PURPOSE: To prevent the failure of the subject piecing caused by the stoppage of a package and control the piecing by disposing a rotation sensor for the package and starting a knotting operation after the rotation of the package is stopped or reduced to a desired rotation number.

CONSTITUTION: A rotation sensor 10 comprising a notched disk 11 and a contactless switch 12 is disposed for a package, and an air cylinder 13 and a brake arm 15 pressed by the brake arm and rotated on a shaft 14 are disposed as a brake for pressing the package from both the ends of its paper pipe on the cradle 4. 1 pulse per rotation of the package is outputted from the rotation sensor 10, converted into the pulses of 0.15msec through a pulse-shaping device 17 and subsequently inputted into a counter 20. After the rotation of the package is stopped or reduced to a prescribed rotation number, a knotting action is started. Thereby, the failure of the piecing caused by that the package is not stopped after the stoppage of a traverse drum is prevented and the piecing of the automatic winder is controlled.