Splicing method and unit for a packaging machine, whereby a first film is spliced to a second film which is a spare film. The splicing is performed by means of an adhesive element with two opposing adhesive surfaces, one for each film, and a longitudinal adhering element. First an adhesive surface is adhered to the adhering element and said adhering element moves so that the other adhesive surface comes into contact with the second film and adheres to it. Then the adhering element is separated from said second film, the adhesive element being adhered to said second film, and the first film is caused to come into contact with said adhesive element already adhered to the second film.

A system and control method are provided for determining an amount of a product dispensed from or added to a product formation. At defined intervals, a mark is projected with a light source imager onto an aspect of the product formation that changes as the amount of product is depleted or added to the product formation. A digital image is taken of the aspect of the product formation that captures the projected mark and is transmitted to a digital imager processor, wherein a feature of the projected mark is analyzed that changes as the product formation decreases or increases in size as the product is dispensed or added. The analyzed feature is compared with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the product formation to determine an actual amount of the product on the product formation, or amount of product depleted from or added to the product formation.

A system and control method are provided for determining an amount of a product dispensed from or added to a product formation. At defined intervals, a mark is projected with a light source imager onto an aspect of the product formation that changes as the amount of product is depleted or added to the product formation. A digital image is taken of the aspect of the product formation that captures the projected mark and is transmitted to a digital imager processor, wherein a feature of the projected mark is analyzed that changes as the product formation decreases or increases in size as the product is dispensed or added. The analyzed feature is compared with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the product formation to determine an actual amount of the product on the product formation, or amount of product depleted from or added to the product formation.

A method of estimating a volume of a remaining fluidum in a non-translucent recipient having an opening which area is wider than or equal to the area of a bottom of the recipient. The method includes taking a picture of the opening at the top side of the recipient by with camera, deriving from the picture characteristics of a first and second number of pixels representing a visible part of the recipient and a visible part of the fluidum in the recipient, respectively, requesting from a user an identification of the recipient, matching the identification with a stored identification in order to retrieve reference data about an empty recipient, and estimating a volume of the remaining fluidum in the recipient by means of the retrieved reference data and a ratio of the characteristics of the first number of pixels and the characteristics of the second number of pixels.

A method of estimating a volume of a remaining fluidum in a non-translucent recipient having an opening which area is wider than or equal to the area of a bottom of the recipient. The method includes taking a picture of the opening at the top side of the recipient by with camera, deriving from the picture characteristics of a first and second number of pixels representing a visible part of the recipient and a visible part of the fluidum in the recipient, respectively, requesting from a user an identification of the recipient, matching the identification with a stored identification in order to retrieve reference data about an empty recipient, and estimating a volume of the remaining fluidum in the recipient by means of the retrieved reference data and a ratio of the characteristics of the first number of pixels and the characteristics of the second number of pixels.

According to an embodiment, a printer includes a drop portion that catches, in a case where a diameter of a roll of paper stored in a holder becomes small, the roll of paper that falls from the holder. The printer further includes a plurality of support rollers that are arranged so as to sandwich an inlet of the drop portion and rotatably support the roll of paper PR stored in the holder. At least one of the plurality of support rollers is a short-width roller whose width in an axial direction of a shaft is shorter than a paper width of the roll of paper PR, and a void is provided at a non-shaft arrangement part provided at an extension portion of the short-width roller in the axial direction.

According to an embodiment, a printer includes a drop portion that catches, in a case where a diameter of a roll of paper stored in a holder becomes small, the roll of paper that falls from the holder. The printer further includes a plurality of support rollers that are arranged so as to sandwich an inlet of the drop portion and rotatably support the roll of paper PR stored in the holder. At least one of the plurality of support rollers is a short-width roller whose width in an axial direction of a shaft is shorter than a paper width of the roll of paper PR, and a void is provided at a non-shaft arrangement part provided at an extension portion of the short-width roller in the axial direction.

The machine comprises an unwinding section (3) for unwinding parent reels (Ba, Bb) of web material (Na, Nb), and at least one unwinding station (15). A winding device (41, 53) is arranged in the unwinding station, and a longitudinal strip (S) of web material is fed to it and a respective spool (B) of web material is formed in it. A control unit (70) is also provided, configured to control the winding speed of the longitudinal strip (S) in the winding station (15), so as to perform an acceleration cycle to accelerate the winding of the longitudinal strip (S), comprising at least one step of gradually increasing the feeding speed (Vp) of the longitudinal strip (S), wherein the feeding speed is linked to the diameter of the spool (B).

A paper sheet storage device includes a supply reel that supplies a rolled tape; a winding drum around which a banknote is wound together with the tape supplied from the supply reel; a first detection unit that detects a supply amount of the tape supplied from the supply reel; and a second detection unit that detects the winding drum of which the outer diameter becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined outer diameter when the banknote is wound around the winding drum together with the tape.

A paper sheet storage device includes a supply reel that supplies a rolled tape; a winding drum around which a banknote is wound together with the tape supplied from the supply reel; a first detection unit that detects a supply amount of the tape supplied from the supply reel; and a second detection unit that detects the winding drum of which the outer diameter becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined outer diameter when the banknote is wound around the winding drum together with the tape.