The present invention relates to a method to remove an adhesive label (22) from a bobbin (28), the bobbin including an end portion (24) and an outer surface (25), the method including: providing a bobbin of a coiled sheet closed by an adhesive label positioned on top of the end portion of the coiled sheet (26) to attach the same to the outer surface of the bobbin; locating the adhesive label; applying a sucking force to the location of the adhesive label so as to detach the adhesive label and the end portion of the coiled sheet from the bobbin; and cutting a part of the detached end portion including the adhesive label from the bobbin. The present invention also relates to an apparatus to detach an adhesive label from an end portion of a coiled sheet in a bobbin, the adhesive label being located between the end portion and an outer surface of the bobbin.

The apparatus (10) for processing a continuous band of wrapping material (40) comprises a roller pair (20, 30) defining a roller gap (12) there between, wherein the rollers (20, 30) have matching convex and concave shapes, respectively. The invention is also directed to a corresponding method for treatment of wrapping material (40).

An apparatus adapted to examine a paper web includes a rotatable first bobbin, a rotatable second bobbin, and a first testing device. The first bobbin has a paper we wound thereabout that has transverse bands spaced apart along a length thereof. The second bobbin is arranged to receive the paper web from the first bobbin with a paper web path defined between the first and second bobbins. The first testing device is disposed along the paper web path and is arranged to nondestructively measure a diffusivity of one of the transverse bands of the paper web.

The apparatus and method for splicing substantially flat continuous material comprises a transport unit for transporting a first substantially flat continuous material and a second substantially flat continuous material to a splicing location. The transport unit is adapted to transport the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material parallel to each other forming an overlap portion of the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material in the splicing location. A pressure unit is arranged in the splicing location. The pressure unit is adapted to apply a mechanical impact onto at least a part of the overlap portion of the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material, thereby at least partially merging the first substantially flat continuous material with the second substantially flat continuous material.

The invention relates to a homogenized tobacco sheet production line comprising: A tank (501) adapted to contain a slurry formed by a tobacco powder blend, a binder and an aerosol former in an aqueous medium; A cast apparatus (600) adapted to receive slurry from the tank and to cast the slurry so as to form a homogenized tobacco material; A movable transporting support (606) on which said slurry is casted and adapted to transport the homogenized tobacco material along a transport direction; A slitter (611) located downstream the cast apparatus adapted to slit the homogenized tobacco material along the transport direction so as to form portioned homogenized tobacco sheets; and A winding station (613) located downstream the slitter adapted to receive the portioned homogenized tobacco sheets from the slitter and to wind at least one of the portioned homogenized tobacco sheets in a bobbin. It also relates to a method for inline production of a homogenized tobacco sheet.

The invention relates to a method for winding a sheet (13) of homogenized tobacco material into a bobbin (12), the method comprising: providing a sheet of homogenized tobacco material having a free end (11); connecting the free end to a center core; rotating the center core so as to wind the sheet of homogenized tobacco material around it forming the bobbin; and applying a force per unit length to the sheet of homogenized tobacco material during winding to pull the same having a magnitude comprised between about 42 N/m and about 93 N/m.

The apparatus and method for splicing substantially flat continuous material (10) comprises a transport unit (1) for transporting a first substantially flat continuous material (70) and a second substantially flat continuous material (71) to a splicing location. The transport unit is adapted to transport the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material parallel to each other forming an overlap portion of the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material in the splicing location. A pressure unit (3) is arranged in the splicing location. The pressure unit is adapted to apply a mechanical impact onto at least a part of the overlap portion of the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material, thereby at least partially merging the first substantially flat continuous material with the second substantially flat continuous material.

The invention relates to an apparatus (100) and a method to fetch an end portion of a sheet (40) of material wound in a bobbin (152), the apparatus including: a rotatable bobbin holder (150) adapted to be inserted in a bobbin; an articulated arm (180); a suction device (110) having a contact surface (124) including a first portion (130) capable of exerting a first suction power and a second portion (132) capable of exerting a second suction power different from zero, wherein the first suction power is higher than the second suction power, the suction device being attached to the articulated arm; and a control unit (190), adapted to command a movement of the articulated arm so that the first portion of the contact surface of the suction device contacts the bobbin. The invention also relates to a method to fetch an end portion of a sheet of material wound in a bobbin.

The invention relates to a method to unwind a sheet of material wound in a bobbin, the method comprising: providing a bobbin of a coiled sheet, the bobbin defining an outer surface and comprising a free portion of the sheet unwound from the bobbin; arranging a compressing element on the outer surface of the bobbin, so as to define a contact line, the contact line being the line separating the free portion of the sheet from the rest of the bobbin; pressing by means of the compressing element the outer surface of the coiled sheet at the contact line with a force comprised between about (4) Newton and about (16) Newton; and unwinding the sheet from the bobbin pulling the sheet in the unwinding direction.

The invention relates to a method to cast a sheet (2) of a material containing alkaloids, the method comprising: Providing a container (6) having an aperture; providing a casting blade (9); Providing a movable support (3) running below the aperture of the container (6); Filling the container (6) with slurry (5); Casting the sheet (2) of tobacco material containing alkaloids material by means of the casting blade (9) onto the movable support (3); Sensing variations in a height of the movable support (3); and changing a height of the casting blade (9) if such variations in the height of the movable support (3) are present.