Web member cutting apparatus for cutting web member that has a plurality of fibers including tows and web member cutting method

A web-member cutting apparatus for cutting a web

• member along an intersecting direction,
• the web member having a plurality of fibers including tows along a predetermined direction and being continuous in the predetermined direction, the intersecting direction intersecting the predetermined direction, the web-member cutting apparatus comprising:
• a transport mechanism for transporting said web member to a cutting position,
• a disc-like rotatable blade member that cuts the web member by relatively moving in the intersecting direction with respect to the web member while rotating about a rotation shaft without the rotatable blade member engaging an opposing member,
• the rotation shaft extending along the predetermined direction,
• the rotatable blade member including a cutting edge on an outer circumferential edge portion thereof,
• a plurality of recess portions being formed on the cutting edge,
• the plurality of recess portions being arranged along a circumferential direction of the rotatable blade member,
• a mean value of lengths of the plurality of recess portions in the circumferential direction being smaller than a mean value of diameters of the tows contained in the web member.