a material cutting machine includes a pair of cylindrical rollers through which a web of sheet material is passed , one roller being driven while the other is allowed to track with the sheet material so that it accurately measures the length of the material passing through the rollers . means are included for stopping the drive roller after a prescribed length of material has been measured by the measuring roller . after such stopping , a cut - off apparatus is made to reciprocate across the web to cut off a predetermined length of material .