Abstract: A cutting plant for cutting blanks out of a starting strip comprises a cutting deck, which has a top surface to which a vacuum is applied, a cutting carriage, which is movable over the top surface and is provided with a cutting tool that is adjustable to cut to a defined depth. The plant also comprises a dispenser rotatably mounting a supply roll of the starting strip to be dispensed onto the top surface and a take-up device rotatably mounting a take-up roll. To permit an efficient cutting operation, the dispenser comprises a brake for braking the starting strip between the supply roll and the cutting deck and the take-up device has a drive for intermittently driving the take-up roll under the control of a measuring device for measuring the length of processed material which is to be taken up.

Abstract: Transfer tables are selectively provided at opposite ends of one of several stationary work tables, and an automatic controller is programmed to cause a gantry to spread sheet material from a roll on one transfer table onto the work table and a cross carriage on the gantry has a label applicator to apply labels to predetermined areas of the sheet material during return movement of the gantry onto the one transfer table. Another transfer table has a conventional cutter which is programmed to cut the sheet material after it is so spread, and labeled, following which cutting step the cutter head and its carriage can be returned to said another transfer table. Both of these transfer tables can be moved on tracks from these positions adjacent the ends of the said work table to other work tables.