Apparatus and method for automatically guiding, trimming, splitting and

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for automatically guiding, trimming, splitting and side hemming continuous textile material having thickened individual portions, such as terry towels, woven therein in side-by-side relationship transversely of the material and in series longitudinally of the material. This material is fed through the apparatus and thinned selvage edge portions are trimmed to a predetermined width, hems are formed in each of the trimmed selvage edges and stitched with mechanisms in a first work station of the apparatus. The trimming, folding and stitching mechanisms on each side of the traveling material are individually moved and aligned in proper transverse positions relative to each of the selvage edges regardless of transverse deviation in the longitudinal paths of travel of the selvage edges as the material travels through the first work station. Thereafter, the material is longitudinally split through a thinned middle portion into strips, hems are formed in the longitudinally-extending cut side edges of the strips and the folded hems are stitched with mechanisms in a second work station in the apparatus. The thinned middle portion of the traveling material is aligned relative to the splitting, folding and stitching mechanisms prior to such operations in the second work station for splitting the material generally through the center of the thinned middle portion and forming uniform stitched hems on each cut edge.