Abstract: Apparatus for providing cylindrical paper rolls with envelopes consisting of inner discs which are adjacent to the end faces of the rolls, of blanks which are draped around the peripheries of the rolls and whose marginal portions are folded over the inner discs, and of outer discs which are pasted over the folded marginal portions of the blanks has a feeding unit which delivers successive rolls axially to a monitoring station where the dimensions of the rolls are ascertained by sensors and where the recesses in the end faces of the rolls receive expandible clamping heads of a lifting device serving to advance the rolls, in horizontal positions, past a draping and thereupon past a blank-folding station. The heads are movable toward each other in response to signals from the sensors to enter the recesses of a roll at the monitoring station, and such heads deliver successive rolls to an intermediate conveyor which, in turn, delivers successive rolls to an orientation changing device.