Patent ID: 8453548

Claim:
An apparatus for cutting a blister card, the apparatus comprising: a blade; a guillotine head operatively coupled to the blade, the guillotine head being configured to move the blade through a range of motion that intersects a plane of a platform on which the blister card is positionable for cutting, wherein the blade is coupled to the guillotine head via a blade carriage comprising a shaft and a torsion spring, wherein the blade is mounted to the shaft and biased by the torsion spring to contact a cutting base, the cutting base including a channel defined by shoulder elements against which the blade makes slideable contact as the blade approaches the plane of the platform; and a card holder operatively coupled to the guillotine head to hold the blister card against the platform in advance of the blade being moved through the plane of the platform, wherein the blade is biased to maintain a surface of the blade in contact with the cutting base at least until the blade intersects the plane of the platform.