Abstract: A rotary veneer clipper has a pair of cutting blades spaced 180.degree. apart on a rotary clipper shaft for cutting cooperation with a roller anvil below and parallel to the clipper shaft and over which sheet material passes. The clipper shaft rotates intermittently on signal to cause one of its blades to clip the sheet. The clipper shaft is driven by a pair of pneumatic drive cylinders mounted one to each of two crank arms connected to a common drive shaft. The cylinders stroke once simultaneously to rotate the drive shaft alternately in opposite directions through 90.degree. upon each successive clip signal. When the drive shaft rotates in one direction, a first gear train transmits power from the drive shaft through a first one-way clutch to the clipper shaft to rotate one of the blades downwardly and through 180.degree. to clip the sheet.