Cutting apparatus for potting material with hollow fibers embedded therein

An improved apparatus for cutting potting material with hollow fibers embedded therein, said apparatus including a cutting blade and a rotatable chassis for carrying said blade, said material being cut in such a manner that said cutting blade is rotated relative to said material, said cutting blade comprising a straight blade having a straight cutting edge, said improvement comprising:

• (a) said cutting edge defined by a first blade surface to be positioned at an angle with a predetermined cutting plane of said material and a second blade surface to be positioned at a larger angle with said cutting plane of said material than that of said first blade surface;
• and
• (b) means carried by said rotatable chassis for supporting said material as the latter is being cut by said blade, said supporting means mounted to and extending outwardly from said chassis so that said material does not contact the chassis,
• wherein on the relative rotation of said straight blade said first blade surface is so disposed as to be withdrawn from said cutting plane of said material toward said second blade surface without substantially contacting with said cutting plane, thereby achieving an extremely smooth planar cut of the potting material and hollow fibers.