Method and apparatus for size reduction

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PIECES OF PREDETERMINED SIZE FROM A WORK PIECE COMPRISING A TOOTHED CUTTING TOOL, EACH TOOTH OF WHICH ONE HAS STRAIGHT CUTTING EDGE OF LENGTH CORRESPONDING WITH THE LENGTH OF THE FIBRES TO BE PRODUCED, A WORK TABLE FOR SUPPORTING WORK TO BE CUT BY THE CUTTING TOOL BY MOVEMENT OF THE TOOL RELATIVE TO THE WORK OVER A CUTTING PATH, MEANS FOR CYCLING THE TOOL RELATIVE TO THE WORK FROM AN INITIAL POSITION SPACED FROM THE WORK ALONG THE CUTTING PATH THROUGH THE WORK TO FORM A CUT THEREIN BY CUTTING ENGAGEMENT OF THE CUTTING TOOL TEETH AND THE WORK, EACH SUCCESSIVE TOOTH BEING OPERATIVE TO CUT ONE OF SAID PIECES AND A RETURN PASS DURING WHICH THE TOOL IS RETURNED TO SAID INITIAL POSITION, WORK MANIPULATING MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE WORK TOWARD THE CUTTING PATH A DISTANCE CORRESPONDING TO THE EXTENT OF SAID CUT TO DISPOSE MATERIAL OF THE WORK PIECE WHICH WAS LAID BARE BY THE PRECEDING CUT IN THE CUTTING PATH FOR CUTTING THEREOF, ACTUATING MEANS FOR THE WORK MANIPULATING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A POSITION OF THE CUTTING TOOL IN THE CYCLE THEREOF AND EFFECTIVE TO ACTUATE THE WORK MANIPULATING MEANS INTERMITTENTLY AND DURING THE RETURN PASS, WHEREBY FOR EACH CUTTING PASS OF THE TOOL AND EDGE PORTION OF THE WORK CAN BE DISPOSED IN THE CUTTING PATH FOR CUTTING DURING THE CUTTING PASS AND PARTICLES OF RELATIVELY SMALL SIZE CAN BE CUT FROM THE WORK.