Abstract: A muffler having an inner shell of two deep-drawn inner sheet metal plates laid one atop the other and a housing shell of at least two deep-drawn outer sheet metal plates laid one atop the other. The inner shell has an encircling edge while the housing shell has an encircling housing flange with a lock seam connection which seals the housing shell. The edge of the inner shell is designed so that it barely touches the wall of the housing shell and is held in a spring-like fashion only between clamping creases of the housing shell.

Abstract: When drinking straws are fastened to packs, it is particularly difficult to press the drinking straws precisely onto glue spots previously applied to the packs. For this purpose, it is proposed to determine the position of the packs on their conveyor and then actuate the glue applicator device or a press-on means for drinking straws when this point of the conveyor has been reached and consequently the pack has arrived in front of the glue applicator device or the straw press-on means. Alternatively, the control is determined by measuring the position and speed of the particular pack to be processed.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing consecutive packages for drinking straws or the like in bands of straws. The drinking straws are extracted directly from a funnel-shaped vessel by a suction roller having straw-receiving grooves distributed uniformly over the periphery and which are connected to a vacuum source. The straws are transferred individually and at a fixed rate from the suction roller to a conveyor roller, over which one of the packaging foils is guided, the transfer being carried out by means of at least one transfer finger movable to and fro transversely to the path of movement of the straws. The transfer finger presses the straws, together with an underlying packaging foil, into receiving grooves in the conveyor roller. Contacting the conveyor roller is a mating roller, over which an outer packaging foil is guided and which serves at the same time as a sealing roller. The straws are sealed in between the two foils in the roller gap between the conveyor roller and the mating roller.

Abstract: Particulate alkaline detergent compositions for fabric washing, which include synthetic detergent compounds and alkali metal tripolyphosphate and alkali metal orthophosphate detergency builders, are made by spray-drying a detergent base powder containing some or all of the detergent compounds and some or all of the orthophosphate and admixing at least 2.5% by weight of the tripolyphosphate in particulate form with the spray-dried base powder.

Abstract: The invention provides a fabric-softening composition comprising 1-80% by weight of a quaternary ammonium compound, such as distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, and 0.5-25% by weight of a fatty acid choline ester salt. The composition provides for an improved anti-static activity.