 9 runs in front of a creel 2, and when it reaches in front of an empty peg 3 turned by an operator, an empty peg detecting phototube 34 catches reflected light from a reflecting plate 47 provided on the tip part of the peg 3, allowing the existance of the empty peg 3 to be detected. Simultaneously, paper tube detecting phototube 35 resets a proximity switch 39 while identifying that no obstacle such as paper tube 5a and a package etc. are inserted and attached into the peg 3, and simultaneously reducing the running speed of the carrying car 9. When a slide arm 29 comes just in front of the empty peg 3, the proximity switch 39 is turned ON by a switch plate 37 allowing the running of the carrying car 9 to be stopped.