Creel for warping machine

A creel for supplying yarns from a plurality of respective packages to a takeup machine, the creel comprising:

• a support defining respective supply stations carrying the yarn packages;
• respective stationary brake elements on the supports at the stations each having a braking surface;
• respective tension-sensing deflectors at the stations;
• means for guiding the yarns from the respective packages over the respective braking surfaces and around the respective deflectors, the deflectors being displaceable through positions corresponding to the tension in the respective yarns;
• respective movable jaws moveable toward and away from the respective stationary brake elements;
• actuating means including respective springs bearing on the moveable jaws for pressing same against the yarns on the respective surfaces with a force capable of varying smoothly and steplessly up to a relatively high nominal level corresponding to high tension in the respective yarns;
• respective sensor means connected to the deflectors for responding when the tensions in the respective yarns at the deflectors drop below a predetermined low tension and the respective deflectors assume the corresponding positions;
• and
• control means connected to the actuator means and effective on startup of the takeup machine for maintaining the force at the high level for a predetermined interval and thereafter uniformly and smoothly decreasing the force.