A stone roll for paper machines having a rotatable tubular roll shell of stone. A bearing flange is disposed at either end of the stone roll. A plurality of paraxially arranged stressing rods are disposed in bores in the roll and extend between the bearing flanges. A stationary beam extends through the bore of the roll. A layer of metal is disposed at or defined on the inner surface of the tubular roll shell. Seals extend from the sides of the beam into contact with the metal layer. A hydraulic pressure chamber is defined between the stationary beam and the inner surface of the metal layer and around the beam between the seals for enabling force exerted on the exterior of the roll to be transmitted to the stationary beam.