Cutting assembly for rolled web materials

A cutting assembly in combination with a container for dispensing a web of material from a roll of the web, the roll having a longitudinal axis about which the web is wound, said container having a plurality of adjoining sidewalls extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and serially joined together at respective longitudinal edges of the sidewalls to form corners of the container, the sidewalls defining an external geometric profile of the container, a slot being defined in one of said sidewalls for leading the web out of an interior of the container through the slot, the cutting assembly comprising:

• a guide disposed within a sidewall of the container proximate one of the corners formed between adjoining sidewalls, the guide defining at least one guide surface, the guide further including a portion disposed against an outer side of the sidewall and defining a surface facing outwardly away from the interior of the container on which the web led out through the slot is laid for cutting of the web, the guide further comprising a strengthening member extending from said guide to said corner and engaging surfaces of said adjoining sidewalls to structurally reinforce said corner;
• and
• a cutter for traversing within said guide in a desired cutting direction, and defining at least one bearing surface,
• said guide and bearing surfaces cooperating to permit sliding motion therebetween in said cutting direction and interlocking to delimit motion of said cutter relative to said guide in directions orthogonal to said cutting direction,
• at least 50% of the cutting assembly being disposed internally of the external geometric profile of the container.