The apparatus for combining tobacco sheets (3, 4) comprises a first shaft for carrying a first bobbin (30) of tobacco sheet (3) and a second shaft for carrying a second bobbin (40) of tobacco sheet (4). The apparatus also comprises a splicing unit (2) for combining an end portion of tobacco sheet from the first bobbin (30) to a head portion of tobacco sheet from the second bobbin. The splicing unit comprises a cutting device (20) for cutting the tobacco sheets such as to provide complementary cuts to the tobacco sheets (3) from the first bobbin and from the second bobbin (4), a dispensing device (23) for dispensing water to at least one of the tobacco sheets (3, 4), and a combining device (24) for applying force onto the tobacco sheets thereby producing a spliced tobacco sheet.

The splicing device for splicing a trailing edge of a first web material to a leading edge of a second web material includes members defining a feed path of the web material. The device also includes a first cutting member and a second cutting member, cooperating with the first cutting member. One of the two cutting members is provided with a movement transverse to the feed path of the web material, to move the cutting member from an operating position, in which it is in front of the other cutting member, to an idle position, withdrawn with respect to the feed path of the web material.

A bag-making and packaging machine includes a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has a film roll holding unit that rotatably holds a first film roll, a film temporary placement member on which a vicinity of a leading end portion of a first film wound into the first film roll is manually temporarily placed when attaching the first film roll to the film roll holding unit, a leading end portion detection sensor configured to detect that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in a prescribed position, and a controller configured to control a rotating mechanism to convey the first film along a predetermined conveyance path until the leading end portion detection sensor detects that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in the prescribed position.

A bag-making and packaging machine has a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has holding mechanisms each having a shaft that holds a film roll, a holding mechanism support frame supporting the holding mechanisms, a moving mechanism that rotates the holding mechanism support frame to move each holding mechanism between a film roll setting position and a film supply position, a splicing mechanism splicing a trailing end portion of the film of the roll of one of the holding mechanisms and a leading end portion of the film of the roll of another one of the holding mechanisms, and a film drawing mechanism that rotates the shafts of the holding mechanisms to draw the film independently from the film rolls attached to the shafts of the holding mechanisms and changes the drawing speed of the film during bag-making and packaging.

The splicing device for splicing a trailing edge of a first web material to a leading edge of a second web material includes members defining a feed path of the web material. The device also includes a first cutting member and a second cutting member, cooperating with the first cutting member. One of the two cutting members is provided with a movement transverse to the feed path of the web material, to move the cutting member from an operating position, in which it is in front of the other cutting member, to an idle position, withdrawn with respect to the feed path of the web material.

A bag-making and packaging machine includes a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has a film roll holding unit that rotatably holds a first film roll, a film temporary placement member on which a vicinity of a leading end portion of a first film wound into the first film roll is manually temporarily placed when attaching the first film roll to the film roll holding unit, a leading end portion detection sensor configured to detect that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in a prescribed position, and a controller configured to control a rotating mechanism to convey the first film along a predetermined conveyance path until the leading end portion detection sensor detects that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in the prescribed position.

A bag-making and packaging machine has a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has holding mechanisms each having a shaft that holds a film roll, a holding mechanism support frame supporting the holding mechanisms, a moving mechanism that rotates the holding mechanism support frame to move each holding mechanism between a film roll setting position and a film supply position, a splicing mechanism splicing a trailing end portion of the film of the roll of one of the holding mechanisms and a leading end portion of the film of the roll of another one of the holding mechanisms, and a film drawing mechanism that rotates the shafts of the holding mechanisms to draw the film independently from the film rolls attached to the shafts of the holding mechanisms and changes the drawing speed of the film during bag-making and packaging.

The splicing device for splicing a trailing edge of a first web material to a leading edge of a second web material includes members defining a feed path of the web material. The device also includes a first cutting member and a second cutting member, cooperating with the first cutting member. One of the two cutting members is provided with a movement transverse to the feed path of the web material, to move the cutting member from an operating position, in which it is in front of the other cutting member, to an idle position, withdrawn with respect to the feed path of the web material.

The splicing device for splicing a trailing edge of a first web material to a leading edge of a second web material includes members defining a feed path of the web material. The device also includes a first cutting member and a second cutting member, cooperating with the first cutting member. One of the two cutting members is provided with a movement transverse to the feed path of the web material, to move the cutting member from an operating position, in which it is in front of the other cutting member, to an idle position, withdrawn with respect to the feed path of the web material.

Apparatus suitable for guaranteeing a quick and automatic change of materials wound on reels, said apparatus consisting mainly of a reel-alternating mechanism combined with a mechanism for cutting and reconnecting the reeled material.