The invention relates to a creel loading and relieving device for a winding device of a textile machine producing crosswound bobbins in order to adjust the contact pressure of a take-up bobbin mounted in a creel on a driving roll. Said creel loading and relieving device comprises a creel that is pivotally mounted via a creel shaft and a force applying means which grips the creel and is adjustable via a positioning element. The inventive creel loading and relieving device (30) is provided with an actuator (33) that can be positioned by means of an electromotive drive (40) while a force applying means (29) which impinges upon the creel (9) is disposed on said actuator (33). The force applying means is configured as a pneumatic spring (29) and is hinged to a first lever arm (25) that is connected to a creel yoke (24). The loading or relieving moment to be applied to the creel (9) by the pneumatic spring (29) can be adjusted with precision by positioning the actuator (33) accordingly.