Abstract: A segment removal assembly (46) includes a segment removal device which automatically grasps removable segments (48, 50) of shuttle and magazine rings (8, 10) of a winding machine (2), removes the segments to a displaced position leaving segment gaps (66) in the rings and, after the interior (146) of the rings are accessed by removing and inserting a portion of a transformer core (34) from and into the interior of the rings at a load/unload station (158), the segments are replaced back into the segment gaps and resecured to remainders (52, 54) of the rings. This is accomplished using pivotal arms (110, 112, 132, 134) which engage pins (80) carried by the ring segments. Grasping the pins unlatches the segments from the remainders of the rings thus permitting the segments to be removed from the remainders of the rings.