Method and plant for treating tobacco leaves

Method of treating tobacco leaves for the separation of leaf portions constituting lamina from leaf portions constituting ribs, comprising:

• placing bunches of leaves, or mannocchi, randomly on a feeding line of a shredder (10), in which flaps of leaves are torn from a remaining part of the leaves, starting from an edge thereof,
• separating the flaps of leaves torn from each leaf in said shredder (10) and forming portions of substantially sole lamina with air in at least one classification chamber (28) from the flaps forming portions of lamina attached to portions of rib,
• transferring said portions of sole lamina torn from said leaves directly to subsequent drying and packaging processes,
• passing the portions of lamina attached to portions of rib, through a line of beating (34) in several stages, in each of which a progressive separation of portions of the lamina from the remaining portions of lamina attached to portions of rib is caused, to obtain at the exit of said beating line (34) an almost total separation of the lamina from the rib of the leaves,
• transferring the portions of lamina gradually separated from the portions of rib of the leaf to the subsequent drying and packaging processes,
• transferring said portions of lamina torn from said leaf directly to the subsequent drying and packaging processes, and
• transferring the pieces of rib exiting the beating line (34) to a packaging.