Abstract: In the automated manufacture of helical coils from sheet-metal blanks, each station of a rotatable set or carrousel of winding stations picks up a flat elongated blank from a stationary loader and securely grips and locks one end in an angled position against a slightly-tapered arbor whose subsequent rotation then causes the blank to become tightly wrapped helically about the arbor while retractable ironing plates stretch-form it and while a second locking mechanism positions the opposite end of the blank untl wrapping is completed. The single thrust of a shaped actuating rod causes a locking member to both position itself and move into a clamping relation with the one end of the blank and the arbor, and both the second locking mechanism and the ironing plates are of toggle-type constructions which enable them to hold securely until positively released.