Abstract: A method and regulating device for regulating the retaining height of tobacco in a retaining duct. The method includes determining the retaining height with at least one sensor, and controlling tobacco throughput of a conveyor organ connected to the retaining duct in the conveyor direction of the tobacco depending on the determined retaining height. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for labelling as well as a method for identifying a package, particularly one filled with cigarettes, which includes a packing element for holding the product to be packed as well as a wrapping at least partially surrounding the packing element. Furthermore the invention is concerned with a device for labelling as well as a device for identifying a package, particularly one filled with cigarettes, which includes a packing element for holding the product to be packed as well as a wrapping at least partially surrounding the packing element. Furthermore the invention concerns a package, in particular cigarette package. Previous methods and devices for labelling and identification do not allow reliable checking for authenticity of packaging, as the known safety measures can be bypassed.

Abstract: The invention concerns an article, in particular a packaging, which is provided with an individual marking means. Furthermore, the invention concerns methods and devices for the individual marking and identification of articles, in particular packages. Known packagings have marking means which of course confer a certain degree of safety from counterfeiting. But firstly the packagings are expensive to make due to the additional marking elements. Secondly the usual marking means can also be manipulated with corresponding expenditure, so that a large number of counterfeit packagings are still in circulation. Due to the packaging according to the invention, which is characterised in that the marking means is a random identifier peculiar to the article, in particular to the package, the safety from counterfeiting is increased compared with conventional packagings, this being with very little expenditure, so that the costs of the packaging are also lower than known packagings.

Abstract: Process and device for applying print marks to an article that includes conveying the article along a transport direction at a predetermined conveyor speed, during a printing procedure, reducing a relative speed between a printing element and the article conveyed along the transport direction, and applying print marks to the article by the printing element. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: The density of a trimmed stream of tobacco particles on a radiation-permeable conveyor is ascertained by directing a first beam of infrared light against the trimmed stream so that the light must pass through the stream and through the conveyor prior to reaching a detector which transmits to an evaluating circuit signals denoting the density of the trimmed stream. Such signals are corrected, when necessary, by signals which are generated by a second detector serving to monitor the intensity of infrared light which has passed only through the conveyor, and the corrected signals are used to regulate the operation of a trimming device which converts an untrimmed stream into the trimmed stream.