APPARATUS FOR USE IN LONGITUDINALLY SLITTING TRAVELLING WEBS INTO STRIPS

Apparatus for use in longitudinally slitting travelling webs into strips The invention provides apparatus for use in longitudinally slitting travelling webs into strips, comprising at least one bottom cutter carried by a shaft and axially movable relative to the shaft, the or each bottom cutter being in the form of a cutting box, and means for holding the or each bottom cutter in a desired axial position relative to the shaft, wherein at least one first groove is formed in the shaft, and the apparatus further comprises: at least one fitting member, the fitting member or each of the fitting members being movable with the bottom cutter or a respective one of the bottom cutters and being accommodated in the first groove or a respective one of the the first grooves; and needles, rollers or like bearing members accommodated in at least one flat cage, the flat cage or each flat cage being disposed between a radially inner surface of the fitting member or of a respective one of the fitting members and a base of the first groove or of a respective one the first grooves so that the bearing members touch the radially inner surface of the fitting member or of the respective fitting member and the base of the first groove or of the respective first groove and the or each flat cage being shorter than the fitting member or the respective fitting members by at least one groove division (i.e. the spacing between adjacent cutting edges) of the bottom cutter or of the respective bottom cutter in the axial direction of the shaft.