An apparatus for stripping fiber material from textile fiber bales has a tower, which can be moved to and fro in relation to the fiber material by means of a carriage having a travel motor or the like, and has at least one boom, which is provided with the stripping apparatus. The boom together with the stripping apparatus can be moved in the height direction of the tower by means of a lifting motor or the like. A movable distance sensor is provided for determination of the location in the length direction. In order to make possible, by simple means, an exact determination of location in the length and/or height direction, a movable distance sensor scans, for location determination in the length and/or height direction, the distances to a counterpart element and calculates from those distances the location.
