A method of embossing individually light reflecting areas on a foil material, the method comprising feeding a foil material into a roller nip between a pair of rollers, wherein the pair of rollers comprises a motor roller and a counter roller, providing each of the motor roller and counter roller at least in a determined perimeter with a plurality of positive and negative projections on a checkered layout whereby positive and negative projections alternate in axial and radial directions. The method further comprises that the plurality of positive and negative projections of the counter roller seamlessly and gaplessly join with those corresponding negative and positive projections of the motor roller at the intended embossing of the foil material, hence enabling a homogeneously jointed embossed polyhedron shape in the foil, and shaping each positive and negative projection on the motor roller as an n-cornered polyhedron with a specific surface intended to produce on the embossed foil surface a corresponding individually light reflecting area, for each positive projection its specific surface corresponding to its top side, and for each negative projection its specific surface corresponding to its bottom side.

A device for embossing foils comprises a base embossing plate and a counter embossing plate, the surfaces of which facing one another are respectively at least partially planar for embossing a foil lying between them. The base embossing plate is provided with a plurality of embossing inserts for embossing a plurality of blanks to be punched out of the foil. Each embossing insert is held at the base embossing plate by means of an own embossing insert retainer so as to be movable a predetermined amount relative to the base embossing plate in the direction normal to the at least partially planar surface of the base embossing plate, is at the same time spring-borne relative to the base embossing plate by means of an own embossing insert suspension and is guided by means of an own embossing insert guide during the spring-borne movement relative to the base embossing plate.

An embossing device (1) includes an embossing area in which are arranged at least: a first embossing roller (5); a second embossing roller (7;9); a first pressure roller (11) co-acting with the first embossing roller; and a second pressure roller (15) co-acting with the second embossing roller. The embossing device further includes a storage unit (51) configured for containing spare embossing rollers (55, 57, 59), for replacing one or the other of the embossing rollers (5, 7) in the embossing area. The storage unit (51) develops substantially vertically, with mutually superposed seats (53) for receiving embossing rollers (55, 57, 59, 5, 7).

A tool-holder column for a unit for converting a flat substrate that has two upper bearings (14, 16) each for supporting one end of an upper rotary tool (10), and two lower bearings (15, 17) each for supporting one end of a lower rotary tool (11), the flat substrate being movable longitudinally between the upper rotary tool (10) and the lower rotary tool (11), the bearings (14, 15, 16, 17) being vertically movable in opposite directions on either side of the longitudinal direction (L) of movement of the flat substrate, and a common drive for the bearings (14, 15, 16, 17) allowing the bearings (14, 15, 16, 17) to be moved simultaneously by one and the same distance in opposite directions, and including a screw device (25), the bearings (14, 15, 16, 17) being mounted one above another on the screw device (25) such that the rotation of the screw device (25) causes the linear movement of the bearings (14, 15, 16, 17) in opposite directions.

A method of embossing individually light reflecting areas on a foil material, the method comprising feeding a foil material into a roller nip between a pair of rollers, wherein the pair of rollers comprises a motor roller and a counter roller, providing each of the motor roller and counter roller at least in a determined perimeter with a plurality of positive and negative projections on a checkered layout whereby positive and negative projections alternate in axial and radial directions. The method further comprises that the plurality of positive and negative projections of the counter roller seamlessly and gaplessly join with those corresponding negative and positive projections of the motor roller at the intended embossing of the foil material, hence enabling a homogeneously jointed embossed polyhedron shape in the foil, and shaping each positive and negative projection on the motor roller as an n-cornered polyhedron with a specific surface intended to produce on the embossed foil surface a corresponding individually light reflecting area, for each positive projection its specific surface corresponding to its top side, and for each negative projection its specific surface corresponding to its bottom side.

A bearing for holding a rotary conversion tool (10, 11) that includes two end rolling bearing devices (26, 28), at least one intermediate rolling bearing device (27) interposed between the end rolling bearing devices (26, 28), the end and intermediate rolling bearing devices (26, 27, 28) being intended to engage with an end (10a, 10b, 11a, 11b) of the rotary tool (10, 11), and at least one mechanical actuator (32, 33) configured to exert a radial preload force (Fo, Fo′) at the intermediate rolling bearing device (27).

The invention relates to an apparatus comprising a pair of rollers (2) with a nip and having respective axes thereof in a common plane therebetween, first and second roller mounting arrangements (8) at respective opposite ends of said pair (2), said arrangements having a hinging system (26, 30) at one side of said common plane and whereby one of the pair of rollers (2) can be turned relative to the other. The invention also relates to an associated method.

A method for embossing optically diffracting microstructures in a thin foil, such as used to pack at least one of the list comprising food, chocolate, chewing gum, gifts, jewellery, clothes, tobacco products, pharmaceutical products, the embossing being produced with an embossing rollers set-up comprising at least one cylindrical embossing roller and a cambered counter roller. The method comprises confining the at least one cylindrical embossing roller and the cambered counter roller in a single roller stand of relatively small outer dimensions designed to withstand a pressure for the at least one cylindrical embossing roller and the cambered counter roller; using on a surface of a first one of the at least one cylindrical embossing rollers at least one raised embossing element adapted for microstructure embossing, whereby one of the at least one raised embossing elements comprises a platform distant at a height in a range between 5 m and 30 m above a surrounding surface of the first cylindrical embossing roller adjacent to it, and a pattern engraved on top of the platform (5), whereby the pattern comprises the optically diffracting microstructures with periodicity of gratings in the range smaller than 30 m that produce from a diffuse or directed source of light in the visible wavelength range diffraction images with high contrast and high luminosity in a defined observation angle; and adjusting the pressure for the at least one cylindrical embossing roller on the thin foil in a range less than 80 bar relative to a platform area of approximately 100 mm.sup.2.

An embossing and lamination assembly including two pairs of steel/rubber rolls, between which respectively a first paper ply and a second paper ply are returned, wherein an upper steel embossing roll is coupled with an upper embossing rubber counter-roll and a lower steel embossing roll is coupled with a lower rubber embossing counter-roll, and also including a glue delivery assembly, in contact on a side of the upper steel embossing roll, and a coupling roll, in contact with the opposite side of the upper steel embossing roll, wherein the surface of the upper steel embossing roll and/or of the lower steel embossing roll is heated with a heating device directly associated therewith. A relative embossing and lamination method is also disclosed.

A device for micro-embossing paper includes at least one micro-embossing unit to micro-emboss a wet paper ply. The micro-embossing unit includes a micro-embossing cylinder and a counter cylinder facing the micro-embossing cylinder at an embossing area where the wet paper ply is subjected to micro-embossing, and a heater to dry the wet paper ply. The micro-embossing cylinder includes a side surface partially wrapped by the wet paper ply. The heater heats at least one portion of the side surface partially wrapped by the wet paper ply to dry the wet paper ply.