Adhesive tape for flying splice

1. An adhesive tape suitable for flying splicing of flat web material wound up into rolls, said adhesive tape comprising:

a) a main carrier comprising first and second faces, first and second longitudinal edges and first and second latitudinal edges;

b) a first self-adhesive composition coated on said first face; and

c) a second self-adhesive composition coated on a portion less than the entirety of said second face;

wherein said main carrier is composed, at least in a region where the second self-adhesive composition is coated, of a splittable material, so that when the adhesive tape is adhered between a topmost layer and an underlying layer of a first roll of paper and a flying splice is effected between the first roll of paper and a second roll of paper, the main carrier splits substantially only in the region where the second self-adhesive composition is coated.

2. The adhesive tape according to claim 1 , wherein the region where the second self-adhesive composition is provided amounts to up to 50% of a total area of the second face.

3. The adhesive tape according to claim 2 , wherein the region where the second self-adhesive composition is provided amounts to between 6 and 48% of a total area of the second face.

4. The adhesive tape according to claim 3 , wherein the region where the second self-adhesive composition is provided amounts to between 18 and 25% of a total area of the second face.

5. The adhesive tape according to claim 1 , wherein the second self-adhesive composition is arranged at a distance of from 0.5 to 15 mm from one longitudinal edge of the adhesive tape.

6. The adhesive tape according to claim 5 , wherein the second self-adhesive composition is arranged at a distance of from 1 to 7 mm from one longitudinal edge of the adhesive tape.

7. The adhesive tape according to claim 6 , wherein the second self-adhesive composition is arranged at a distance of from 1.5 to 3.5 mm from one longitudinal edge of the adhesive tape.

8. The adhesive tape according to claim 1 , wherein the main carrier has on the second face one or more perforations or slits.

9. The adhesive tape according to claim 8 , wherein each of said perforations or slits has a depth which is smaller than a thickness of the main carrier.

10. The adhesive tape according to claim 9 , wherein the depth of said perforations or slits is not more than 50% of the thickness of the main paper carrier.

11. The adhesive tape according to claim 1 , wherein the main carrier is composed completely of splittable material.

12. The adhesive tape according to claim 1 , wherein the main carrier is not composed completely of splittable material.

13. The adhesive tape according to claim 1 , wherein the main carrier comprises a substantially symmetrically splitting paper.

14. The adhesive tape according to claim 13 , wherein the substantially symmetrically splitting paper has a splittability of from 10 to 50 cN/cm.

15. The adhesive tape according to claim 14 , wherein the substantially symmetrically splitting paper has a splittability of from 20 to 40 cN/cm.

16. The adhesive tape according to claim 15 , wherein the substantially symmetrically splitting paper has a splittability of from 20 to 30 cN/cm.

17. The adhesive tape according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second self-adhesive composition is lined with a release material.

18. The adhesive tape according to claim 17 , wherein the release material covering the first self-adhesive composition is provided with a slit or perforation.

19. A method for effecting a flying splice of flat web material wound up into rolls, said method comprising:

a) providing an adhesive tape according to claim 1 ;

b) adhering a portion of said first self-adhesive composition to an underside of a topmost web of a new roll of material;

c) adhering said second self-adhesive composition to a topside of an underlying web of said new roll of material;

d) accelerating said new roll of material to substantially the same speed as an unwinding roll of material;

e) pressing the new roll against the unwinding roll of material in a manner so as to cause an unadhered portion of said first self-adhesive composition to adhere to said unwinding roll of material, thereby effecting a splice between said new roll and said unwinding roll of material, and also causing the main carrier to split in the region where the second self-adhesive composition is provided in such a way that after splitting, there are no exposed adhesive regions.