Knife and knife holder assembly

A knife and knife holder assembly for use in a machine for cutting sheet material, said assembly comprising:

• a knife holder having a lower end with a downwardly facing lower end face and a flat vertical side face intersecting said end face and extending upwardly therefrom,
• said knife holder having a vertically extending slot in said side face,
• a knife positioned in said slot and having a lower portion extending downwardly beyond said end face of said holder, said lower portion of said knife having a generally downwardly facing cutting edge including a tip point constituting the lowermost extremity of said knife,
• a guard and clamp member laterally overlying said knife and said vertical side face of said holder and having a generally downwardly facing shoe surface located vertically between said tip point of said knife and said downwardly facing lower end face of said holder for engaging the top surface of sheet material to be cut,
• adjustment means for adjusting the vertical position of said guard and clamp member relative to said holder to adjust the vertical amount by which said tip point is vertically spaced from said shoe surface, and
• connecting means for connecting said guard and clamp member to said holder and which connecting means is movable between a loosened condition, at which said member is free for vertical adjustment relative to said holder by said adjustment means and said knife is free for vertical sliding movement relative to said holder for removal from and replacement into said holder, and a tightened condition, at which said member is fixed to said holder and said knife is also fixed to said holder by being clamped between said guard and clamp member and said holder.