A method of reducing label waste that employs a stand-alone or printer attached apparatus for cleanly and efficiently cutting a web of media or tag stock into individual units. The apparatus used by the method may cut vinyl, plastic, or RFID stock material in both back and forth directions without sacrificing cut quality, and preferably comprises a housing, a carriage assembly and a movable cutter assembly. The cutter assembly comprises a cutting element such as a wheel blade, and a pressure adjusting element for adjusting the amount of pressure applied by the cutting element to the stock material. Alternatively, the cutter assembly may be manufactured with a predetermined pressure load, but still permit an operator to adjust the depth of cut. The method involves using the cutting apparatus to make a series of cuts as the label material is incrementally advanced through the cutting apparatus.

A housing contains a rotating drum formed by a plurality of tubular canisters. The cannisters hold rolls of paper. A fixed longitudinal cutting base and a corresponding blade track supported by two pivoting arms are positioned on one side of the housing. A blade carriage slidingly engages the longitudinal blade track with a sliding ratcheting lock mechanism. The ratcheting lock is connected to a blade in the blade carriage which locks in place when the blade is extended through a slit in the blade track. The canisters are formed by cylindrical tubes having a rectangular openings extending along their longitudinal lengths, stationary first end caps, sliding second end caps, and sliding tensioners engaged to the canister between the first end cap and the second end cap.

A cutting device and a method are provided for cutting a tire component. The cutting device includes a counter member and a cutting disc that is movable in a cutting direction over a cutting stroke along said counter member for cutting the tire component in cooperation with said counter member. The cutting disc, at an end of the cutting stroke, is movable in a lifting direction from a cutting position at the counter member into a standby position away from the counter member. The cutting disc, in said standby position, is movable in a return direction opposite to the cutting direction over a return stroke. The cutting device further includes a braking member that is fixed in the lifting direction at the standby position for braking the rotation of the cutting disc when said cutting disc is in the standby position.

A cutting device and a method are provided for cutting a tire component. The cutting device includes a counter member and a cutting disc that is movable in a cutting direction over a cutting stroke along said counter member for cutting the tire component in cooperation with said counter member. The cutting disc, at an end of the cutting stroke, is movable in a lifting direction from a cutting position at the counter member into a standby position away from the counter member. The cutting disc, in said standby position, is movable in a return direction opposite to the cutting direction over a return stroke. The cutting device further includes a braking member that is fixed in the lifting direction at the standby position for braking the rotation of the cutting disc when said cutting disc is in the standby position.

An optical fiber cutting system includes a pair of clamps disposed at an interval in a longitudinal direction of an optical fiber and that grasps the optical fiber; a disk-shaped blade member that passes between the pair of clamps, causes an outer circumferential edge to come into contact with the optical fiber, and scratches a surface of the optical fiber, where a position of the outer circumferential edge which is to be in contact with the optical fiber is changeable; a pressing member that press-bends a scratched portion of the optical fiber and cuts the optical fiber, and an acquirer that acquires position information of the outer circumferential edge which is to be in contact with the optical fiber.

An optical fiber cutting system includes a pair of clamps disposed at an interval in a longitudinal direction of an optical fiber and that grasps the optical fiber; a disk-shaped blade member that passes between the pair of clamps, causes an outer circumferential edge to come into contact with the optical fiber, and scratches a surface of the optical fiber, where a position of the outer circumferential edge which is to be in contact with the optical fiber is changeable; a pressing member that press-bends a scratched portion of the optical fiber and cuts the optical fiber, and an acquirer that acquires position information of the outer circumferential edge which is to be in contact with the optical fiber.

An insulation cutter for a liner application machine in an assembly line and method of operation that cuts an insulative thermal blanket by stopping the liner application machine momentarily to allow for a rotary cutter to traverse the width of the belt (and the width of the thermal insulation blanket) and potentially return back to its original position. The machine is then restarted and allowed to continue to feed.

An insulation cutter for a liner application machine in an assembly line and method of operation that cuts an insulative thermal blanket by stopping the liner application machine momentarily to allow for a rotary cutter to traverse the width of the belt (and the width of the thermal insulation blanket) and potentially return back to its original position. The machine is then restarted and allowed to continue to feed.

An image forming device performs image formation on a medium selected by a computer. When a cutting device is unusable, a long sheet-type medium accommodated in a first medium container is unusable. However, a conveyance passage used for conveying a short sheet-type medium is usable in at least one of a first state where the cutting device is unusable or a second state where the sheet-type medium is unable to pass through the cutting device. A necessary condition to make both the long sheet-type medium and the short sheet-type medium selectable includes the detector detecting neither the first status nor the second status. A necessary condition to make the long sheet-type medium unselectable and make the short sheet-type medium selectable includes the detector detecting one of the first status and the second status.

The problem of penetrating through nets and other objects is solved by cutting the object using various cutter systems, which include, for example a track and a moving carriage containing a cutter, a stationary carriage with a fixed or rotating arm, and/or abrasive cutters. The object is cut by a severing, slicing, or wearing action caused by a moveable blade or abrasive surface. An underwater vehicle incorporating an embodiment of the cutter system can cut a sufficiently large opening in the object to allow the vehicle to pass through.