Abstract: A lead-acid storage battery, in one aspect of this invention, comprises units of cells each having, between alternate fibrous structure and negative plate which are arranged in laminated fashion on each side of a positive plate which is coated on both surfaces with an anode active material, a separator comprised of a paper-like sheet having continuous micro-porous openings throughout the entire area thereof and containing at least 70% by weight of phenol resin fibers each having a diameter of 5 microns or less produced by melt-spinning and curing a novolak resin. A lead storage battery having such separators is of an improved cell capacity and output and a prolonged life span. In another aspect of the invention, the separators are such that said phenol resin fibers have at least 60% by mole of the phenolic hydroxyl groups of the resin capped. A battery employing these separators is of further improved duration and satisfactory cell capacity and output.

Abstract: A doffing apparatus for a spinning frame having bobbin spindles arranged at equal pitch, comprising a movable frame carrying bobbin-chucking means and bobbin-deflecting means, and bobbin-conveying means, said apparatus being operative so that full bobbins from the spinning frame are transferred onto the bobbin-conveying means by said bobbin-chucking means in exchange with the empty bobbins brought by this bobbin-conveying means, without causing any interference, due to the action of the bobbin-deflecting means, between the full bobbins passing from the spinning frame onto the bobbin-conveying means and the empty bobbins being supplied from the conveying means to the spinning frame, thus minimizing the number of steps of doffing operation and the number of parts of the doffing apparatus as a whole.