not described here or shown in the drawings the wire 1 travels from the forming section and is guided around a wire roll 3 a felt 5 is led in around a felt roll 7 into engagement with the web 13 on the wire at a point intermediate the end of the forming zone not shown and the wire roll 3 and travels conjointly with the wire and web to a suction pickup roll 9 having a suction box 11 extending along a part of the circumference of the roll the line or zone of engagement between the suction pickup roll which line or zone is designated by the reference numeral 15 constitutes a pickup point where the web 13 is picked off the wire and transferred to the felt by reason of a reduction in the gas pressure on the felt side of the web relative to the gas pressure on the wire side of the web due to suction in the suction box 11 in the pickup roll the pressure differential across the web persists throughout the extent of the suction box and holds the web 13 on the felt 5 against the centrifugal force exerted on the web as it turns around the pickup roll the felt 5 separates from the pickup roll near the end of the suction box and the web 13 is carried by the felt to the drying section of the machine in the embodiment of fig1 the transfer of the web from the wire to the felt is facilitated by applying water from a water supply conduit 17 that extends transversely across the wire and has a slot 19 that is co extensive with the width of the web and faces the wire and the web water under pressure is supplied.