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.

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 present invention relates to a method for unwinding a bobbin (12) of a coiled sheet (13), the method comprising the steps of: providing a bobbin of a coiled sheet, the bobbin having a first rotation axis (17) and comprising a free portion (14) of the sheet unwound from the bobbin, the free portion (14) defining a contact line (16) as a line separating the free portion and the remaining of the coiled sheet (13); providing a roller (30) having a second rotation axis substantially parallel to the first rotation axis (17); putting the roller (30) in contact with the bobbin (12) at the contact line (16); unwinding the sheet from the bobbin (12) pulling the sheet in an unwinding direction such that an angle between the free portion of the sheet and a radius of the bobbin at the contact line is comprised between about 110 degrees and about 150 degrees or between about 200 degrees and about 300 degrees; and while unwinding the sheet from the bobbin keeping the roller in contact with the outer surface of the bobbin. The present invention also relates to a kit to unwind a sheet of material wound in a bobbin.

Apparatus for producing a rod of aerosol-generating material is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a first feed device adapted to supply a first web of aerosol-generating material to a processing unit, a second feed device adapted to supply a second web of aerosol-generating material, and a web changeover unit arranged to change supply of aerosol-generating material to the processing unit from the first web of aerosol-generating material to the second web of aerosol-generating material. The web changeover unit is configured to position a leading edge of the second web of aerosol-generating material adjacent to a trailing edge of the first web of aerosol-generating material upstream of the processing unit during changeover from the first web of aerosol-generating material to the second web of aerosol-generating material. A method of producing a rod of aerosol-generating material is also disclosed.

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 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.

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 present invention relates to a machine for the production of a component for an aerosol generating article, the machine including: —a buffer station, the buffer station including: # fixed sheet guides; # movable sheet guides which are movable in a reciprocating manner in a direction towards the fixed sheet guides and in a direction away from the sheet fixed guides; # an actuator for moving the movable sheet guides, wherein the fixed and movable sheet guides together define a zig-zag trajectory for the sheet having a variable length for varying the total length of the sheet of material in the buffer station; # supports for the sheet, the supports being arranged so that, when the movable sheet guides are moved towards the fixed sheet guides, at least one of the movable sheets guides is interposed between two different supports of the plurality; # an air system; # wherein the each of the supports defines an outer surface, at least one of the outer surfaces having a first portion in which a sucking action is exerted by the air system to attract the sheet towards the outer surface and a second portion in which a blowing action is exerted by the air system to push the sheet away from the outer surface.

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 method for supplying a continuous sheet of aerosol-forming substrate (10) from a bobbin (1) comprises providing a bobbin (1) of continuous sheet of aerosol-forming substrate (10) and unwinding the continuous sheet of aerosol-forming substrate (10) from a center (11) of the bobbin (1). Preferably, rotational movement of the bobbin (1) is prevented during unwinding of the continuous sheet of aerosol-forming substrate (10).