Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically severing individual towels from a length of material comprising a plurality of terry towels. The method includes the steps of measuring slightly less than the supposed length of a towel, then activating a sensor that detects the edge of a cutting space by the change in thickness of the material. The sensor causes feeding of the material to stop with a cut-line at a cutting blade. The first edge of the material is held while a second sensor located the same edge at the opposite side of the material, and the cutting blade is moved with the sensor. The material is stretched to straighten the cut-line, and the cutting blade is caused to cut the material. The apparatus includes feed rolls to move the material, and an encoder measures the length. A roller at one edge of the material detects the change in thickness at one edge, and similar rollers detect the change in thickness at the opposite edge.

Abstract: A safety net for use with a lavatory to catch small items inadvertently dropped into the lavatory. The safety net includes a piece of net material sized to extend completely across the lavatory bowl in both directions and to allow the net material to conform somewhat to the bowl. Rather rigid end pieces are fixed to the net material to hold the net in place. The end pieces may be hinged to allow the safety net to be folded.

Abstract: The side edges of a web of cloth are hemmed as the web moves from a supply along its length to a cutting station. The free end portion of the web of cloth is cut across its length with V-shaped notches cut at its side edges to form angled corners on the cut lengths of cloth. The cut lengths of cloth are moved through a U-shaped path with the cut ends extending along the path, and a connecting thread is attached to the cut lengths of cloth adjacent their cut ends and extends between adjacent lengths of cloth so as to connect together the cut lengths of cloth as they move sequentially through folding and sewing apparatus. The connecting thread extending between the adjacent cut lengths of cloth allows a preceding length to pull and guide a subsequent length through a hem folding device.