Abstract: The invention includes an apparatus for and method of moving textile articles such as pieces of laundry or the like comprising an enclosed passageway having two opposing open ends, and at least one bend between the two open ends; a vacuum source coupled with one of the two open ends and developing a subatmospheric pressure along the passageway and at the other open end of the passageway to draw textile articles into the other open end and through the passageway to the one open end; and a sensor located at the one bend and sensing textile articles drawn through the passageway. The sensor is coupled with an appropriate counter for accumulating a count of successive textile articles drawn through the passageway. A delay circuit is included between the sensor and the accumulator to inhibit successive detector outputs for a selectable but fixed time period, regardless of the size of the textile articles being passed and counted.