Abstract: Apparatus for cutting a stack of layers of sheet material comprising a device for passing a laser beam or other suitable thermal cutting beam through the stack of material along a line of cut therein and means for preventing fusing of adjacent sheets at the line of cut. Such means can include spacers carried by the cutting head and interposed between adjacent sheets to maintain the sheets in spaced relation, or a spray device for spraying a cooling liquid onto the sheets at the line of cut or the presence of paper of similar combustible material, which does not liquefy, between adjacent sheets.

Abstract: To permit coating of wide area work surfaces, such as wide tapes, ribbons and the like, a vaporization substance is retained in an elongated trough, transverse to the direction of movement of the ribbon. Alongside the trough, the pole shoes of magnets are placed to provide a magnetic shield transverse to the longitudinal extent of the trough, and with respect to the direction of movement of the web to be coated. An electron beam is then impinged on the surface of the vaporization substance in the trough at an angle between zero and 90.degree., preferably between 30.degree. and 60.degree. and desirably in the order of about 45.degree. with respect to the direction of the magnetic field, so that the magnetic field and the electron beam will interact to deflect the electron beam to assume a spiral path which penetrates the surface of the vaporization substance.