Abstract: Carboxylic acids and/or esters thereof are produced by reacting either a benzylic or an aromatic mercaptan with carbon monoxide and either water or an aqueous alcohol at elevated temperature, suitably in the range from 100.degree. to 300.degree. C., in the presence as catalyst of a cobalt carbonyl, the product using water as the reactant being a carboxylic acid and using aqueous alcohol as the reactant a carboxylic acid ester, mixtures of acids and esters being formed using aqueous alcohols having high water concentrations.

Abstract: A method of transferring full packages in a spinning frame having a plurality of spinning stations arranged in a row on each longitudinal side of the frame, a single run package transferring conveyor disposed between the opposite rows of the spinning stations and a doffing unit which provides doffing service at each spinning station while traveling around the machine, is provided herein. The doffing unit performs its doffing service at a station which calls for doffing of its full package only when a package is absent on the conveyor at a position corresponding to the station at which the doffing unit is then stopped, but it defers its doffing operation at the station if a package is present at said corresponding position on the conveyor. The conveyor is caused to move when the number of those packages which are undoffed due to deferment amounts to a predetermined value.