Abstract: A method and an apparatus for sectioning a specimen (9) by whereas the apparatus is a microtome. The microtome has at least one optical and one additional sensor (35-37) used for generating signals, the value of which is a measure of the sectioning function. At least one essential sectioning parameter, such as the clearance angle of the knife and/or the sectioning speed, is varied. On the basis of the signal values received, the sectioning parameters concerned are set for optimising the sectioning function. The optical sensor (37) senses greyness and/or surface structure of the sections produced. The other sensors are used e.g. for sensing sound (sensor 35) dependent on the sectioning force or work, or stresses in the knife of the microtome (sensor 36) that are dependent on the sectioning force or work.

Abstract: A method for producing a glass knife, in which a flat glass plate (511) is divided by breaking along a divising line (23) scratched on said plate. The plate is placed on two lower supporting pins (9, 10), positioned by the use of means (7, 8) cooperating with the side edge surfaces of the glass plate, and is fixed by means of two upper supporting pins (17, 18) which are made to engage the upper face of said plate. Each pair of supporting pins has a line of symmetry perpendicular to the line of symmetry of the other pair, one line of symmetry coinciding with the dividing plane. Before the glass plate is broken by moving the supporting pins towards one another, the positioning means (7,8) are, at least partially, disengaged from the glass plate, such that essentially only the forces deriving from the supporting pins act upon the glass plate during the breaking thereof.