To actuate a winding tube magazine even in a severe environmental condition by forming a connecting device between storage columns of a storage unit and a winding tube carrying carriage out of a controllable winding tube gripper arranged in a gripper support body capable of traveling in the vertical direction.

A gripper support body capable of traveling in the vertical direction by being released by a signal of a central control unit of an automatic cross winder 1, moves up to a height of a lower side loading shaft 22 of a storage unit 51. At the same time, a winding tube carrying carriage 20 is positioned on the upper side of selected storage columns 12 to 15. A tube winding gripper takes out the forefront winding tube 8 from the belonging loading shaft 22 to carry the winding tube 8 upward to a delivery position by vertical directional displacement of the gripper support body. In the delivery position, a gripper of the winding tube carrying carriage 20 of a winding tube carrying device 10 having the machine length receives the received winding tube to carry the winding tube to an intermediate storage member proper to a winding place of a prescribed winding place through a horizontal track 18.