Abstract:
A material cutting device for cutting material using blade-cut dies includes a base plate adapted to support a blade-cut die thereon and a carriage movably mounted on the base plate. A press roller is rotatably mounted on the carriage, the press roller having a center longitudinal axis and being positioned above the base plate generally parallel therewith. A track device such as a rack is mounted on the base plate, and a track follower devicesuch as a rack-engaging gear is mounted on the carriage which is operative to engage said track device thereby guiding movement of the carriage on the base plate. A drive device is mounted on one of the base plate and the carriage, the drive device operative to move the carriage along the track device. A die cover is operative to cover a blade-cut die supported on said the plate. The press roller, the carriage and the drive device cooperate such that the drive device propels the carriage along the track device, the press roller engaging the die cover above a blade-cut die thereby forcing the die cover into contact with a blade-cut die supported on the base plate whereby material to be cut sandwiched between the die cover and a blade-cut die is cut in a shape designated by the blade-cut die.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to material cutting apparati and, more particularly, to a material cutting device for cutting materials such as paper, fabric, sponge and rubber using blade-cut dies which includes a base plate on which is movably mounted a carriage having a press roller, the carriage moving on the base plate such that the press roller engages a die cover plate placed over the paper placed on a blade-cut die on the base plate, thereby pressing the cover onto the blade-cut die and cutting a desired design out of the material. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     There is much demand for machines which are capable of cutting shapes and designs, such as letters, numbers, or other such designs, out of various materials such as construction-type papers, fabrics, sponges, rubber and other materials. This demand arises generally from two major markets, the educational market, such as schools and pre-schools, and the craft and hobby market. The uses for such devices in the educational market are obvious, and include the cutting out of large numbers and letters from construction paper for use in classroom decorations to facilitate the teaching of those letters and numbers. The craft market also has similar needs, but expands the uses of a material cutting machine to other types of designs which are used in the making of craft arts and the like. 
     Various machines are presently used in the market for the cutting of such design and shapes, including units manufactured by Accucut and Ellison. These devices generally fulfill the intended purpose of cutting paper with a blade-cut die, but they each include inherent deficiencies. For example, the Ellison device requires the user to press the paper onto the blade-cut die by means of a long lever which can require substantial force to move the press device downwards. This can present a danger in that the lever, when released, may spring back upward due to the force that is being exerted by the die and paper, which may result in the lever impacting a person or object causing damage thereto. The Accucut device, on the other hand, uses a stationary press roller which, when rotated, causes a blade-cut die movably supported on a tray to travel thereunder. As the die passes under the roller, the paper is pressed down onto the blade-cut die thus cutting the design on the paper. In use, the Accucut device often causes slippage of the blade-cut die under the press roller resulting in corruption of the design being cut out of the material. This renders the cut-out shape unusable resulting in waste of that sheet. Moreover, both the Ellison and Accucut machines are limited in the number of sheets of material which may be cut at the same time, thus causing a user of the machines to have to use the machine several times to cut the amounts of paper that would be needed in a classroom setting or the like. There is therefore a need for a material cutting device which addresses and solves at least some of the problems presented in using the machines presently available in the market. 
     Briefly, a standard blade-cut die is constructed as having a wooden rectangular base block approximately three-quarters of an inch thick into which are secured a plurality of razor blades extending vertically upwards from the upper surface of the wooden block. The razor blades are arranged to form a design such as a letter, number or other such shape with the cutting edge of each razor blade at the upper edge thereof. Surrounding the razor blades and extending slightly (one-sixteenth inch) above the cutting surface of each razor blade is a block of foam rubber which prevents a user of the blade-cut die from accidentally cutting him or herself when handling the blade-cut die. The foam rubber deforms downwards when pressure is applied thereto, thus exposing the cutting surface of the razor blades and cutting the appropriate design from the material placed onto the blade-cut die. Of course, other designs of dies are currently available but the present description applies to the most common type of blade-cut die used in the educational and craft fields. 
     There are numerous other types of pressing and cutting devices which are found in the prior art. These include such devices as Bartesaghi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,4057, Treff, U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,949, and Turner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,446,201. None of these devices, however, disclose a device for quickly and efficiently cutting multiple sheets of material such as paper into shapes and designs as designated by a blade-cut die. 
     It is vitally important that any material cutting device designed for use in the educational or craft markets be designed in such a way as to prevent, as much as possible, accidental injury arising from use of the device. Many of the die cutting presses currently available on the market include dangerous “pinch-points” which are places on the machine into which a finger or other body part could be drawn and damaged. There is therefore a further need for a paper cutting device which includes heightened safety measures to prevent incidental injuries from the use of the device. 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved paper cutting device. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper cutting device including a base plate for supporting a blade-cut die thereon, a carriage having a press roller, the carriage moveably mounted on the base plate, a drive device for propelling the carriage along the base plate and a die cover device such as a urethane sheet which covers the paper placed on the blade-cut die so that the press roller and carriage may move over the cover thus pressing the paper onto the blade-cut die and cutting the appropriate design out of the paper. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper cutting device which includes numerous safety measures to prevent the digits of a user from being drawn into “pinch-points” which could cause damage to those digits. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper cutting device which includes a rack and gear system for precisely guiding the carriage along the base plate thereby insuring consistently excellent results in the cutting of materials by the machine. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper cutting method which provides a machine as that described above, placing the material to be cut onto the upper surface of the blade-cut die positioned on the base plate, covering the material to be cut with the die cover, and moving the carriage and press roller over the die cover, thereby pressing the die cover down onto the paper and blade-cut die. The blades of the blade-cut die cut into and through the paper, thereby cutting out the desired design from the material being cut. 
     Finally, an objection of the present invention is to provide a paper cutting device which is relatively simple to manufacture and is safe, efficient, and durable in use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a material cutting device for cutting material using blade-cut dies which includes a base plate having opposite sides and opposite ends, the base plate adapted to support a blade-cut die thereon, and a carriage moveably mounted on the base plate. The carriage further includes a press roller rotatably mounted on the carriage, the press roller having a center longitudinal axis and being positioned above the base plate with the center longitudinal axis thereof generally parallel with the base plate. A track device such as a rack is mounted on the base plate with a track follower device such as a gear mounted on the carriage, the track follower device operative to engage the track device thereby guiding movement of the carriage on the base plate. A drive device such as a manual crank or electric motor is mounted on one of the base plate or the carriage and is operative to move the carriage along the track. Further included is a die cover which is operative to cover a blade-cut die supported on the base plate. The press roller, carriage and drive device cooperate such that the drive device propels the carriage along the track with the press roller engaging the die cover above the blade-cut die thereby forcing the die cover into contact with the blade-cut die supported on the base plate. The paper or other material to be cut is sandwiched between the blade-cut die and die cover and when the die cover is pressed into contact with the blade-cut die, the material sandwiched therebetween is cut into the appropriate shape as determined by the shape of the razor blades of the blade-cut die. 
     The method of cutting material as set forth in the present invention includes the step of providing a material cutting device substantially as described above, placing the material to be cut on top of the blade-cut die supported on the base plate and then placing the die cover over the material to be cut, thereby sandwiching the material between the die cover and the blade-cut die. The drive device is then engaged which causes the carriage to be propelled along the base plate thus bringing the press roller into contact with the die cover. As the press roller travels over the die cover, the die cover is pressed into contact with the blades of the blade-cut die. Of course, because the material to be cut is sandwiched between the blade-cut die and die cover, the blades of the blade-cut die extend through the material to be cut thereby cutting the material into the desired design shape as determined by the blade-cut die. The cut material may then be removed from the device and the device may be used to cut again. 
     As thus described, the material cutting device and method of the present invention clearly provides a novel and efficient device and method for cutting materials such as paper, fabric, etc. Because the press roller moves over the blade-cut die, the blade-cut die remains stationary on the base plate, thereby ensuring consistently accurate cutting of material. Furthermore, the rack on the base plate and the gear on the carriage intermesh to insure accurate and steady advancement of the press roller over the blade-cut die, thus preventing unacceptable cutting of material. Also, because the press roller moves over the blade-cut die, it has been found that large paper quantities (in excess of ten sheets) may be quickly and accurately cut by the present invention, a feature not found in any device known in the prior art. It is thus seen that the present invention provides a substantial improvement over those devices found in the prior art. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the material cutting device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the present invention taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1 showing the manual drive embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the present invention showing the motor-driven embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side detail elevational view of the present invention taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1 showing the relative positioning of the various elements of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial detail side elevational view of the present invention showing the press roller engaging the die cover thereby pressing the die cover down onto the blade-cut die and cutting paper sandwiched between the die cover and blade-cut die; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the material cutting device of the present invention showing the paper after it has been cut. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The material cutting device  10  of the present invention is best shown in FIGS. 1-5 as including a base plate  12  which is mounted on four upright legs  14   a,    14   b,    14   c  and  14   d.  In the preferred embodiment, base plate  12  is constructed of a sturdy metal, preferably brushed aluminum for structural strength and weight reduction, and legs  14   a-d  would preferably be constructed of similar material. Base plate  12  is shown as a generally rectangular plate in FIG. 1, but it is to be understood that the precise shape of base plate  12  is not critical to the present invention so long as the functional aspects of the present invention are maintained. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, however, the general dimensions of the base plate  12  would be approximately 20″ in length, 13″ in width, and a thickness of approximately five-eighths (⅝) inches. Each of the legs  14   a-d  would preferably have a height of approximately six inches, although these dimensions and other dimensions set forth in the following description are generally not critical to functionality of the invention, unless otherwise stated. 
     As shown best in FIGS. 1 and 4, mounted on the top surface  16  of base plate  12  are die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b  which are preferably constructed of material similar to that used in the construction of base plate  12  and are approximately one inch in height. Die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b  also preferably extend across the width of base plate  12 , although it is not critical that they do so. Die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b  serve two main purposes, the first being to provide a positioning means for a blade-cut die  100  so that the user of the material cutting device  10  is aware of where to position the blade-cut die  100  on the base plate  12 . The blade-cut die  100  would thus placed between the die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b . The second important function of the die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b  is to serve as a releasable pivotal securement point for the die cover  30 , the mounting of which will be discussed in more detail later in this description. 
     Mounted on the underside  18  of base plate  12  are a pair of toothed racks  22   a  and  22   b  which extend generally parallel with one another and generally parallel with the opposite sides  17   a  and  17   b  of base plate  12 . In the preferred embodiment, the toothed racks  22   a  and  22   b  would be positioned adjacent the side edges  17   a  and  17   b  of the base plate  12 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and would preferably be constructed of a high tensile strength metal or the like. The toothed racks  22   a  and  22   b  would each have a length of approximately 18 inches and a width of approximately ¼″ and would thus extend within one to two inches of the opposite edge  19   a  and  19   b  of base plate  12 . 
     A carriage  40  is movably mounted on base plate  12  as best shown in FIGS. 1-4, the carriage  40  including opposite upright side plates  42   a  and  42   b  which are connected to one another in a fixed spaced-apart position by a plurality of spacer rods  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  and  44   d.  It is preferred that the distance between side plates  42   a  and  42   b  be slightly greater than the width of base plate  12  and, therefore, the spacer rods  44   a-d  should be approximately one-quarter inch longer than the width of base plate  12 . It is further preferred that side plates  42   a  and  42   b  be constructed of high tensile strength steel or brushed aluminum to provide added durability to the material cutting device  10  of the present invention. Side plates  42   a  and  42   b  would preferably have heights of approximately six (6) inches, widths of approximately three (3) to five (5) inches and thicknesses of approximately one-half to three-quarters of an inch. 
     The side plates  42   a  and  42   b  of carriage  40  are rollerably supported on base plate  12  by one or more rollers  46  mounted on the inside faces of side plates  42   a  and  42   b  and extending inwardly therefrom as best shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 . The rollers  46  may be of any suitable design, but it is preferred that the rollers be constructed of durable metal or another such durable substance to increase the usable life span of the rollers  46 . The rollers  46  act to support the carriage  40  on the base plate  12  and allow for movement of carriage  40  generally parallel with the side edges  17   a  and  17   b  of base plate  12 . 
     A press roller  48  is rotatably mounted on and extends between side plates  42   a  and  42   b  as shown in FIGS. 1-3 and  5 . Press roller  48  is preferably constructed as including an inner shaft  72  having a radius of approximately 0.5″ which is rotatably mounted to the side plates  42   a  and  42   b  by ball bearings or the like. Rotatably mounted on inner shaft  72  are two or more roller bearing rings  74 , shown best in FIG.  2 . The roller bearing rings  74  are mounted such that the inner surfaces of the bearings rollably rest on the outer surface of the inner shaft  72  and the outer surfaces of the bearings rotatably support press tube  76 . Press tube  76  is preferably a hollow tube having an inner radius of approximately 1 inch and an outer diameter of approximately 1.25″ and is preferably constructed of an extremely rigid and durable material such as hardened steel. The press tube  76  is thus rotatably supported on the inner shaft  72  and is not connected to the side plates  42   a  and  42   b . Throughout this description, the above-described combination of the inner shaft  72 , roller bearings  74  and press tube  76  will be referred to as a unit, the “press roller  48 ,” to simplify the following description. The axis of rotation of the press roller  48  is generally parallel with the plane of base plate  12  and generally perpendicular to the axis of travel of carriage  40 . 
     Rotatably mounted on and extending between side plates  42   a  and  42   b  are a pair of restrictor rollers  50   a  and  50   b , shown best in FIG. 4, which extend underneath base plate  12  and are designed to prevent upward movement of carriage  40  when press roller  48  engages die cover  30  as will be described later in this description. In the preferred embodiment, restrictor rollers  50   a  and  50   b  are constructed as solid metal rods having radii of approximately 0.5 inches, the restrictor rollers  50   a  and  50   b  being mounted on ball bearings (not shown) which are mounted in side plates  42   a  and  42   b . 
     The vertical distance between restrictor rollers  50   a  and  50   b  and rollers  46  is not especially critical to the invention, as rollers  46  are designed solely to permit carriage  40  to travel smoothly over base plate  12  when the press roller  48  is not engaging the die cover  30 . However, the vertical distance between restrictor rollers  50   a  and  50   b  and press roller  48  is critical to the invention, as it is this distance that will determine the height of press roller  48  above base plate  12  when press roller  48  engages die cover  30 . In the preferred embodiment, the vertical distance between restrictor rollers  50   a  and  50   b  and press roller  48  is measured between the outer diameter of the rollers  50   a  and  50   b  and press tube  76 , and can best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. This distance is approximately 1.65″, although the exact distance is determined by the height of the blade-cut die  100  such that the press roller  48 , when passing over the blade-cut die  100 , forces the blade-cut die  100  to cut material placed thereon. 
     Carriage  40  also includes a drive mechanism  52  which, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, consists of a manual crank device  54 . Manual crank device  54  includes a crank arm  56  having a handle  58  which is mounted on and extends generally perpendicular from a vertically mounted crank shaft  60  which is turn is rotatably supported by a support structure  62  extending outwards from side plate  42   a  of carriage  40 . The exact size and shape of the support structure  62  is not critical to the present invention so long as crankshaft  60  is rotatably supported. Mounted on the lower end of crankshaft  60  is a beveled gear  64  which intermeshes with a second beveled gear  66  as shown in FIG.  2 . Second beveled gear  66  is mounted on a rotatably mounted shaft  68 . Mounted on the inside end of shaft  68  is an upright toothed gear wheel  70  which intermeshes with the drive gear  80   a  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. FIG. 2 best shows how the drive gear  80   a  is mounted on draft shaft  82  which extends between and is rotatably mounted on side plates  42   a  and  42   b . Mounted on the opposite end of draft shaft  82  is a second drive gear  80   b,  drive gears  80   a  and  80   b  operative to engage toothed racks  22   a  and  22   b  as shown best in FIG.  4 . 
     When crank arm  56  is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, crankshaft  60  is likewise rotated thus causing beveled gear  64  to rotate and, therefore, cause rotation of second beveled gear  66 . In the preferred embodiment, the relative sizes of the beveled gears  64  and  66  are such that there is both a translation and a reduction of the force applied to the crank arm  56  so that rotation of the crank arm  56  results in substantially increased torque being applied to the toothed gear wheel  70 , as very large amounts of force are needed to move the press roller  48  over die cover  30 . Rotation of second beveled gear  66  is transmitted by shaft  68  to upright gear wheel  70  which, in rotating, causing drive gear  80   a  to rotate. As drive gear  80   a  is rigidly mounted on drive shaft  82 , rotation of drive gear  80   a  results in equal rotation of drive gear  80   b.  As the drive gears  80   a  and  80   b  engage toothed racks  22   a  and  22   b , rotation of the drive shaft  82  and drive gears  80   a  and  80   b  forces movement of carriage  40  along base plate  12 . An important aspect of this design is that the engagement of drive gears  80   a  and  80   b  with toothed racks  22   a  and  22   b  results in precise lateral movement of carriage  40  along base plate  12 , thereby rendering consistently excellent results in the cutting of material by the material cutting device  10 . 
     FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the manual crank device  54  has been replaced by a motorized drive device  90  which, in the preferred embodiment, would include a high torque electric motor  92  such as that manufactured by Oriental Motor. A motor providing 80 in/oz of torque has been found to be sufficient to allow proper operation of the material cutting device  10  but it may be preferable to provide a substantially stronger motor having upwards of 170 in/oz of torque. As is well know in the art of electric motors, power for the electric motor may be provided by battery means or by connection to an electrical outlet and, further, that the electric motor  92  would include an on/off means such as a switch. These features are not shown in the drawings of the present invention as the exact nature of the on/off switch and/or power supply for the electric motor  92  is not critical to the present invention. The drive shaft  94  of the electric motor  92  would extend into a gear box  96  in which a series of reduction gears  98  would act to slow the rotation output of the gear box  96  and increase the torque output. The reduction gears  98  are connected finally to one of the drive gears  80   b  as was previously described in connection with manual crank device  54 . It is preferred that electric motor  92  be reversible so that the carriage  40  may be propelled in both directions as shown in FIG.  4 . Regardless of which drive mechanism  52  is used with the present invention, however, the drive gears  80   a  and  80   b  and drive shaft  82  combine with toothed racks  22   a  and  22   b  to precisely propel carriage  40  along base plate  12 . Of course, other appropriate track and track engaging devices may be substituted for the toothed racks  22   a  and  22   b  and drive gears  80   a  and  80   b  of the present invention so long as the functionality of the invention is not degraded. 
     The material cutting device  10  of the present invention cuts paper in the following manner. While the following description is directed to the cutting of paper, many different materials may be cut in the same manner, including fabric, sponge, rubber, plastic and wood. A blade-cut die  100  is placed between die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b  on base plate  12  as shown in FIGS. 2-4. The blade-cut die  100  includes a wooden base  102  upwards from which extend a plurality of razor blades  104  which form a desired design. Foam rubber  106  mounted atop wood base  102  of blade-cut die  100  encases razor blades  104  and prevents accidental injury from contact with razor blades  104 . Once the blade-cut die  100  is placed between die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b , one or more sheets of paper  108  are placed on top of the foam rubber  106  of blade-cut die  100  as shown in FIG.  4 . The die cover  30  is then pivoted over the paper  108  and blade-cut die  100  so that die cover  30  rests on top of paper  108  thereby sandwiching paper  108  between die cover  30  and blade-cut die  100 . 
     The mounting for die cover  30  is shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3 and shows how die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b  each further include a sloped channel  32  which ends in a receiving pocket  34 . A rod  36  is mounted to the underside of die cover  30  and has a length slightly greater than the distance between the inside surfaces of the die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b  such that the ends of rod  36  extend into die retention walls  20   a  and  20   b . The ends of rod  36  may thus be slid into sloped channel  32  and upwards into retention pocket  34 , where the end of rod  36  is releasably secured therein by a leaf spring  38  or the like. The die cover  30  is thus pivotably and removably mounted on base plate  12  as shown in FIGS. 1-4. 
     Once the blade-cut die  100 , paper  108  and die cover  30  are in place, the carriage  40  begins to move along base plate  12  by engagement of the drive mechanism  52 . Upon reaching the die cover  30 , the press roller  48  engages the die cover  30  and begins to roll over the die cover  30 . The restrictor rollers  50   a  and  50   b  on the underside of base plate  12  prevent upward movement of the carriage  40  and thus the press roller  48  remains in a precise vertical position where the die cover  30  is engaged to press down on to the paper  108 . FIG. 5 shows the paper cutting process in action where the press roller  48  is engaging the die cover  30  pressing the die cover  30  downwards. In turn, the paper  108  is forced downwards compressing the foam rubber  106  and exposing the razor blades  104  which proceed to cut through the paper  108 . To insure proper cutting of the paper  108  it is preferred that die cover  30  be pressed downwards sufficiently such that the razor blades  104  extends slightly into die cover  30  as shown in FIG.  5 . For this reason, die cover  30  is preferably constructed of a urethane rubber compound which has memory, meaning that the indentations and/or cuts which are formed in the die cover  30  as a result of the razor blades  104  being inserted thereinto will eventually reseal to a great extent thus increasing the useable life span of the die cover  30 . Also, it is preferred that die cover  30  have approximate dimensions of 13″ by 12″, although it is to be understood that the die cover  30  of the present invention may be smaller or larger depending on the blade-cut die  100  to be covered. In fact, it is not necessary for the die cover  30  to be mounted on the paper cutting machine  10  at all, as the die cover  30  could be used as a separate plate of material which is simple placed over the paper  108  and blade-cut die  108 . 
     As the press roller  48  continues to move across the die cover  30 , the paper  108  is cut by the razor blades  104  in the design in which the blades are arranged. Also, as the rod  36  is held within the retention pocket  34  by leaf spring  38 , the die cover  30  may move downwards due to the press roller  48  contacting it, thus preventing interference of the rod with the cutting process and ensuring accuracy in the cutting of the paper  108 . Once the press roller  48  is moved entirely across the die cover  30  by movement of carriage  40 , the drive mechanism  52  is reversed and the carriage  40  returns to its initial position as shown in FIG.  4 . The die cover  30  is then opened and the paper  108  may be removed. The paper  108  has now been cut into the desired shapes as determined by the razor blades  104  on the blade-cut die  100 , as shown in FIG.  6 . 
     While the above description pertains to the cutting of material, it has been found that the present invention may also be used to emboss material. Material which has been embossed includes raised or depressed designs formed in the material, thus adding three-dimensional depth to the previously two-dimensional material. The embossing process of the present invention would substitute a design to be embossed for the blade-cut die  100  previously discussed. The design to be embossed would be raised above the surrounding mold approximately ⅛″ to ¼″ and as the press roller  48  travels over the design, the paper or other such material placed over the design is pressed down onto the raised design. The imprint of the design is transferred to the material and the material is thus embossed. 
     The present invention has been described as being designed for use in the craft and educational markets, but it is to be understood that by modifying the dimensions of the present invention and making other small modifications, the present invention would also have numerous industrial uses. For example, such uses might include the cutting out of gaskets from rubber, the cutting of shaped sponges for certain industrial uses, and the cutting of plastics into desired shapes for various commercial uses. The method of cutting such materials would be substantially the same as was previously described in connection with the cutting of paper, but some modifications may be necessary and/or desirable to streamline the process. The general material cutting device design would remain similar, however. 
     One other feature of the present invention should be presented, namely that the material cutting apparatus  10  as shown in the Figures would preferably further include a set of protective covers (not shown) which would act to prevent users of the apparatus from having their extremities “pinched” by contact with the moving elements of the machine. These covers will be of various design, but will enclose at a minimum the carriage  40  and drive mechanism  52 . 
     It is to be understood that numerous modifications, additions and substitutions may be made to the material cutting device  10  of the present invention which fall within the intended broad scope of the appended claims. For example, the construction materials and dimension set forth in the preceding description may be modified or changed so long as the functionality of the invention is not affected. Furthermore, so long as the precise height of the press roller  48  above base plate  12  is maintained the specific mechanism for moving the press roller  48  across die cover  30  is not critical and may, of course, be different from that disclosed above. Also, several blade-cut dies may be used underneath the die cover  30  of the present invention at the same time and the cutting process would remain substantially the same. There has thus been shown and described a material cutting device which accomplishes at least all of the stated objectives.