To maintain the windings or wraps of yarn on a supply drum formed of spaced rods, corrugations or the like, in a predetermined axial region thereof and to move the yarn axially along the drum, a pin-wheel gear or stub-tooth gear is arranged laterally of the drum, with the pins or stub teeth at an angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the drum, the pins or stubs being moved by engagement with the rods or corrugations of the drum as the drum rotates when driven to store yarn, the inclination of the pin-wheel gear providing an axially directed pushing force against the windings accumulating on the drum.