and tape the components 66 leaving the second sewing machine 1 pass between the rollers 8 and 34 and since they are still connected sausage fashion to the remaining components by tape t help to draw the remaining components past the second sewing machine the components 66 and tape t then pass beneath the roller 52 where tension on the components and tape is maintained the tape t enters the groove 55 in the block 54 which guides the tape and components to the cutting device the leading edge 64 of the first components 66 then occludes one of the photo sensors 63 to effect a cutting action in which the tape projecting beyond the leading edge 64 of the sewn components is severed the severed tape and sewn components then proceed between the rollers 69 and 83 and when a selected photo sensor 63 is uncovered a second cut is effected to sever the tape at the trailing edge 65 of the sewn components 66 the scrap of tape in front of the leading edge 64 of the sewn components after passing between the rollers 69 and 83 drops through the slide 85 into a bin not shown the separated sewn components slide down the slide with their outer free edges on the ramp 30 and fall into a separate bin when the bins become full they are removed the components passing to further processing and the tape ends being discarded with reference to fig5 and 6 the use of a plurality of photo sensors 63 enables the cutting of tape t very close to the leading and trailing edges 64 and 65 respectively of sewn components 66 regardless of the shape or dimensions of such edges.