apparatus for stripping insulation off wire in a stator coil winding machine . a frame supports a blade assembly including circularly spaced blades that encircles moving wire in the machine . the blades are individually pivotally mounted so they can rock against the wire . the array of blades rotates about an axis coaxial with the wire and cuts insulation off the wire as it moves therethrough . the blades rock due to a thrust block that rotates in synchronism with the blades , and moves axially against the blades . a thrust block cam surface engages cam surfaces on the blades and thus pivots them against the wire . depth of penetration of the blades is controlled very accurately by a cam follower engaging a cam surface on an adjustably positioned wheel . during stripping , the wire stops , and a pulley arrangement forms an open wire loop downstream of the blades by pulling wire transversely from the normal wire travel path . this pulls an equal length segment of wire through the rotating blades for removal of insulation . preferably , the wire is tensioned upstream of the cutting blades during the cutting operation to decrease the tendency of the wire to move laterally as it is being stripped . after stripping , the stripped segment of wire moves into the winding machine and is severed near its center by a cutoff device .