Wire changing in an armature winder

An apparatus for replacing an old wire threaded from a wire spool through both a dancer arm tensioner and a flyer arm of a flyer winder with a new wire during wire change-over and wire replacement, the apparatus comprising:

• a first clamp for clamping a first portion of the old wire adjacent an output of the flyer arm, the first clamp cooperating with the dancer arm tensioner to maintain a second portion of the old wire extending between the first clamp and the dancer arm tensioner under tension when the first clamp is clamped;
• a cutting device for cutting the old wire between the dancer arm tensioner and the wire spool to produce a first end of the old wire that extends from the dancer arm tensioner;
• and
• a coupling device for coupling the first end of the old wire to a first end of the new wire so that releasing the first clamp and collecting the old wire adjacent the first clamp pulls the new wire through the dancer arm tensioner and the flyer arm along the same path traveled by the old wire.