Apparatus and a system for twisting a string of wrapped and spun tobacco leaves

A system comprising:

• an infeed conveyor operable for transporting overlaid tobacco leaves in a defined transporting direction and having substantially parallel sides;
• a device positioned to receive the overlaid tobacco leaves from the infeed conveyor and operable for wrapping the overlaid tobacco leaves into a first string of tobacco leaves, the device comprising a cavity configured for guiding the tobacco leaves during wrapping, the cavity forming an acute angle relative to the defined transporting direction of the tobacco leaves;
• and
• an apparatus operable for twisting the first string of tobacco leaves into a second string of tobacco leaves, the apparatus defining a first axis extending substantially in the direction of the first string, the apparatus comprising:
• a set of string-twisting rollers, each of which defines a respective circumferential twisting surface configured for contacting the first string, and each of which defines a respective rotational axis, the rotational axes of the set of string-twisting rollers being in a skewed arrangement relative to one another and relative to the first axis, the circumferential twisting surfaces being arranged so as to substantially confine the first string therebetween and so as to rotate the first string around the first axis;
• and
• a twisting apparatus motor operable for rotating the set of string-twisting rollers and causing the first string to rotate and be twisted by means of the twisting surfaces and simultaneously causing the second string to be conveyed along the first axis and out of the apparatus;
• wherein the device is positioned such that the cavity of the device forms an acute angle relative to the parallel sides of the infeed conveyor, so as to allow the device to capture the overlaid tobacco leaves from the infeed conveyor and to deliver the first string of tobacco leaves to the apparatus.

A method of providing a string of twisted tobacco leaves, the method comprising the steps of:

• (i) laying up two or more tobacco leaves in a partly overlapping relation;
• (ii) catching the tobacco leaves in a cavity and wrapping the tobacco leaves in the cavity into a first string of wrapped and spun tobacco leaves;
• and
• (iii) rolling and twisting the first string into a second string of twisted tobacco leaves by means of a set of circumferential twisting surfaces of a respective set of string-twisting rollers having rotational axes in a skewed arrangement relative to each other, between which surfaces the first string is confined, whilst simultaneously conveying the second string along its longitudinal axis.