Apparatus (100; 200) for making straws comprising a support structure (60; 600) defining an internal volume and carrying a feeding station (30; 300) configured to feed a strip (1a) or at least one discrete sheet (1b) of paper material, and a forming station (10; 101) with a conveyor (13; 130) comprising a base (15; 150), a first side wall (16; 160) and a second side wall (17; 170) converging with each other. The conveyor is configured to receive the strip in a substantially flat form at an infeed portion and wind it around a winding axis to define a cylindrical body (5) made of paper material, wherein the strip edges (2, 3) are facing each other and overlapping to define a mutually overlapping portion (4). The apparatus further comprises a winding body (11; 110) passing through a passage opening (14; 140) of the conveyor, and a constraining station (20; 201) configured to join the strip edges to define a straw.

The present invention concerns a method of splicing two sealing strips and a sealing strip formed by the method. The sealing strip is placed at longitudinal edges of a packaging material web, used for packaging containers for liquid foods. The sealing strips to be spliced are cut each forming an oblique edge of about 45, as seen in plan view. The oblique edges are then placed one on top of the other forming an overlapping area. The overlapping area is in the form of an oblique band having a length of about 3 mm. The ends of the sealing strips are then fused together by heating both from one side at the overlapping area.

Apparatus (10) for automatically producing tubular elements (100) to make smoking articles and/or products for food use, comprising at least one forming unit (12) configured to form the tubular elements (100) starting from shaped flat sheets (101). The forming unit (12) comprises one or more forming devices (29) which are moved by movement means (30) along a work path (PL) closed in a loop, in order to form the tubular elements (100).

The invention relates to a sleeve for receiving a filling product, wherein the sleeve has a proximal end comprising a proximal abutting edge, and a distal end comprising a distal abutting edge, and a sleeve wall extending between the proximal end and the distal end and delimiting a receiving space for the filling product, wherein the sleeve wall comprises an inner side facing the receiving space and an outer side facing away from the receiving space and wherein the sleeve is produced from a material comprising fibers. The invention is characterized in that at least one abutting edge of the sleeve is covered by a material portion resting against the sleeve wherein, in a region adjoining the abutting edge, the material portion covering the abutting edge rests against both the inner side and the outer side of the sleeve wall.