1, 250, 410. Rolling mills; making continuous strip. NIPPON KOKAN K.K. 22 Dec., 1969 [8 Jan., 1969], No. 62411/69. Headings B3A and B3M. A continuous steel-strip rolling mill incorporates apparatus for welding together the ends of strips to form a long continuous strip, a horizontal looper positioned above overhead cranes 17 and 18 for storing a length of strip to enable such welding to take place without interrupting the rolling programme, and several roll stands in tandem for cold rolling the strip. In operation, strip is unwound from a coil 8 whence it passes around rollers 16, 14 and 15 to the looper. The looper includes fixed rollers 23-25 and rollers 19 and 20 which are biased by a winch 35 towards the left. The strip leaves the looper and passes to the stands 30 of the mill. Before the coil 8 is completely unwound, a new coil 6 is located nearby and its leading end uncoiled. The trailing and leading ends of the respective coils are sheared, butt-welded together at a station 13, and the weld cleaned. The looper accommodates the halt in the strip supply during welding without affecting the operation of the stands 30. After the welding, the coil 6 is moved into the position of coil 8 and a new coil 1 is positioned ready for a similar joining operation.