Abstract: The front and tail ends of fast travelling rolled goods (3) such as wire rod are cropped by leading the rolled goods into a guide groove (2) extending around the periphery of a circular disc (1). The disc rotates at the same peripheral speed as the linear speed of the rolled goods. The rolled goods are positively guided in this position and are caused to accompany the disc over a sector (24). The rolled goods are sheared by a cam-operated punch (8) carried by the disc, the punch moving parallel to the axis of the disc. The separated end pieces (22) of the rolled goods are lead away in one direction, and the cropped rolled goods (23) are lead away in another direction.