PURPOSE: To reduce the amount of frisons and further the occurrence of yarn damages and knots, by automatically changing the amount of steam to be fed to a perforated steam pipe provided in an end groping tank, and groping ends while keeping the end groping hot water at a constant temperature.

CONSTITUTION: Steam is always jetted from a perforated steam pipe provided in an end groping tank in an end groping machine of an automatic reeling machine. The amount of the steam fed to the perforated steam pipe is automatically changed depending on the temperature change in the end groping hot water, and the ends are groped while keeping the end groping hot water at a constant temperature. The wasting of the steam can be avoided without deviating the temperature of the end groping hot water greatly from the set temperature.