U.S. patent number 3,762,187 [Application Number 05/160,504] was granted by the patent office on 1973-10-02 for apparatus for the steam treatment of materials.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Vepa AG. Invention is credited to Gerold Fleissner, Heinz Fleissner.
United States Patent |
3,762,187 |
Fleissner , et al. |
October 2, 1973 |
APPARATUS FOR THE STEAM TREATMENT OF MATERIALS
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to process and apparatus for the
steaming of materials, for example textile materials, as applied to
shrinking, dyeing, bleaching, setting, finishing and similar
treatment processes. The apparatus of the present disclosure
includes at least one treatment chamber and a steam-permeable
conveying means, preferably a conveyor belt made of a metal cloth
and/or at least one sieve drum, which is used to guide the material
being treated through the treatment chamber.
Inventors: |
Fleissner; Heinz (Egelsbach
near Frankfurt/Main, DT), Fleissner; Gerold
(Egelsbach near Frankfurt/Main, DT) |
Assignee: |
Vepa AG (N/A)
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Family
ID: |
27512337 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/160,504 |
Filed: |
July 7, 1971 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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870794 |
Sep 8, 1969 |
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655549 |
Jul 24, 1967 |
3503231 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Jul 22, 1966 [DT] |
|
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V 31559 |
Aug 20, 1966 [DT] |
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V 31757 |
Sep 21, 1966 [DT] |
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V 31982 |
Sep 24, 1966 [DT] |
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V 32013 |
Mar 25, 1967 [DT] |
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V 33317 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
68/5E; 68/903;
68/19.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06B
19/0041 (20130101); D06C 7/02 (20130101); D06B
23/16 (20130101); D06B 17/02 (20130101); Y10S
68/903 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
D06B
17/00 (20060101); D06B 23/00 (20060101); D06B
19/00 (20060101); D06C 7/00 (20060101); D06B
23/16 (20060101); D06C 7/02 (20060101); D06B
17/02 (20060101); D06c 001/06 (); D06c
027/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;68/5D,5E,DIG.5,43,44,45,19.1,20,22R ;8/149.1,149.3,151 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Morse, Jr.; Wayne A.
Assistant Examiner: Coe; Philip R.
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 870,794, filed Sept.
8, 1969, and now abandoned, which is in turn a division of Ser. No.
655,549, filed July 24, 1967, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3.503,231.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for the treatment of textile materials which
comprises at least one steam-treatment chamber, a steam permeable
conveying means disposed in said treatment chamber, means for
introducing the material to be treated to said conveying means,
shock like blower means disposed under the conveying means at the
inlet end of the treatment chamber for drawing the treatment medium
through both the material being treated and the conveying means,
steam-generating means disposed in the lower portion of the
treatment chamber near the floor of said chamber, heating means
disposed in the upper portion of the treatment chamber, at least
one washing element disposed behind the steam-treatment chamber and
provided with a permeable conveyor belt and outlet means for
removing the textile material from the washing element.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the washing element comprises
a plurality of washing zones, each of said washing zones being
provided with rinsing boxes disposed above the permeable conveyor
belt.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the steam-permeable conveying
means is a permeable conveyor belt which is common to both the
steam-treatment chamber and the washing element.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the permeable conveyor belt
extends out of the washing element at the outlet and is returned
outside of the washing element and the treatment chamber to the
inlet of said treatment chamber.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the blower means is a cross
current blower which is associated with the conveyor belt in such a
manner that a blowing zone and a suction zone are created at the
conveyor belt.
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a housing subjected to a
suction draft is associated with the conveyor belt at the inlet of
the treat-ment chamber.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a housing subjected to suction
draft is associated with the conveyor belt at the outlet of the
treatment chamber.
8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a collecting tank is provided
in each of the washing zones for receiving a treatment liquor,
below the permeable conveyor belt and means are provided for
recycling the treatment liquor from the collecting tank to the
rinsing box disposed thereabove.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a conveyor belt dryer is
disposed behind the washing element.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein means are provided for
conveying the textile material from the conveyor belt of the
washing element to the conveyor belt dryer.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blower means is dis-posed
in a housing which also contains a heating means.
12. An apparatus for the treatment of textile materials which
comprises at least one steam-treatment chamber and at least one
washing element disposed behind the steam-treatment chamber;
steam-generating means disposed in the lower portion of the
steam-treatment chamber near the floor of the chamber, and heating
means disposed in the upper portion of the steam-treatment chamber;
a steam permeable conveyor belt having a linear conveying surface
disposed in said treatment chamber above said steam-generating
means and common to both the steam-treatment chamber and the
washing element to provide tensionless material guidance through
said treatment chamber and said washing element ; said washing
element including a plurality of washing zones, each of said
washing zones being provided with rinsing boxes disposed above said
permeable conveyor belt , each of said rinsing boxes containing a
washing liquid which flows onto and through a material being
conveyed on said conveyor belt and each of said washing zones also
being provided with means for squeezing off excess washing liquor
from the textile material as the material exits from said zone;
means for introducing the textile material to be treated into said
steam-treatment chamber onto said conveyor belt; and outlet means
through which the textile material is discharged from said washing
element.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said steam permeable
conveyor belt extends horizontally through the entire length of
said steam-treatment chamber and the entire length of said washing
element.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a collecting tank is
provided in each of the washing zones below the permeable conveyor
means for receiving said washing liquid and means are provided for
recycling the washing liquid from the collecting tank to the
rinsing box disposed thereabove.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a an apparatus for the treatment
of materials, for example textile materials, wherein the apparatus
includes at least one treatment chamber and a steam-permeable
conveying means, preferably a conveyor belt made of a metal cloth
and/or at least one sieve drum means, on which the textile material
is guided through the treatment chamber.
More particularly, the present invention concerns a steaming
apparatus as can be particularly applied to shrinking, dyeing,
bleaching, setting, finishing and similar types of treatment
processes.
Devices are well known in which the textile material is passed
through the treatment chamber on sieve drums subjected to a suction
draft. Furthermore, devices are well known in which one or several
conveyor belts are provided as conveying means. In devices using
sieve drums subjected to a suction draft, the textile material is
intensely penetrated by the treatment medium. However, in these
devices only a relatively small material quantity can be
accommodated in the treatment chamber. Thus, for treatments which
require longer treatment times, a device using sieve drums is only
effective to a limited degree. When using conveyor belts as the
conveying means, the material being treated can be piled up in a
layer of any desired thickness. However, the contact of the
material with the treatment medium is not sufficient and
accordingly the treatment effect varies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to avoid the prior art
disadvantages in the steam-treatment of materials, for example,
textile materials.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
apparatus for the steam-treatment of textile materials wherein
materials which require longer treatment times can be effectively
treated while still providing sufficient contact of said material
with the treatment medium.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
apparatus for the treatment of textile materials wherein textile
materials in any form, for example flock, slivers, tow, yarn or
piece-goods can be effectively treated.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present
invention will become apparent from the detailed description given
hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed
description and specific examples, while indicating preferred
embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration
only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and
scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the
art from this detailed description.
Pursuant to the present invention, it has been found that the
above-mentioned disadvantages may be eliminated and a much improved
apparatus for the steam-treatment of textile materials may be
obtained by associating with the conveying means a shock-treatment
means, for example, a blower means which passes the treatment
medium flow through the material being treated and the conveying
means at the inlet of the treatment chamber. Especially with
steaming treatments, a shock-like and completely uniform heating up
of the material can be readily obtained followed by further passage
through the treatment chamber where the material simply dwells in
the treatment atmosphere before removal from the apparatus. It is
advantageous to use as a conveying means a steam-permeable conveyor
belt which extends out of the treatment chamber at the inlet and/or
the outlet of the apparatus and which is returned to the inlet end
preferably from outside the treatment chamber.
In some treatment processes, especially in dyeing processes,
soiling of the conveying means occurs as a result of continual
operation. Thus the apparatus must be stopped from time to time for
cleaning. In order to avoid soiling, it is suggested to provide a
cleaning means for the conveyor belt at that portion of the
conveyor belt which is not covered with the material being treated,
and preferably near the outlet of the apparatus. A drying device
may be arranged behind the cleaning device so that the conveyor
belt can be cleaned and dried in each cycle.
In order to produce a steam atmosphere which contains as little air
as possible, it is desirable to provide at the inlet and possibly
also at the outlet of the apparatus a housing subjected to a
suction draft. However, a water seal may be also arranged at the
outlet of the apparatus for sealing the treatment chamber. In order
to pass even loose stock or textile material which tends to become
entangled, properly through the water seal, it is furthermore
suggested to transport the textile material through said water seal
while it is guided at both sides thereof. For the bilateral
guidance of the material, another endless conveying element, for
example a conveyor belt or a roller, may be provided which, under
an initial stress, rests against the material to be treated. Also,
a rapid and complete heating up of the textile material can be
effected in the steaming chamber by providing near the inlet of the
apparatus and beneath the conveyor belt a suction means and/or a
blower box containing a blowing means.
When treating materials which are only slightly permeable to air or
steam, and in order to obtain a high degree of production, it is in
many cases advantageous to arrange at least one sieve drum means
subjected to a suction draft in the steaming chamber to provide a
uniform and shock-like heating up of the material being treated.
The material is fed to the sieve drum by means of a separate
conveyor belt. It is desirable if the conveyor belt at the inlet of
the apparatus is steam-permeable and possibly passed around at
least one drum.
For the treatment of yarn and other materials which are very
permeable to steam, it is sufficient to arrange at least one
cross-current blower underneath the steam-permeable conveying means
in the treatment chamber and extending preferably over the entire
working width of said conveying means. Accordingly, it is also
advantageous if the suction zone and/or the pressure zone of the
housing of the cross-current blower extends to the belt-like
conveying means. Furthermore, the cross-current blower can be
provided with a heating means which is preferably arranged in the
housing of said cross-current blower.
An effective sealing of the outlet of the apparatus is effected by
means of a water lock. In order to provide for the passage of loose
fibrous material through this water seal, a roller can be provided
as an immersion means which directs the material and the conveying
element through the liquid of the water seal, said roller means
being sealed against the housing and frequently provided with a
perforated, liquid-permeable jacket. If a perforated,
liquid-permeable roller is utilized, the water seal may be designed
as a rinse or wash bowl, for example by subdividing the trough-like
liquid container of the water seal beneath the roller means. For
example, in one part of the liquid container a liquid supply may be
provided and in the other part a liquid drain may be provided. Thus
the liquid flows twice through the material and the perforated
roller. In order to obtain a proper passage of loose fibrous stock,
yarn and the like through the water seal, it is suggested to
immerse the roller of the water seal in the liquid to less than one
half of the roller radius, and to rate the roller diameter in such
a way that the squeezing angle between the belt-like conveying
means and the roller is equal to or less than 30.degree..
According to another essential feature of the present invention and
especially for a textile material which consists of flock, slivers,
tow, yarn and the like which can be plaited on the conveyor belt of
the steaming chamber, it is suggested to combine the steaming
chamber with other treatment units, for example washing and/or
drying means. For example, the treatment units can be provided with
one common endless, liquid and gas-permeable conveying means, for
example a conveyor belt, as the conveying element for all of the
treatment units. In this way a tensionless material guidance
through the individual treatment devices is insured and at the same
time, entangling, felting or other detrimental influences on the
textile material when it is passed from one treatment device to the
next one are substantially eliminated.
For achieving a high production when a thick material layer is to
be handled on the conveyor belt of the steaming apparatus, it is
expedient to provide above the conveyor belt at the inlet of the
treatment chamber another conveying means which is penetrated by
the treatment medium, for example a sieve drum, a wire-mesh belt or
a vibrating chute and to drive this second conveying element at a
much higher speed than the conveyor belt traversing the treatment
chamber. On this conveying means which is penetrated by the steam a
thin layer of the textile material can be fed, penetrated by the
steam and deposited on the conveyor belt which traverses the
steaming chamber in a thick layer after having been heated-up. With
an apparatus provided with a sieve drum subjected to a suction
draft and arranged above the conveyor belt for heating up the
material, it is expedient to provide as a feeding unit in front of
this sieve drum a steam-permeable conveyor belt. This conveyor belt
is passed through an antechamber which is provided with a
circulating means and/or an exhaust means. The conveyor belt of the
steaming apparatus is also passed through this antechamber. A
deflector roll and a chute which extends to the conveyor belt which
passes through the treatment chamber may be correlated to the sieve
drum arranged above the wire-mesh belt. However, it is also
possible to let the material, for example the loose fibrous stock,
drop onto the wire-mesh conveyor means directly and to dispose of
the chute. When using a chute it is advantageous to pass the
material over the lower portion of the sieve drum, whereas when
using a sieve drum without a chute connected therebehind, it is
more desirable to pass the material over the upper portion of the
sieve drum. The portion of the sieve drum covered by the material
being treated is subjected to a suction draft, and at that portion
of the drum which is not covered with the material being treated
the suction draft is interrupted by means of a baffle.
It is also possible to arrange a folding device instead of a sieve
drum above the conveyor belt in the treatment chamber. It is
expedient to mount the folding device in an additional housing
which is set up, as a constructural unit, on top of the steamer
housing, and which may be connected with said steamer housing in a
steam-type manner. Also, when using a sieve drum for the shock-like
heating up of the material, said sieve drum should be accommodated
in a separate constructural unit which may be mounted in a
steam-type manner to the steamer housing. By such an arrangement it
is possible to modify only the separate constructural unit for
heating up the material without effecting the steaming device and
thus the steaming device can be used as such. When using the
embodiment comprising a sieve drum subjected to a suction draft,
the treatment chamber is provided with two material inlets with one
common antechamber, so that it is possible to feed the material
directly onto the conveyor belt which traverses the treatment
chamber and thus to bypass the sieve drum and the appertaining
inlet belt. This application is of particular interest when
handling printed textile material, where steaming and thus
contamination of the material by the conveying means must be
avoided. The apparatus according to the present invention is
particularly suited for the treatment for example for shrinking,
dyeing, bleaching, setting, washing, finishing and the like of
loose, endless fibrous and thread-like materials, such as for
example yarn. According to the present invention endless lengths of
a plurality of yarn threads can be lined up in a parallel, side by
side relationship and preferably folded in the lengthwise direction
onto the conveying element of the treatment apparatus and
subsequently subjected in this condition to one or several
treatments, for example to steaming, washing, and/or drying, and
the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the
detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying
drawings which are given by way of illustration only and thus are
not limitative of the present invention and wherein,
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of the steaming apparatus of the
present invention which can be utilized for the treatment of yarn
and other textile materials;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of a steaming apparatus of the
present invention similar to that of FIG. 1 and utilizing a
cross-current blower means;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of a combined apparatus for the
steaming and washing of materials, for example textile materials;
and
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of a steaming apparatus of the
present invention utilizing a conveyor belt provided with a suction
drum.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are
used throughout the various views to designate like parts, the
apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of yarn
threads 1 drawn off of a bobbin carrier 2 and combined by a rake 3
into a length of material. The yarn threads are then passed as a
length through a padder 4. For the application of the treatment
liquor a printing device (not shown) can also be used instead of
the padder or in addition to the padder. By means of a folding
device 5 the yarn threads 1 are deposited onto a wire-mesh belt 6.
By folding the material it is possible to accommodate, for example,
about a 20 to 50-fold yarn quantity and even more on the conveyor
belt. The steamer has a heat-insulated housing 7 with a heated sump
8 for the generation of saturated steam at the bottom of the
housing. The wire-mesh belt 6 extends out of the treatment chamber
at the inlet and also at the outlet of the apparatus and is
returned to the inlet underneath the bottom of the housing. An
antechamber 9 subjected to a suction draft and a chamber 10 at the
end of the steamer insures an air-free steam atmosphere in the
steamer, since the steam-air mixture in chamber 9 and 10 is
exhausted laterally through a duct 11 and/or 12. For a rapid
heating up of the textile material, in this case for heating up the
yarn threads 1, a suction box 13 with a fan means 14 is provided
beneath the wire-mesh conveyor 6. The wire-mesh conveyor 6 is
guided on rollers 15. A heating means 16 in the ceiling of the
housing prevents the formation of condensate.
If, as shown in this embodiment of the present invention, the
material being treated is to be unfolded after the treatment
process, this can be accomplished by drawing off the yarn threads 1
by means of a pair of rolls 17. In order to facilitate unfolding of
the material, the yarn threads may be caused to swing, for example
by means of a rotating element 18.
For the continuous cleaning of the wire-mesh belt 6 a washing
device 19 is provided at the outlet of the apparatus. The washing
device may be provided with spray tubes which spray the washing
liquor against the wire-mesh belt as well as with one or several
brushing rollers. An exhaust device and/or a drying device may be
provided behind the washing device. However, for drying the
wire-mesh belt the bottom of the steaming chamber may also be used
if said bottom is not heat-insulated.
The embodiment according to FIG. 2 is of similar design as that of
FIG. 1. Accordingly the same elements are marked with the same
numbers. In this embodiment of the present invention an antechamber
9 subjected to a suction draft is provided at the inlet, whereas
the outlet of the apparatus is sealed by means of a water lock 20
which consists of a trough 21 filled with liquid and a roller means
22 which functions to immerse the wire-mesh belt 6 and the material
being treated in the liquid of the water lock. The roller is sealed
against the housings 7 by means of an element 23 resting against
the roller. For a rapid heating up of the material in this device,
a cross-current blower 24 is disclosed beneath the wire-mesh belt.
The housing 25 of the cross-current blower extends in close
proximity to the wire-mesh belt and provides said belt with a
blowing zone 26 and a suction zone 27. For heating up the
recirculated steam a heater battery 28 is disposed in the housing
25.
In order to avoid a lateral displacement of the wire-mesh belt 6,
the belt is provided with a belt control instrument 20 with
swiveling roller means 30 located beneath the inlet end of the
apparatus. The wire-mesh belt 6 is driven by means of a deflector
roll 31 at the outlet of the apparatus. By adjusting the drive at
the outlet of the apparatus the tensioning of the wire-mesh belt
can be readily facilitated.
The apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is a combination of a conveyor belt
steamer and a conveyor belt washing machine 32. The design of the
conveyor belt steamer essentially corresponds to that of the
embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2. The wire-mesh belt 6 is
also passed through the washing machine so that the material
deposited on the wire-mesh belt can be transported through said
washing machine without altering the material deposition. The
washing machine 32 consists of four treatment zones 33. The washing
liquor flows out of rinsing boxes 34 onto and through the textile
material, is collected in collecting tanks 35 arranged underneath
the wire mesh belt and returned into the rinsing boxes 33 by means
of pumps (not shown). When being passed from one treatment zone to
the next treatment zone, the material can be dehydrated by means of
a pair of squeeze rollers 36. By subdividing the washing machine
into several treatment zones, it is possible to use it for rinsing,
washing, and possibly for applying a finishing agent. Thus, it is
possible to work with several treatment liquors. It is also
sometimes desirable to provide a conveyor belt dryer 42 containing
sieve drum means 43 behind the conveyor belt steamer and to pass
the wire-mesh belt 6 through this dryer. A conveyor belt 44
provides communication between the washing unit and the dryer.
In the embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 4, a
sieve drum 37 subjected to a suction draft is provided above the
wire-mesh belt for the shock-like heating up of the material to be
treated. The suction draft is interrupted at that portion of the
sieve drum which is not covered with the material being treated by
means of a baffle means 38 arranged inside the sieve drum. The
textile material is fed to the sieve drum 37 by means of a conveyor
belt 39 which is also passed through the antechamber 9 subjected to
a suction draft and drops via a deflector roll 40 onto a chute 41
from where it is transported in a folded condition onto the
wire-mesh belt 6.
Although the apparatus of the present invention is primarily
directed to steam-treating applications it is readily apparant that
other treatment processes can also be performed in this
apparatus.
The materials which can be treated by the apparatus of the present
invention include any of the natural of synthetic fibers. The
natural fibers can include cotton, wool, silk, cellulose, etc., and
the synthetic fibers may comprise synthetic polymers such as
polyolefins, e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., polyamides,
e.g., Nylon 6 obtained by the condensation of caprolactam, Nylon 66
obtained by the condensation of hexamethylenediamine with adipic
acid, etc., polyesters, e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, etc.,
phenolic resins, e.g., phenol formaldehyde resins, urea
formaldehyde resins, etc., polyvinyl materials, e.g., polyvinyl
chloride, polyvinyl acetate, etc., acrylate resins, e.g.,
polymethylmethacrylate, copolymers of these materials with one
another or with ethylenically unsaturated monomers, and similar
type polymers. The apparatus of the present invention is also
applicable to blends of the above-mentioned textile materials.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the
same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be
regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,
and all such modifications are intended to be included within the
scope of the following claims.
* * * * *