Patent ID: 7179215

Claim:
Process for producing cigarette packs ( 10 ) of the hinge-lid type with an outer wrapper made of film and with a tear-open strip ( 12 ) applied to the outer wrapper, comprising the steps of: a) drawing a continuous film web ( 13 ) off of a reel ( 15 ), the continuous film web ( 13 ) having been provided with precisely positioned printed markings ( 25 ) thereon during production of the continuous film web ( 13 ), the continuous film web ( 13 ) also having decorative or informative printing thereon, b) drawing a material strip ( 18 ) for producing the tear-open strip ( 12 ) off of a separate strip reel ( 19 ), the material strip ( 18 ) having been provided with precisely positioned printed markings ( 24 ) thereon during production of the material strip ( 18 ), the material strip ( 18 ) also having decorative or informative printing thereon, and producing tear open strip ( 12 ) from said drawn material strip ( 18 ), c) feeding the tear-open strip ( 12 ) to the continuous film web ( 13 ) and applying the tear-open strip ( 12 ) to the continuous film web ( 13 ), d) sensing the printed markings ( 24 ) on the tear-open strip ( 12 ) by a printed-mark reader ( 26 ) after the tear-open strip ( 12 ) has been applied to the film web ( 13 ), e) sensing the printed markings ( 25 ) of the continuous film web ( 13 ) by another printed-mark reader ( 30 ) after the tear-open strip ( 12 ) has been applied to the continuous film web ( 13 ), and f) severing blanks ( 11 ) for the outer wrapper from the continuous film web ( 13 ) to which the tear-open strip ( 12 ) has been applied, wherein a severing cut for severing the blanks ( 11 ) with the tear-open strips ( 12 ) from the continuous film web ( 13 ) is controlled in accordance with both the detected printed markings ( 24 ) of the tear-open strip ( 12 ) and the detected printed markings ( 25 ) of the continuous film web ( 13 ).