Partial cut shearing device

A method for partially shearing material into lengths, comprising the steps of:

• driving a pair of movable blades, each having opposed ends, towards a lower blade fixed in a base with scissors-like action, one end of each of said movable blades being pivotally attached to said base and the other ends being free to rotate relative to said base, the free ends of said pair of movable blades being connected together by a link having first and second ends slidably disposed in respective slots in said pair of mobile blades, said link simultaneously rotating said pair of blades toward said base when said link is moved toward said base;
• moving said link toward said base until opposite side edges of said material are simultaneously engaged by respective ones of said pairs of blades;
• cutting said material inward from both sides by continuing to move said pair of movable blades toward said base for a limited distance to leave an inner uncut portion of material having a width which corresponds to said limited distance;
• urging said movable blades against said lower blade so as to maintain minimal clearance therebetween when the material is being cut, one end of each of said movable blades being pivotally attached to said base by biasing means for urging the movable blades against said lower blade;
• intermittently step-feeding the material into cutting position on said base between the movable blades and fixed blade to partially cut the sheet of material into a plurality of joined lengths;
• and
• breaking the uncut portion to separate the lengths of material, after the material has been treated in a further treatment step.