`
`1,
`
`(Withdrawn) A die responsive to a pressure applied thereto to cut a shape from a sheet
`
`material against which the die is pressed, said die comprising an inside openingthat corresponds
`
`to the shape to be cut from the sheet material, an outside border that surrounds said inside
`opening, and a cutting edge that projects from said outside borderto cut the shape from the sheet
`
`material, said cutting edge being located on said outer border such that said cutting edge
`
`surrounds the inside opening of said die, whereby none of said outside border extends past the
`
`cutting edge and none of said outside border lies between said cutting edge and said inside
`
`opening, so that said cutting edge is registered with the shape to be cut when said die is
`
`positioned on the sheet material and the outside borderof said die surroundsthe shape.
`
`2.
`
`(Withdrawn) The die recited in Claim 1, wherein the cutting edge which projects from
`
`the outside borderof said die is a cutting blade.
`
`3.
`
`(Withdrawn) The die recited in Claim 1, wherein said cutting edge is located on the
`
`outside border of said die so as to lie exactly at the periphery of the inside opening ofsaid die
`
`surrounded bysaid outside border, whereby said cutting edge exactly defines the shape to be cut
`
`from the sheet material.
`
`4,
`
`(Withdrawn) The die recited in Claim 1, wherein the cutting edge of said die is located
`
`at the interface of said inside opening with said outside border.
`
`SuppAmendAftrFnl. ELL-125
`
`
`
`5.
`
`(Withdrawn) The die recited in Claim 1, wherein the outside border of said die has a
`
`width of at least 2.5 mm.
`
`6.
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`7.
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`8.
`
`9.
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`10.
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`11.
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`12.
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`13.
`
`(Currently Amended) A method for cutting out, by meansofa first die, a shape that is
`
`printed on a sheet material, wherein the die includes an inside opening that correspondsto the
`
`shape to be cut from the sheet material, a flat outside border having first and opposite faces that
`
`surround said inside opening, and a cutting edge that projects from the first face of the flat
`
`outside border, such that said cutting edge surrounds the inside opening of said first die and
`
`corresponds exactly with the shape that is printed on the sheet material and none ofthe flat
`
`SuppAmendAftrFnl.ELL-125
`
`
`
`outside border of said die extends into the inside opening of said die past the interface of said
`
`cutting edge with thefirst face ofsaid flat outer border, said method comprising the stepsof:
`locating the shape printed on the sheet material to be cut therefrom;
`placing the cutting edge which projects from the first face of the flat outside border of
`
`said first die directly against the sheet material, and looking through the inside opening of said
`
`first die so that the shape printed on the sheet material is located entirely within the inside
`
`opening of said first die and the cutting edge which projects from the first face of said flat
`
`outside border is automatically registered so as to surround the shape to be cut from the sheet
`
`material; and
`
`positioning said first die and the sheet material having the shape to be cut therefrom
`
`within a roller press; and
`
`applying-aforce moving said first die_and said sheet material throughsaid roller press for —
`
`causing a force to be applied to the opposite face of the flat outside border ofsaid first die after
`
`said cutting edge has first been placed against the sheet material and said first die and said sheet
`
`material have been positioned in said roller press for pushing said cutting edge through said sheet
`
`material to cut the shape outwardly therefrom.
`
`14.
`
`(Cancelled)
`
`15.
`
`(Previously Presented)
`
`The methodrecited in Claim 13, comprising the additional
`
`step of formingsaid first die by chemically etching a flat piece of metal.
`
`SuppAmendAftrFnl.ELL-125
`
`
`
`16.
`
`(Previously Presented)
`
`The methodrecited in Claim 15, comprising the additional
`
`step of forming at least a second die by chemically etching the flat piece of metal, such that the
`
`second die is nested within and spaced from thefirst die so asto lie at the inside opening of said
`
`first die, wherebythe size of the inside opening ofsaidfirst die is larger than said seconddie.
`
`SuppAmendAftrFnl.ELL-125
`
`