Knife assembly for tape laying machine

Claim 1

A knife assembly for a tape laying machine utilizing composite tape carried on a backing tape, comprising: a base; a tape platen affixed to said base, having a surface for supporting tape movement in a first direction; a knife slide, movable on said base in a second direction, coordinate to said first direction; means for moving said knife slide in said second direction; a spindle, rotatably supported in said knife slide, having its rotary axis normal to said first and second direction; a knife support, axially movable in said spindle in a direction parallel to said normal rotary axis; an elongate knife member, carried in said knife support; means for rearwardly biasing said knife support away from said platen; means for forwardly biasing said knife support to position said knife member a predetermined distance from said tape platen; a knife edge on said knife member, substantially parallel to a plane formed by said first and second directions; a tape presser member carried by said slide; and yieldable means for biasing said tape presser member toward said platen wherein said knife edge is orientable to the resultant direction of said tape movement and knife slide movement, and wherein said tape presser member will snugly press against the composite tape, holding it to the platen while accommodating variations in tape thickness, and wherein said knife member may completely sever the composite tape without severing the backing tape.