A hollow cylinder (4) is rotatable in or on the housing (1) and guides a flexible rotating measuring tape (5) which is drawn out in the withdrawal direction of the adhesive tape. The cylinder is fixed or movable, and mounted on a fixed or rotatable axis (24). The cylinder may lie in the rear, centre or front area of the housing, and may lie longitudinally or transversely. The cylinder may have one or more spring elements connected by their ends to a pivot axis or disc for the cylinder.
