Cutting and stretching device for a microtome

摘要

A cutting and stretching device (28) for a microtome (10), having a cutting knife (26) and a holding-down plate (30) which is provided for stretching a thin-section element and which is mounted so that it can be swivelled about a pivot (34), is described. The pivot (34) is provided with two end stops (42, 44). Rotatable in a restricted manner about the pivot (34) there is a restoring means (46) which has a spring element (56) interacting with an end stop (42), and a setting member (60), which interacts with the other end stop (44), for setting a defined gap (z) between the back (104) of the knife of the cutting knife (26) and the holding-down plate (30). When the holding-down plate (30) is swivelled towards the back (104) of the knife, the spring element (56) can be mechanically tensioned, by means of the one end stop (42), by at least a measure corresponding to the gap between the back (104) of the knife and the holding-down plate (30). After the holding-down plate (30) has been released by relaxing the spring element (56) while at the same time swivelling the holding-down plate (30) away from the back (104) of the knife by the gap set, the second end stop (44) automatically engages the setting member (60). In order to restrict the rotary movement of the restoring means (46), a connecting part (74) is provided between the restoring means (46) and a bearing element (38) (Figure 2). <IMAGE>