Hollow cylinder with freely selectable axial extension

A winding core for winding printed products for forming rolls for intermediate storage, the winding core being shaped substantially as a hollow cylinder having a predetermined outer diameter and comprising:

• two coil parts, each of the coil parts having an axial inner face and an axial outer face and including at least one coiled profile which has two axial sides and two ends, each of the coil parts further including a step on each of the inner face and the outer face thereof which step is formed by a corresponding one of the two ends of the at least one coiled profile, each coiled profile further comprising coil windings having cooperating first joining means disposed on the axial sides thereof for joining the windings to one another, each coiled profile having a freely selectable predetermined length thereby allowing an adjustment of an axial extension of the hollow cylinder;
• two end rings including second joining means thereon cooperating with the first joining means for axially joining the two end rings to the coil parts, each end ring having an axial inner face facing a corresponding one of the coil parts, each inner face including a step thereon juxtaposed against and having an axial extension substantially equal to an axial extension of a corresponding step of the corresponding one of the coil parts;
• and
• a middle ring including third joining means thereon cooperating with the first joining means for axially joining the middle ring to the coil parts, the middle ring further having two faces, each of the two faces of the middle ring facing a corresponding one of the coil parts and having a step thereon juxtaposed against and having an axial extension substantially equal to an axial extension of a corresponding step of the corresponding one of the coil parts, each inner face facing an inner axial direction and each outer face facing an outer axial direction with respect to an axial center of the core.