Floating gang rotary slitting device and method

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for slitting sheet material. The apparatus includes a first arbor shaft for mounting and rotatably driving a first rotary cutter. The first cutter is comprised of at least one rotary knife element having two opposite side faces, and the first arbor shaft is constructed to allow axially movement of the knife element along the first arbor shaft. A second arbor shaft mounts and rotatably drives a second rotary cutter. The second rotary cutter is comprised of at least one rotary knife element which has two opposite side faces and is movable axially along the second arbor shaft. The second arbor shaft is also selectively movable radially with respect to the first arbor shaft to provide a selected intermeshing overlap region between the first cutter knife element and the second cutter knife element. A resilient force means resiliently urges the first cutter knife element axially along the first arbor shaft to contact the second cutter knife, thereby providing a selected contact pressure and a substantially zero clearance between each pair of intermeshing faces of the first and second cutter knife elements at the overlap region. Drive means selectively rotate the first and second arbor shafts.