Abstract: The connecting wires between armatures wound by an automatic armature winding machine are clamped closely adjacent the commutator tangs with the finish wires hooked to the tangs of the wound armatures and the start wires looped about selected tangs of the armatures about to be wound. The clamped wire portions are severed at the end of the winding of a wound armature and then after the looping of the start wires about the tangs of the armature to be wound. The wire wasted is limited to the short, clamped wire portions. Also disclosed are two embodiments of double flier armature winding machines for winding armatures in accordance with the invention.