Abstract: A web of towel material having pile sections separated by narrow transverse strips of unpiled or plain cloth is fed onto an input table 4 of a cutting and hemming machine beneath a row of individually controlled drive rollers 5. When a plain transverse strip arrives in the area of a hinged table section 6 beneath a transverse bridge 2, its reduced thickness is detected by sensors 21 which individually disengage and brake an associated drive roller 5, to thereby stop the web with the strip accurately transversely aligned in the machine. The sensors and hinged table section are then swung out of the way, and a carriage 3 travel mounted on the bridge 2 is moved across the table.