Abstract: Wire emerging from a manufacturing plant, e.g., an enamelling installation, is continuously wound on a succession of reels. Reels are positioned alternately in two fixed positions and driven by torque motors. At any convenient time during the filling of one reel, the wire is looped round an empty reel in the other position and it is driven by a torque motor only sufficiently to overcome windage and other frictional forces, so that the wire controls the speed of the empty reel. When the first reel is full, the wire is cut and thereupon wound on the empty reel, the torque applied by the motor being suitably increased. A mixed sequence of reels with different barrel diameters, and including some with tapered barrels if desired, can be used.