Independent, off-line device for the cutting of a roll of paper into sheets

A device for cutting a roll of paper into sheets, comprising:

• an independent, self-contained, portable frame, suspension device on said frame for rotatably supporting a roll of paper, a motor mounted on said frame, an output shaft, an adjustable speed governor drivingly coupling said motor and output shaft, an unrolling means pivotably mounted on said frame for engaging the roll of paper and driven from said output shaft for driving the roll in rotation, rotatable feed rollers on said frame driven by said output shaft for feeding the free end of the paper web from the roll, a first guide means on said frame for passage of the web thereon, a second guide means on said frame located downstream of the first guide means, a rotatable knife located between said first and second guide means for cutting said web, a plurality of different diameter sprockets each corresponding to a given length of cut sheets of paper, said sprockets being drivingly coupled to said rotatable knife, each for rotating the knife at at a speed according to the length to which the sheets of paper are to be cut, a chain driven from said output shaft and selectively led over one of said sprockets to drive the knife, and means for synchronizing the drive of the chain with the unrolling means.