An elongated support roller centered on and rotatable about a horizontal axis radially engages at least one row of takeup rolls coaxial to a takeup-roll axis parallel to the support-roller axis and including at least one central roll and a pair of end rolls axially flanking the central roll. A relatively wide paper web fed to the support roller passes through a slitter between the web supply and the support roller for slitting the web into a plurality of strips including at least one central strip and a pair of end strips flanking the end strip. The central and end strips pass at least partially around the support roller and are wound on the respective central and end rolls. The support roller is rotated about its axis so that the strips wind at least partially around the support roller and at least the central roll is rotated by engagement with the support roll. Respective end-roll periphery drives radially engage the end rolls for rotating same at a greater peripheral speed than the support roller.