Rotary cutter apparatus

A variable rotary cutter assembly for use in cutting a web material comprising, in combination,

• a generally cylindrical anvil cylinder,
• a generally cylindrical knife cylinder,
• frame means rotatably supporting said anvil and knife cylinders such that their longitudinal axes lie in a common plane and are spaced apart to enable a web material to pass between said anvil and knife cylinders during rotation thereof, and
• at least one cutter assembly mounted on the peripheral surface of said knife cylinder and including a first block member adapted to be mounted on said knife cylinder, a second block member mounted on said first block member for pivotal movement about a pivot axis parallel to the rotational axis of said knife cylinder, an elongated knife blade carried by said second block member in parallel spaced relation to said pivot axis and defining a cutting edge thereon, and means cooperatively with said first and second block members to bias said second block member pivotally outwardly from said first block member such that said cutting edge engages said anvil cylinder to effect a generally transverse cut through web material passing between said knife and anvil cylinders during rotation thereof.

A variable rotary cutter assembly for use in cutting a web material comprising, in combination,

• a generally cylindrical anvil cylinder,
• a generally cylindrical knife cylinder,
• frame means rotatably supporting said anvil and knife cylinders such that their longitudinal axes lie in a common plane and are spaced apart to enable the web material to pass therebetween during rotation of said anvil and knife cylinders,
• at least one cutter assembly mounted on the peripheral surface of said knife cylinder and including at least one knife blade defining a cutting edge generally parallel to the rotational axis of said knife cylinder, and
• anvil means mounted on said anvil cylinder for cooperation with said knife blade during rotation of said knife and anvil cylinders, said anvil means including a first block member supported on said anvil cylinder, a second block member mounted on said first block member for pivotal movement about a pivot axis parallel to the rotational axis of said anvil cylinder, an anvil block carried by said second block member for engagement with said knife blade during rotation of said knife and anvil cylinders, and means operative to resiliently bias said second block member generally radially outwardly from said first block member so as to resiliently engage said anvil block against said cutting edge to effect a generally transverse cut through web material passing between said knife and anvil cylinders during rotation thereof.

A cutter assembly for use in a rotary web cutter apparatus having rotatable anvil and knife cylinders supported in parallel spaced apart relation and between which a web material passes during generally transverse cutting or perforating thereof, said cutter assembly comprising a first block member adapted to be mounted on the periphery of the knife cylinder for rotation therewith, a second block member formed integral with said first block member and supporting an elongated knife blade thereon, said first and second block members being pivotally movable relative to each other about a pivot axis parallel to and spaced from said knife blade, said block members being made from a material operative to bias said second block member to a predetermined position relative to said first block member but enabling pivotal movement of said second block member toward said first block member when said cutter assembly is mounted on the knife cylinder and said knife blade engages the web material against the anvil cylinder, and means interconnecting said first and second block members in a manner to enable selective adjustment of said second block member relative to said first block member so as to effect a predetermined cutting force between said knife blade and the web without inhibiting said pivotal movement of said second block member toward said first block member when said knife blade engages the web material against the anvil cylinder during a web cutting operation.