Sheet material cutting apparatus

摘要

A cutting apparatus and an associated method for slitting a tobacco sheet material into cut pieces used to form smoking articles are provided. The cutting apparatus includes a rotatable cutter assembly having a drum member configured to rotate about an axis defined thereby. The cutter assembly includes a plurality of knife members disposed about the periphery of the drum member and extending radially therefrom. A fixed counter-knife assembly is disposed adjacent to the periphery of the drum member and is configured to interact with the rotatable cutter assembly during rotation thereof about the axis. The counter-knife assembly includes a ledger member having a plurality of cutting insert members removably engaged therewith. The cutting insert members are configured to interact with the knife members during rotation of the cutter assembly with respect to the counter-knife assembly so as to slit the tobacco sheet material received therebetween into cut pieces.

主权项

1. A cutting apparatus for slitting a tobacco sheet material into cut pieces used to form smoking articles, the cutting apparatus comprising:
a rotatable cutter assembly having a drum member configured to rotate about an axis defined thereby, and the rotatable cutter assembly having a plurality of knife members disposed about the periphery of the drum member and extending radially therefrom; and a fixed counter-knife assembly disposed adjacent to the periphery of the drum member and configured to interact with the rotatable cutter assembly during rotation thereof about the axis, the counter-knife assembly comprising a ledger member having a plurality of cutting insert members individually removably engaged therewith via a securing member, the cutting insert members being configured to interact with the knife members during rotation of the rotatable cutter assembly with respect to the counter-knife assembly so as to slit the tobacco sheet material received therebetween into cut pieces, wherein each of the cutting insert members includes a front side and an opposing back side, a plurality of cutting edges defined at the front side and the opposing back side, and an aperture extending along an axis from the front side to the opposing back side and configured to receive the securing member, each of the cutting insert members being configured to be reversed such that one of the front side and the opposing back side cooperates with the knife members, and being configured to be rotated about the axis defined by the aperture extending therethrough to rearrange the cutting edges cooperating with the knife members.