Tire component cutter apparatus and method of cutting

An apparatus for cutting an elastomeric strip of sealant material having an organoperoxide component that results in a depolymerization of a major portion of the strip during vulcanization to create or form a very tacky sealant material capable of filling nail puncture holes to prevent air loss in a tire comprises:

• a frame assembly;
• a motorized feed conveyor mounted onto the frame for advancing the strip;
• a cutter assembly mounted on the frame assembly including a guillotine cutter blade oriented to move along a skive angled cutting path at a skive angle of 45 degrees or less;
• a second conveyor means for supporting the strip to rest directly on a plurality of one way directional rollers, each of the rollers being rotatable about an axis only in a single one way directional rotational movement which provide a frictional resistance to reverse movement of the strip, the second conveyor means being on a downstream side of the cutter assembly relative to the direction of advance;
• a motor connected to drive the feed conveyor in an advancing direction and a reverse tensioning direction;
• a heater attached to the cutter blade;
• a temperature sensor;
• a controller configured to control and maintain the blade temperature at a temperature between 190 degrees and 210 degrees F. using the heater and temperature sensor;
• and
• wherein the cutter is heated and positioned between the second conveyor means and feed conveyor to cut the strip after a tension is applied to the strip by a reverse motion of the feed conveyor while resisting reverse movement of the strip as cutting occurs, the heated guillotine cutting blade cutting through the thickness of the strip on a skive angle of 45 degrees or less to form a cut to length strip of material thereby relaxing the tension in the strip as the skive cut ends of the strip move apart.