selvage 11 leaves the second removal roller 23 almost vertically at a location substantially away from the gripping nip between the first and second removal rollers 19 and 23 that is at a distance corresponding to at least the radius of the second removal roller 23 as a result the waste selvage 11 leaves the second removal roller 23 along a path substantially spaced from the first removal roller 19 the shafts 20 and 24 lie in a common plane 35 that lies approximately at an angle u03b1 of 45 u00b0 to the horizontal and likewise the vertical because the waste selvage 11 runs while tensioned over almost the complete periphery of the first removal roller 19 before it arrives at the gripping nip between the rollers 19 23 the invention provides the advantage that the force with which the waste selvage 11 is tensioned and removed is distributed in the waste selvage over the periphery of the first removal roller up to the gripping nip as a result a comparatively large friction force can be transmitted to the waste selvage without slippage further contributing to the transmittable tension the removal rollers 19 23 preferably are driven in mutually opposite directions at equal peripheral speeds since the waste selvage is guided over a large angle of wrap on the periphery of the second removal roller 23 there is little danger of the waste selvage 11 winding around the first removal roller 19 consequently the danger of damage from such winding is very small.