Abstract: An installation comprised of a weaving or knitting machine and a packeting apparatus forms a flat textile body that can be cut along its central plane into two symmetrical pile carpets. In the installation the body is formed by severing a woven or knitted band of material having at least one edge section and floating web threads. A severing mechanism cuts the band into segments which are then transferred and stacked adjacent to one another in a magazine while a tensioning device maintains a nearly uniform tension on the band between the weaving or knitting machine and the magazine. Several additional mechanisms are provided to adhesively or thermally join the band segments together along the edge sections.