Cutting device for paper and foil webs, particularly for printers, plotters, copiers and similar machines

A cutting device having a generally planar cutting wheel (40) which is supported by a carrier (26), and wherein said carrier is movable in a linear direction (A and/or B) parallel to a linear cutting rail (50) over which material (28) to be cut is positioned, the imporvement comprising:

• a first shaft (38) extending in a direction perpendicular to said cutting rail when said carrier is not moving relative said cutting rail,
• means rotatably mounting said wheel on said first shaft, with the plane of said wheel perpendicular to said first shaft,
• said wheel mounting means including spring means operable to force bias (F.sub.F ') said wheel against said cutting rail, the plane of said wheel being parallel to said cutting rail when said carrier is not moving relative said cutting rail,
• means (56,58 or 56a,58a) including a second shaft (54) rotatably mounting said first shaft to said carrier, said second shaft extending in a direction which is perpendicular to both said first shaft and said cutting rail, such that said cutting rail, said first shaft and said second shaft extend in mutually perpendicular directions, and
• said last named mounting means including rotation limiting means which is operable to limit rotation of said second shaft to a maximum admissible angle (.alpha..sub.max) between the plane of said wheel and said cutting rail,
• whereby upon movement of said carrier to cut said material, the plane of said wheel forms a said permissible angle to said cutting rail, the magnitude of said angle being a function of the force of said spring means, the cutting resistance of said material and the frictional force between said wheel and said cutting rail.