Abstract: In order to catch a broken printed web, which is gripped downstream from a printing unit, and more particularly downstream from the last printing unit of a roll feed rotary printing press, between a driven roll and at least one yoke which is able to be pivoted against the roll in response to the signal of a switch sensing breaking of the web, to ensure a high degree of operational reliability, the roll is initially run at a higher speed than the web and then the effective speed of the roll is made equal to the web speed by the use of a drive device with at least one yielding means therein, the torque transmitted to the yielding means being reduced to a value lower than the web break value at the earliest when the yoke comes into engagement with the roll.