Abstract: A knife assembly for cutting an elongated web into belt loop strips for a belt loop sewing or tacker machine. The knife assembly has a blade configuration including a plurality of knife blades diverging in opposite directions along the feed path of the web. For each cutting operation, not only is the web of belt loop material severed to form a leading piece and a trailing portion, but the laterally opposite corner portions of the trailing end of the leading piece and the leading end of the trailing portion are trimmed, prior to the formation of a belt loop from each successive leading piece of belt loop material.

Abstract: An apparatus for securing a pair of elongated cooperative interlocking tapes to the corresponding edges of a pair of fabric pieces, for guiding the edge portions of the fabric pieces to an overlapping vertically aligned position, and for pulling and compressing the overlapping portions into interlocking engagement. The apparatus is particularly adaptable for stitching cooperative tapes of "Velcro" to the opposed edges of fabric pieces, such as the margins of an opening in an edge panel in a sofa cushion cover. The overlapping edges with their opposed tapes are compressed into interlocking relationship so that the edges may be retained closed when the fabric pieces are subsequently stitched to other fabric pieces to complete a sofa cushion cover.

Abstract: A belt loop sewing apparatus including a stitching machine having a stitching station and shiftable clamps for moving a belt loop in the stitching station between two stitching positions, and a loading apparatus. The loading apparatus includes a pair of turning finger members mounted at the end of a pair of longitudinally reciprocable turning rods adapted to receive and carry a belt loop strip from the loading position to the stitching station. The turning rods are mounted in a pair of spiral cam devices capable of causing the rods to rotate through approximately 270.degree. to turn the ends of the belt loop strip and deliver it to the stitching station, in a single, continuous operation.