the carrier rails 16 17 18 the carrier rail 16 is vertically movable up and down between a position which it adopts for grasping of a lap 13a located at the lap transfer location 43 and the height of the transport rails 14 in fig2 the lap 13a is located at the lap transfer location 43 in a position in which it is grasped by the carrier or support 15 and the carrier rail 16 is located at its height or position appropriate for such grasping of the lap 13a in fig2 the carrier rail 18 is also located in its lowered position relative to the height of the transport rails 14 in which position three laps 13 deposited from the carrier rail 18 are laid upon the lap transfer location 80 of the ribbon lap machine 24 vertical movements of the carrier rails 16 17 and 18 are caused by the lifting or displacement devices 19 20 and 21 illustrated schematically in fig1 each of the carrier rails 17 18 is designed for taking up for instance three laps 13 these laps 13 are deposited in groups of three from the carrier rails 17 18 on corresponding lap transfer locations the laps 13.