Patent ID: 7150216

Claim:
A sawdust-free cutting apparatus comprising: a frame, a guide mounted to said frame for guiding a workpiece along a feed path having a cutting zone, at least one circular blade mounted in said cutting zone and driven in rotation about an axis transversal to said feed path, said circular blade having a toothless circumferential cutting edge, a source of power driving said circular blade about said axis, and a feeder advancing the workpiece to be cut through said cutting zone at a linear speed substantially equal to a tangential speed at said toothless circumferential cutting edge of said circular blade, wherein said at least one circular blade tapers on each blade side around the toothless circumferential cutting edge, thereby providing a V-shaped cutting edge with two opposed slanted sides; and wherein said guide includes a lateral guiding surface provided along one side of said feed path and having a straight face opposing one said slanted side of the cutting edge of the at least one blade, said guide including a roller mounted on one side of said feed path and biased in rolling engagement with a side of the workpiece while the workpiece is advanced along said feed path, said roller being rotatably mounted on a pivot plate, said pivot plate being pivotally mounted for pivotal movement about an axis normal to a support surface of said frame, said roller being maintained in contact with the workpiece by a piston and cylinder arrangement, said piston and cylinder arrangement including a piston pivotally connected to said pivot plate, the piston being linearly slidable in a cylinder pivotally connected to a base plate to which said pivot plate is mounted.