Abstract: A press die for piercing operation comprises an upper die movable toward and away from a lower die. When the upper die is moved toward the lower die, a pad interposed between the two dies is forced against the lower die to hold a workpiece sheet against the lower die. The pad has a hole in which a tubular elastic member is fitted. The elastic member has a hole for passing a punch having a projecting tip. The lower die has a hollow bore which is in confrontation with the projecting tip. When the upper die is moved toward the lower die on which the workpiece is laid, the pad holds the workpiece and the upper die drives the punch so that the projecting tip of the punch pierces the workpiece by being driven into the hollow bore. The elastic member is deformable and allows the punch to shift laterally so that the projecting tip and the hollow bore are in accurate coaxial alignment.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting labels or other material in a program-controlled plotter comprising a blade affixed in a shaft which, in turn, is rotably held in a shell which can be mounted in a plotter. Advantageously, the blade is mounted so that the cutting point is not on axis with the center line, but trails slightly so that when the direction of travel is changed, the blade rotates to adjust to the new cutting direction.

Abstract: The cutting wheel (40) is rotatably guided in a cutting carrier (50), and under the force of a spring acting axially against the cutting rail (50) so that the cutting wheel (40) is pivotable out of a neutral starting position plane parallel to the cutting rail (50), by an angle (.alpha..sub.max) corresponding to the maximum admissible cutting angle between cutting wheel (40) and cutting rail (50). Depending on the force (F.sub.F) of a spring (46), the cutting resistance (F.sub.W), and the frictional force between cutting wheel (40) and cutting rail (50), the cutting wheel (40) adjusts itself automatically to the respective cutting angle (.alpha..sub.s). The pivoting range for the cutting wheel (40) extends in both directions, so that the cutting device acts in both directions of movement of the cutting carrier (26).

Abstract: A knife assembly for shearing angle stock has a square, plate-like, floating cutter provided with a pair of opposed, flat, parallel faces, presenting four, stock-engaging corners each having two pairs of cutting edges, permitting eight "settings" used successively as wear, breakage or dulling may require. Four rigid stops and a pair of floating abutments are provided so that during use, regardless of which of two directions the knife tends to rotate when engaging the stock, it is firmly backed up within a cutter-receiving recess formed in a shiftable cutter support.

Abstract: A knife cutter for the angular profiles includes a plate, generally triangular in shape, the posterior surface of which has a prismatic projection corresponding to one of the sides thereof. The side and the prismatic projection are arched in order to adjust in a complementary recess made for such purpose in the front surface of the knife bearing plate. The other two sides of the knife or the cutting edges thereof form a dihedral and are parallel to the cutting edges of a counter-knife.

Abstract: A cutting knife used to trim the leads of electrical components which extend through a printed circuit board during manufacture of the board. The knife is made up of a plurality of adjacent knife sections separately resiliently biased against the underside of the board and freely pivotally and tiltably movable over a limited range.

Abstract: A sheet cake cutter is effective to cut a sheet cake disposed in a pan having a surrounding rim. The cutter has a frame supporting a conveyor belt for horizontal advancement and on which the sheet cake pan is concurrently advanced. On a transverse shaft mounted for rotation on the frame are preferably arranged at least a pair of cutter discs having edge notches therein. The cutter discs are disposed in registry with a predetermined space between them. The discs are set just to touch the bottom of the pan and with the edge notches spaced to interengage the rim. The cutter discs can be frictionally driven or shaft driven though a single-cycle clutch from the conveyor drive. The clutch is manually or automatically actuated to engage the drive by a pan on the conveyor and in position for interengagement of the notches and the pan rim. There is a hold-down roller disposed in the space between cutter discs and set at a height just above the sheet cake in the pan.