GB2578176A

GB2578176A - Shaped drinking straw

Info

Publication number: GB2578176A
Application number: GB1902330.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Mitchell Mark
Original assignee: Biostraw Ltd
Current assignee: Biostraw Ltd
Priority date: 2018-10-15
Filing date: 2018-10-15
Publication date: 2020-04-22
Also published as: GB201902330D0

Abstract

A shaped drinking straw comprising a straw body 154 formed from pulp-based material, and a machine-cut end profile 152 which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the straw body 154. The machine-cut end profile may be formed from a single cut. The end profile may form a spoon-straw scoop portion. The straw body may be formed from wound strips. The end profile may have an uncrushed shape. The diameter of the machine-cut end profile may match that of the straw body. The straw body may be formed from a continuous tube of straw material simultaneously when forming the machine-cut end profile. The machine-cut end profile may be formed using a rotary cutter. The pulp-based material may be paper.

Description

Shaped Drinking Straw The present invention relates to a drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus which is particularly but not necessarily exclusively for producing shaped paper straws. The invention further relates to a rotary cutter suitable for use with the apparatus, and to a 5 method of manufacturing drinking straws having shaped ends.

There is an increasing desire to eliminate plastic and non-biodegradable waste as much as possible, given the consequences for the environment, and plastic drinking straws are amongst those disposable items which are deemed suitable for phasing out of use.

Drinking straws formed from whatever material are typically cut to size from a continuous 10 tube of straw material, producing a straw of the desired length without needing to form a short tube. This allows for mass-production of drinking straws.

Some drinking straws also have shaped ends, for example a pointed or sharp end, suitable for puncturing foil cartons, or a spoon-straw type end, suitable for thick beverages such as milkshakes or ice cream floats. To produce such a shaped end, the manufactured straight straw is fed into a stamping press which punches material out of the straw in order to create the desired end shape. This is suitable for plastic straws, which are sufficiently flexible to be punched and still spring back into the correct open shape. However, for paper straws, a punching or stamping process will crush or deform the tubular shape, rendering the straw unusable.

The present invention seeks to provide a rotary cutter and associated apparatus which is suitable for production cut and shaped paper straws in a single procedure without crushing the straw.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a drinking-straw cuttingand-shaping apparatus comprising: a straw support comprising an elongate guide path for supporting a continuous tube of straw material, and at least one rotary element to permit in-use rotation of the continuous tube of straw material; and a straw cutter tooling for cutting the continuous tube of straw material into straws, the straw cutter tooling comprising a tooling body which is actuatable towards the straw support, and a rotary cutter supported by the tooling body, the rotary cutter having a tooling-mountable cutter body including a non-circular shaped cutting edge which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the rotary cutter, so that the shaped cutting edge simultaneously cuts a straw from the continuous tube of straw material and shapes a cut end of the straw when the straw cutter tooling is actuated to contact the rotary cutter with the continuous tube of straw material as it is rotated.

The provision of an apparatus having a rotary cutter with a shaped cutting edge allows for a straw to be both cut and shaped at one end during the manufacturing process, which improves the efficiency with which the straws can be made. Furthermore, since the shaped cutting edge is designed to match the shape of the end to be cut, preferably with a piercing motion, a paper straw can be cut and shaped without risk of crushing of the straw during the process.

Optionally, the shaped cutting edge may be formed as a radially-extending shaped blade which projects from a cylindrical outer surface of the cutter body.

That the rotary cutter has a cylindrical outer surface differentiates it from existing 15 disciform cutters, since there is a means by which an axially-extending cutter can be positioned onto the rotary cutter to produce the necessary shaping.

Preferably, the shaped cutting edge may comprise a shaping blade portion and a cutting blade portion.

Since the rotary cutter is designed to both cut and shape the straw end, it is advantageous 20 to provide specific blade portions which are dedicated to performing these respective tasks.

In one preferable embodiment, the shaped cutting edge may have a repeating shaped pattern around the cylindrical outer surface.

A repeating pattern of the shaped cutting edges allows for high-velocity cutting to be 25 achieved, since phase-locking of the straw material and rotary cutter allows for the same repeating volume to be cut from the end of the straw at high speeds, without deforming the shape of the produced straw.

A plurality of said shaped cutting edges may be provided spaced apart around the cylindrical outer surface.

An alternative means by which the straw may be shaped may be via the use of cutting edges which are shaped in the radial direction to effectively extract the volume of straw 5 material which needs to be removed to create the desired effect. Spaced apart cutting edges can be used for this purpose.

The apparatus may further comprise a straw-winding machine upstream of the straw support for forming the continuous tube of straw material from pulp-based material. Preferably, the straw-winding machine may impart the rotation to the continuous tube of 10 straw material.

A straw-winding machine is the traditional means by which paper straws are formed, and the rotation required to manufacture such straws fits nicely with the mode by which the present rotary cutter operates.

Preferably, the straw support may comprise a mandrel which extends along the elongate 15 guide path.

A mandrel is a suitable support for a continuous tube of straw material, and further serves to limit the potential for crushing of a paper straw produced using the apparatus.

The apparatus may further comprise a cut-straw conveyor downstream of the straw support.

A post-cutting conveyor system may assist with onward packaging of cut straw, and may be able to correctly align the straws so that the cut and shaped ends are all pointed in the same direction.

In a preferable embodiment, there may be further provided a drive controller configured to synchronously rotate the or each rotary element and the continuous tube of straw 25 material.

Synchronicity of the rotation of the continuous tube of straw material and the cutter which will produce the cut and shaped straws may well be important to ensure that the cut straw end is not damaged or deformed during the manufacturing process.

Optionally, a plurality of said rotary cutters are provided in a spaced apart arrangement 5 along the elongate guide path.

The greater the number of rotary cutters provided, the more efficient the automation of the manufacturing process for cut and shaped straw can be made.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a rotary cutter for cutting and shaping a drinking-straw from a continuous tube of straw material, the rotary cutter 10 having a tooling-mountable cutter body including a non-circular shaped cutting edge which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the tooling-mountable cutter body.

Preferably, the shaped cutting edge may be formed as a radially-extending blade which projects from a cylindrical outer surface of the cutter body.

The shaped cutting edge may comprise a shaping blade portion and a cutting blade portion.

Optionally, a plurality of said shaped cutting edges may be provided spaced apart around the cylindrical outer surface.

Preferably, the shaped cutting edge may have a repeating surface pattern around the cylindrical outer surface.

The rotary cutter of the present invention is a useful tool for cutting any type of straw 20 length simultaneously with producing a desired shaped end, without also imparting a crushing force onto the straw. This makes it particularly suited for the production of paper straws.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there may be provided a method of manufacturing drinking straws having shaped ends, the method comprising the steps of a] supporting the continuous tube of straw material on an elongate guide path; b] providing a rotary cutter which is actuatable towards the elongate guide path, the rotary cutter having a tooling-mountable cutter body including a non-circular shaped cutting edge which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the tooling-mountable cutter body; c] using at least one rotary element, rotating the continuous tube of straw material on the elongate guide path, and rotating the rotary cutter simultaneously with the continuous tube of straw material; and d] actuating the rotary cutter towards the continuous tube of straw material to simultaneously cut a straw from the continuous tube of straw material and shape a cut end of the straw.

The method by which the present rotary cutter can be used to produce cut and shaped straws is advantageous, since it negates the need to apply a pressing force onto the straw material, which permits the process to be used with paper material. Additionally, the simultaneous cutting and shaping of the straws significantly reduces the manufacturing time for straws having shaped ends.

Preferably, during step c], the rotary cutter may be counter-rotated with respect to the continuous tube of straw material.

Counter-rotation of the various rotary components reduces the likelihood of disturbance 15 or even ejection of the straw material, which could be feasible if the rotary components were co-rotated.

During step d], the rotary cutter may be actuatable towards the continuous tube of straw material such that the shaped cutting edge extends to a depth no greater than a radius of the continuous tube of straw material.

The limiting of the penetration of the cutting edge into the straw material further reduces the likelihood of crushing of the straw during the manufacturing process.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the continuous tube of straw material may be formed from pulp-based material.

The ability to use the present method to produce paper straws may result in a significant 25 reduction in the environmental impact of the manufacturing process.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a paper-straw manufacturing assembly in accordance with the state of the art; Figure 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of a tooling body of the paper-straw manufacturing assembly of Figure 1, indicating the rotary cutters in accordance with the 5 state of the art; Figure 3 shows a perspective representation of a first embodiment of a rotary cutter in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, suitable for mounting to the paper-straw manufacturing assembly of Figure 1 to form a drinking-straw cutting-andshaping apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figure 4 shows a side representation of the rotary cutter of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a side representation of the end of a paper straw cut by the rotary cutter of Figure 3; and Figure 6 shows a perspective representation of a second embodiment of a rotary cutter in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, indicating the position of a 15 drinking straw to be cut and shaped.

Referring to Figure 1, there is indicated globally a paper-straw manufacturing assembly, referenced globally at 10, as is well known in the art. The assembly 10 is suitable for the manufacture of cut paper straws from a continuous tube of pulp-based material.

The paper-straw manufacturing assembly 10 comprises a straw-winding machine 12 which is able to form the continuous tube of pulp-based material by winding strips of pulp-based material in a helix and then gluing or otherwise adhering the strips to one another to form a tube. This winding typically occurs along an elongate guide path, traditionally performed around an elongate mandrel 14 around which the strips can be would to the correct diameter.

The mandrel 14 may form part of a straw support 16, which includes at least one, and preferably a plurality of rotary elements 18 capable of imparting or transferring a rotational force onto the tube of continuous pulp-based material. The mandrel 14 itself could conceivably rotate, but it is preferred that elongate rotary elements 18 are provided which are axially spaced-apart from the mandrel 14 to allow for external rotation of the tube of continuous pulp-based material. The elongate rotary elements 18 may be freewheeling rods which are themselves mounted onto rotary support 20 mounted to a support chassis 22 of the assembly 10, and rotation of the straw-winding machine 12 may naturally cause the tube of continuous pulp-based material to rotate on the mandrel 14. However, the rotary elements could, alternatively, be mechanically driven.

The tube of continuous pulp-based material can be cut into individual lengths of straw whilst mounted on the mandrel 14, and this is achieved by the provision of a straw cutter tooling 24 having a tooling body 26 which is actuatable towards and away from the straw support 16 in order to impart or remove a cutting effect. The actuation is directed so as to create motion in a plane perpendicular to the elongate guide path, that is, perpendicular to an axial direction of the mandrel 14 or the tube of continuous pulp-based material.

At least one rotary cutter 28 is drivably mounted to the tooling body 26 such that, when the tooling body 26 is actuated towards the straw support 16, the tube of continuous pulp-based material is cut by contact with the or each rotary cutter 28. Five such disciform cutters are indicated in Figure 1, and these can be seen in more detail in Figure 2. Each of the rotary cutters 28 is interconnected to a drive mechanism of the assembly 10, here via belt connectors 30.

As the tube of continuous pulp-based material is formed, it rotates on the mandrel 14. The rotary cutters 28 can be brought into and out of contact with the tube of continuous pulp-based material to create an incision as at least the tube of continuous pulp-based material and/or rotary cutter 28 rotate, and a plurality of straight-ended paper straws are cut. The tube of continuous pulp-based material can then be urged along the mandrel, and the cut paper straws collected by a cut-straw conveyor downstream of the straw support 16.

Figure 3 shows a replacement rotary cutter 128 which is suitable for modifying the paper-straw manufacturing assembly 10 into a drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus which is suitable for forming paper straws having shaped ends, for example, a spoon-straw end.

Instead of solely including a disc blade, the rotary cutter 128 has a, preferably cylindrical, tooling-mountable cutter body 132 which includes a cutting blade portion 134 for cutting the continuous tube of straw material, similar to the rotary cutter 28 known in the art. The cutting blade portion 134 is preferably formed at one axial end 136 of the rotary cutter 128.

The tooling-mountable cutter body 132 also includes a non-circular shaped cutting edge 138 which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the rotary cutter 128, and which is preferably formed as a shaped blade portion 140 which projects radially from a cylindrical outer surface 142 of the cutter body 132.

It will be appreciated that whilst a disciform cutter 28 may have a non-zero volume which extends in an axial direction, its cutting capabilities are confined to the plane in which it is positioned, that is, perpendicular to the axis of rotation. By contrast, the shaped cutting edge 138 traverses in the axial direction of the rotary cutter 128, enabling non-linear incisions to be made.

Whilst the non-circular shaped cutting edge 138 preferably has a sharp cutting edge to cut or shear through paper material without crushing, depending on the speed of rotation of the rotary cutter 128, a blunter cutting edge could be considered to effectively stamp the shaped end out of the straw material.

The shaped cutting edge 138 can be seen in more detail in Figure 4, and is a shape suitable 20 for cutting the shape of a spoon-straw into the end of the tube of straw material.

The material which is to be cut from the straw material is defined by a bounded region 144 on the outer surface 142 of the rotary cutter 128, having a shaped demarcation, indicated by the dashed lines at D in Figure 4, and defined by part of the shaped cutting edge 138 and part of the cutting blade portion 134. The shaped demarcation D has an approximately necktie-shaped or pendant-shaped profile, that is, having a substantially kite-shaped end D' and a substantially triangular-shaped end D2.

This is a suitable shaping for creating a spoon-straw end. The unbounded region 146 of the shaped cutting edge 138, that is, that which is not in contact with the cutting blade portion 134, will then be indicative of the profile which remains on the cut straw. This is formed between the profiles of adjacent bounded regions 144.

In order to provide an optimised utility of the rotary cutter 128, the shaped cutting edge 138 preferably has a repeating shaped pattern around the cylindrical outer surface 142, so 5 that a phase of the rotary cutter 128 does not need to be reset after each cut straw is created.

In this instance, the cut portion of the straw will again have a wide substantially kite-shaped area, which, when applied to the curved shape of the straw, will form a scoop. An indicative cut straw 148 is illustrated in Figure 5, showing the cut and shaped end 150 having the spoon-straw scoop portion 152 extending from a straw body 154 thereof. The shape of the spoon-straw scoop portion 152 matches that of the corresponding unbounded region 146 of the rotary cutter 128.

The method of operation of the drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus is similar to that of the paper-straw manufacturing assembly 10 known in the art. The continuous tube of straw material is fed along the straw support 16, and straws are cut and shaped by the rotary cutter 128 which is attached to the actuatable tooling body 26. However, the cutting process is more complicated than where a pure di sciform cutter is utilised.

In order for the end of the straw to avoid being mangled by the rotary cutter 128, the rotation of the continuous tube of straw material needs to be carefully matched to the speed of rotation of the rotary cutter 128. This may be achieved via linking the rotation of the rotary elements 18 of the straw support 16, for example, via the drive of the straw-winding mechanism 12 and the drive of the rotary cutter 128, for instance, via a geared arrangement. Alternatively, a dedicated drive controller may be provided which is configured to synchronously rotate the continuous tube of straw material and the rotary cutter 128.

The speed of rotation of the rotary cutter 128 needs to be set such that one partial rotation corresponding to a repeating pattern shape of the shaped cutting edge 138 corresponds with one complete rotation, that is a 360° rotation, of the continuous tube of straw material. This ensures that the phase of the rotary cutter 128 is matched to the straw material that it is cutting and shaping. A de-phased rotary cutter 128 would whittle away the end of the straw material and will not produce the desired shape.

In order to ensure that maximum cutting efficiency is achieved, and to avoid any jumping of the continuous tube of straw material, it is preferred that the continuous tube of straw 5 material is counter-rotated with respect to the rotary cutter 128, thereby mitigating the risk of slippage during cutting.

As the rotary cutter 128 is brought into contact with the continuous tube of straw material, the shaped cutting edge 138 shapes and cuts the desired cut and shaped end 150 of the straw 148. This may be achieved by a single partial rotation of the rotary cutter 128, corresponding to a repeating pattern unit, or may be achieved by repeated synchronised rotation of the rotary cutter 128 and the continuous tube of straw material. This may be performed by a plurality of spaced apart rotary cutters 128, as per Figure 1, so that a plurality of cut straws 148 are produced.

The cut and shaped straws 148 can then be ejected from the mandrel 14 by urging towards the cut-straw conveyor downstream of the straw support 16, with the continuous tube of straw material being urged along the mandrel 14 for more straws to be cut. Such a process can be performed at very high speeds, provided that a suitably accurate phase matching can be achieved between the rotary cutter 128 and the continuous tube of straw material.

The mandrel 14 provides a physical barrier to penetration of the rotary cutter 128 during the cutting and shaping process, and it is anticipated that the rotary cutter 128 is actuatable towards the continuous tube of straw material such that the shaped cutting edge 138 extends to a depth no greater than a radius of the continuous tube of straw material, and typically not substantially deeper than a thickness of the straw material. As such the cut straw 148 is formed by a rotational slicing action, rather than the guillotine-type blade action known in the art which would otherwise crush a paper straw. This more delicate cutting process allows for the shaping of the end 150 of the straw to be achieved.

The method of manufacturing a shaped straw utilising the present apparatus can therefore be summarised as follows: a continuous tube of straw material is supported on an elongate guide path; a rotary cutter 128 is provided which is actuatable towards the elongate guide path, the rotary cutter having a tooling-mountable cutter body 132 including a non-circular shaped cutting edge 138 which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the tooling-mountable cutter body; at least one rotary element 14 is used to assist with the rotation the continuous tube of straw material on the elongate guide path, and rotating the rotary cutter 128 simultaneously with the continuous tube of straw material; and actuating the rotary cutter 128 towards the continuous tube of straw material to simultaneously cut a straw 148 from the continuous tube of straw material and shape a cut end 150 of the straw 148.

Whilst a continuous repeating unit pattern of a shaped cutting edge may be useful for many applications, an alternative embodiment of a rotary cutter is indicated in Figure 6, referenced globally at 228. Identical or similar components to those of the first embodiment of rotary cutter 128 are referenced using identical or similar reference numerals, and further detailed description is omitted for brevity.

The cutter body 232 has a cylindrical outer surface 242 from which a plurality of spaced apart shaped cutting edges 238 project. This rotary cuttcr 228 is not suitable for use with a mandrel-mounted continuous tube of straw material, as the height of the projecting shaped blade portion 240 corresponds with the volume of straw material to be cut out, with a cutting blade portion 234 at one end thereof where the cut and shaped straw 248 is designed to end.

This form of rotary cutter 228 is therefore designed for use with a non-rotating continuous tube of straw material, since the volume of straw material to be removed is physically extracted by the rotary force of the rotary cutter 228. The shaped cutting edge 238 is therefore non-uniform in a radial direction of the rotary cutter 228, unlike that of the previous embodiment.

Such a rotary cutter 228 may therefore be more appropriate for use with more resilient straw materials, such as hardened cardboard, bamboo, or plastics material, which are less likely to be deformed by the rotational force of the rotary cutter 228 as it rotates. More resilient materials can also be more easily fed along the elongate guide path without deforming if a mandrel 14 is not used.

In the above embodiments, the shaped blade portion and cutting blade portion are distinguished from one another as discrete elements of the shaped cutting edge. It will, however, be appreciated that a single blade element could provide both functionalities, and this is not meant to represent a limitation to the present invention.

Different material constructions of drinking straw have been alluded to above. Whilst the above apparatus has been designed with a paper drinking straw in mind, it will be appreciated that the apparatus could be readily adapted for use with other drinking straw materials without further inventive input.

Whilst a spoon-straw cutter is described above, it will be appreciated that this merely represents one indicative embodiment of the present invention. For example, a pointed straw shape could be realised using a zig-zag shaped cutting edge, or a curved spoon shape could be cut using a more arcuate cutting edge. The pattern presented will define the cut end of the straw, and there will be significant freedom of design which can be realised without further inventive input.

It is therefore possible to provide a manufacturing process which is able to simultaneously cut and shape drinking straws in accordance with a required pattern, such as a spoon-straw or a pointed straw, by altering a rotary cutter which is used to cut the straw material to length. The provision of a shaped cutting edge on the rotary cutter allows the shape to be neatly cut out of the end of the straw without deforming the dimensions of the tube of the straw.

The words 'comprises/comprising' and the words 'having/including' when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims

Claims 1. A shaped drinking straw comprising: a straw body formed from pulp-based material; and a machine-cut end profile which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the straw body.
2. A shaped drinking straw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the machine-cut end profile is formed from a single machine cut.
3. A shaped drinking straw as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the machine-cut end profile forms a spoon-straw scoop portion.
4 A shaped drinking straw as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the straw body is formed from wound strips of pulp-based material.
5. A shaped drinking straw as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the machine-cut end profile has an uncrushed shape.
6. A shaped drinking straw as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a diameter of the machine-cut end profile matches that of the straw body
7. A shaped drinking straw as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the straw body is formed from a continuous tube of straw material.
8. A shaped drinking straw as claimed in claim 7, wherein the straw body is cut from the continuous tube of straw material simultaneously when forming the machine-cut end profile.
9. A shaped drinking straw as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the machine-cut end profile is formed using a rotary cutter.
10. A shaped drinking straw as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pulp-based material is paper.
11. A drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus comprising: a straw support comprising an elongate guide path for supporting a continuous tube of straw material, and at least one rotary element to permit in-use rotation of the continuous tube of straw material; and a straw cutter tooling for cutting the continuous tube of straw material into straws, 5 the straw cutter tooling comprising a tooling body which is actuatable towards the straw support, and a rotary cutter supported by the tooling body, the rotary cutter having a tooling-mountable cutter body including a non-circular shaped cutting edge which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the rotary cutter, so that the shaped cutting edge simultaneously cuts a straw from the continuous tube of straw material and shapes a cut 10 end of the straw when the straw cutter tooling is actuated to contact the rotary cutter with the continuous tube of straw material as it is rotated.
12. A drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the shaped cutting edge is formed as a radially-extending shaped blade which projects from a cylindrical outer surface of the cutter body, and optionally wherein the shaped 15 cutting edge comprises a shaping blade portion and a cutting blade portion.
13. A drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the shaped cutting edge has a repeating shaped pattern around the cylindrical outer surface, and optionally wherein a plurality of said shaped cutting edges are provided spaced apart around the cylindrical outer surface.
14. A drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising a straw-winding machine upstream of the straw support for forming the continuous tube of straw material from pulp-based material, and preferably the straw-winding machine imparts the rotation to the continuous tube of straw material.
15. A drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the straw support comprises a mandrel which extends along the elongate guide path.
16. A drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 15, further comprising a cut-straw conveyor downstream of the straw support.
17. A drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 16, further comprising a drive controller configured to synchronously rotate the continuous tube of straw material and the rotary cutter.
18. A drinking-straw cutting-and-shaping apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein a plurality of said rotary cutters are provided in a spaced apart arrangement along the elongate guide path.
19. A rotary cutter for cutting and shaping a drinking-straw from a continuous tube of straw material, the rotary cutter having a tooling-mountable cutter body including a non-circular shaped cutting edge which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the 10 tooling-mountable cutter body.
20. A rotary cutter as claimed in claim 19, wherein the shaped cutting edge is formed as a radially-extending blade which projects from a cylindrical outer surface of the cutter body or wherein the shaped cutting edge comprises a shaping blade portion and a cutting blade portion.
21. A rotary cutter as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20, wherein a plurality of said shaped cutting edges are provided spaced apart around the cylindrical outer surface and/or wherein the shaped cutting edge has a repeating surface pattern around the cylindrical outer surface.
22. A method of manufacturing drinking straws having shaped ends, the method comprising the steps of: a] supporting a continuous tube of straw material on an elongate guide path; b] providing a rotary cutter which is actuatable towards the elongate guide path, the rotary cutter having a tooling-mountable cutter body including a non-25 circular shaped cutting edge which at least in part extends in an axial direction of the tooling-mountable cutter body; c] using at least one rotary element, rotating the continuous tube of straw material on the elongate guide path, and rotating the rotary cutter simultaneously with the continuous tube of straw material; and d] actuating the rotary cutter towards the continuous tube of straw material to simultaneously cut a straw from the continuous tube of straw material and shape a cut end of the straw.
23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein during step c], the rotary cutter is counter-rotated with respect to the continuous tube of straw material.
24. A method as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23, wherein during step d], the rotary cutter is actuatable towards the continuous tube of straw material such that the shaped cutting edge extends to a depth no greater than a radius of the continuous tube of straw material.
25. A method as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the continuous tube of straw material is formed from pulp-based material.