Apparatus and method for cutting web

A method of cutting web from a take-up core, using a rotary cutter positionable adjacent the take-up core, the rotary cutter including a rotatable cutter drum having therein a stationary gas suction chamber, respective stationary gas inlet and outlet discharge chambers at upstream and downstream sides of said suction chamber in a direction of rotation of the cutter drum, and a knife mounted to an outer periphery of the cutter drum, wherein a periphery of the cutter drum comprises first gas jet holes positioned upstream of the knife in the direction of rotation of the cutter drum and second gas jet holes upstream of the first gas jet holes in the direction of rotation of the cutter drum, the method comprising the sequential steps of:

• winding a web to be cut on the cutter drum;
• rotating the cutter drum to a standby position such that the second gas jet holes of the cutter drum communicate with at least one of the web inlet and outlet gas discharge chambers and discharging a gas from said at least one web inlet and outlet gas discharge chambers through said second gas jet holes, while the cutter drum is in the standby position;
• rotating the cutter drum to a cutting state in which the knife cuts the web from the take-up core without the knife forcedly contacting the take-up core, wherein some of the first gas jet holes of the cutter drum communicate with the web inlet side gas discharge chamber while discharging a gas from said inlet side gas discharge chamber, and wherein others of the first gas jet holes communicate with the gas suction chamber while generating a suction in said gas suction chamber;
• and
• continuing to rotate the cutter drum to a post-cutting stage wherein the first gas jet holes of the cutter drum are communicated with the web outlet side gas discharge.