Abstract: The invention relates to a method of friction stir welding in which use is made of a rotating friction stir welding tool, said tool having a probe, the method comprises, (a) temperature control of the tool during welding of a workpiece of hard to weld materials by passing a temperature controlling coolant through one or more channels in the tool in order to control the temperature of the probe, thereby removing excessive heat from the tool and from the area of the workpiece being welded, (b) said coolant having a predetermined first temperature upon entering the tool, (c) measuring a second predetermined temperature indicative of the tool probe temperature, and (d) controlling the welding process such that the tool probe is kept essentially at a predetermined tool probe temperature. The invention also relates to a combination for performing the method.

Abstract: A number of pack units (3; 3.sup.1), such as rolls of soft tissue paper or packs of nappies, etc., which are enclosed by a banderole-like pack sleeve (2). The invention enables a pack to be produced which is well suited to efficient manufacture and which is also suitable for simple and safe handling, both in the production channel and in the consumer channel. In the area outside pairs of pack units (3; 3.sup.1) situated adjacent to one another, said pack sleeve (2) is attached to a holding device (4) running in an essentially straight path between the pack units (3; 3.sup.1). The invention also relates to a method for the manufacture of pack of this kind, and to an arrangement for the production of a pack of this kind.

Abstract: Two pairs of spaced conveyor chains 18, 19 and 20, 21 are disposed one inside the other, and traverse identical rectangular runs between an infeed station 28 and an outfeed station 58. Each pair carries a respective serial array of pickup devices 22-23 and 33-41 arranged in two oppositely spaced groups for accommodating rolls of paper towels or the like. The conveyor chain pairs are independently driven by separate motors 6, 7 in such a manner that while one group of pickup devices is being intermittently stepped or indexed through the infeed station for loading, the other, previously loaded group is continuously advanced to the outfeed station for unloading and thereafter back to the vacated infeed station.