Paper rolls are wrapped with one or more layers of heavy wrapping paper to protect the surface of the outer layers of paper on the roll. The wrapped roll usually (but not always) includes "heads," namely, a disk of paperboard at each end of the roll, which must be removed by another process, manually or mechanically. The remaining wrapper is referred to as the "sleeve." For the purposes of this application the paper on the roll will be described as newsprint paper although the invention pertains to any roll protected by a wrapper. Various ways have been employed to cut the wrapper from the roll. One technique is for a workman to merely take a knife, press the blade inwardly against the outer surface of the wrapper at one end of the roll and slice through the wrapper from end to end on the roll. This technique can be injurious to the workman and frequently results in some of the newsprint paper being cut also. This newsprint paper is then wasted.
Another manual technique for cutting the wrapper is to start a blunt sloped knife under the outer wrapper and manually push the knife from one end of the roll to the other through the wrapper. This technique tends to be more certain of not cutting the newsprint but is time-consuming and if the workman is not careful the cutting tool can also engage the newsprint damaging the outer layers of newsprint paper.
Attempts have been made to automate the wrapper cutting procedure. Generally, these automated techniques have used a motor driven rotary cutting blade which is lowered onto the wrapper and moved from one end of the roll to the other. The rotary cutting blade tends to frequently cut through the wrapper, into the newsprint paper damaging the newsprint paper.
In automated handling of rolls it is desirable to not only save labor but reduce the waste caused by manual or powered cutting tools cutting into the newsprint paper. The saving of two or three wraps of newsprint paper often adds up to savings of tens of thousands of dollars in a single year. It is also desirable to put the heavy wrapper removed into a convenient form for handling and disposal. Disposal is typically by baling for recycling.