Method and plant for treating tobacco leaves

A method of treating tobacco leaves for separation of leaf portions constituting lamina from leaf portions constituting ribs, comprising:

• placing bunches of leaves randomly on a feeding line of a shredder, in which flaps of the leaves are torn from a remaining part of the leaves, starting from edges thereof,
• separating with air in at least one classification chamber the flaps torn from the leaves in said shredder to form first flap portions of predominantly sole lamina and second flap portions of lamina attached to portions of rib,
• transferring said first flap portions directly to drying and packaging processes,
• passing the second flap portions through a line of beating in several stages, in each of which a progressive separation of portions of the lamina from remaining portions of lamina attached to portions of rib is caused, to obtain at an exit of said beating line an almost total separation of the lamina from the rib of the leaves,
• transferring the portions of lamina progressively separated from the portions of rib to the drying and packaging processes,
• and
• transferring the pieces of rib exiting the beating line to a further packaging process.