Abstract: A yarn severing and holding apparatus for use in a system for changing spinning cans in which synthetic filamentary yarns are deposited. In this apparatus an arm supported, independently of the can transporting means, for rotation at a level between the yarn feeding device and the cans, has a slide mounted thereon for traversing movement lengthwise of the arm. This slide carries a cutting device and also a device for clamping the severed end of the yarn deposited in the full can. This insures that the cut off end of the yarn cannot drop back into the full can and that on the other hand the free end can drop into the still empty can immediately after the cutting operation. Moreover, the severing and holding apparatus is physically divorced from the can-transporting means so that the latter may be designed for either rotational or translational movement.