Jet Dyeing Apparatus

Abstract

Means is provided for circulating textile material in endless strand form through a wet processing bath under the influence of a venturi-induced jet of a cycled portion of the treating bath. The jet arrangement includes a driven roll member provided for lifting the strand material from the bath, a venturi structure disposed horizontally beyond the roll member for subjecting the strand material to the jet influence, and a perforate baffle member designed to direct the strand material for orderly circulation beyond the jet influence.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Copending application Ser. No. 234,495, filed Mar. 24, 1972, discloses and claims the general use of roll members of the sort preferably employed for lifting the strand material from the bath according to the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Representative prior art proposals for so-called jet machine processing of textile material are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,978,291, 3,330,134, 3,511,068 and 3,587,256. Such processing involves circulation of the textile material in strand form through a treating bath under the influence of a jetted portion of the treating bath. The jet influence promotes an excellent liquor penetration of and exchange with the textile material as it effects circulation of the material through the treating bath.

Difficulty has been encountered, however, in shielding the material adequately from undue tensioning by the jet influence during treatment, so as to avoid distortion and other undesirable effects, particularly when relatively delicate materials, such as crepes or chiffons or knits, are being handled. To deal with such difficulty a cluster of staggered rolls have heretofore been used ahead of the jet as in the previously noted prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,330,134 and 3,587,256, or the jet has been submerged as in the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,068, but neither of these expedients has proved entirely satisfactory because of other operating difficulties or disadvantages attendant upon their use.

The present invention provides a jet arrangement for curing the foregoing tensioning difficulty in a particularly simple manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, the jet arrangement of the present invention utilizes a superstructure having a vertical intake portion rising from a vessel containing a treating bath for the textile strand material to be processed, together with a horizontal continuing portion and a terminal discharge portion returning to the vessel. A driven roll member is housed at the junction of the vertical intake and continuing horizontal portions for lifting strand material into the superstructure from a treating bath contained in the vessel; a venturi structure is formed in the horizontal portion beyond the roll member and has means connected thereat to cycle a treating bath portion continually thereto under pressure for subjecting the strand material to the influence and forwarding it through the superstructure; and a perforate baffle member is disposed within the vessel adjacent the returning end of the superstructure discharge portion for allowing the cycled treating bath portion returning with the strand material to be shed adequately therefrom and for directing orderly transient accumulation of the strand material in the treating bath contained by the vessel; all as described in detail further below in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a representative jet machine processing system incorporating a jet arrangement embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged illustration of the upper portion of the jet machine showing the jet arrangement in greater detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The jet machine processing system diagramed in FIG. 1 employs a cylindrical pressure vessel or kier 10 mounted on a suitable base 12 with its cylindrical axis disposed horizontally. A kier loading port is provided at 14 through which textile material may be introduced for processing in endless or rope form as indicated at S, and removed after processing. Interiorly, the kier 10 is fitted with perforate positioning spaced in J-box fashion as shown at 16 and 18 to form a storage or accumulation chamber for the greater portion of the strand material S as it is circulated through a treating bath B contained within the kier.

The jet arrangement of the present invention by which circulation of the strand material S is effected comprises a superstructure 20 which includes a vertical intake portion 22 rising from the kier 10, a horizontal continuing portion 24, and a terminal discharge portion 26 returning to the kier 10. At the junction of the vertical intake and continuing horizontal portions 22 and 24, an enlarged housing portion 28 is provided to enclose a driven roll member 30 for lifting the strand material S from the kier 10 into the superstructure 20. The vertical intake portion 22 which receives the lifted strand material S is situated adjacent the loading port 14 and above the exit end of the storage chamber formed between the J-box partitioning 16 and 18, and the housing portion 28 at the upper end thereof is formed to enclose the driven roll member 30 at an offset disposition such that the strand material S is lifted axially into the superstructure intake portion 22 by roll member 30 and delivered therefrom axially to the continuing superstructure portion 24 (see FIG. 2).

Such lifting aand delivery is effected by the roll member 30 through tractive reactions with the strand material S at the roll surface. For this purpose, the roll member 30 is preferably formed with a smooth elastomeric covering as disclosed and claimed in the previously mentioned copending application Ser. No. 234,495, filed Mar. 24, 1972. By depending on tractive reaction to lift and deliver the strand material S free of any nip constraint, an advantageous gentle handling of the circulating strand material is provided at the roll member 30, the level at which the treating bath B is maintained in kier 10 is rendered much less critical, and the pressure of the jet influence needed for effective strand material circulation is materially lessened.

The jet influence is induced in the superstructure 20 just beyond the driven roll member 30 at a venturi structure 32 formed in the continuing horizontal portion 24. Except for the portion 28 housing roll member 30, the superstructure 20 preferably has lengthwise tubular form that is enough larger in cross section at all points than the strand material S to allow for passage of this material freely therethrough. The venturi structure 32 is formed by a tapered necking of the horizontal portion 24 at 34 (compare FIGS. 1 and 2) and the installation of a venturi tube 36 concentrically within the portion 24 so that its downstream end is spaced to provide an annular nozzle at the necking 34 that is fed through a piping connection at 38. The upstream end of venturi tube 36 is flared to receive strand material delivered by the roll member 30 readily, and is adjacently sealed within the horizontal superstructure portion 24 so that the feed through piping connection 38 can escape only through the annular nozzle at necking 34, while a bracing stud 40 is carried by horizontal portion 24 to support the venturi tube 36 toward its downstream end so as to maintain its concentric disposition against the feeding force at piping connection 38 (see FIG. 2).

As indicated in FIG. 1, the piping connection 38 runs from means for cycling a portion of the treating bath B continually to the venturi structure 32 to induce the jet influence thereat. The cycling means starts from a bottom piping connection at 42 with the kier 10 and continues through a centrifugal pump at 44 and a heat exchange at 46 to a throttle valve at 48 by which the feed through piping connection 38 to the venturi structure 32 is controlled. The resulting jet influence acts to forward the strand material S through the remainder of superstructure 20 and effect the previously mentioned liquor penetration of and exchange with the strand material S in the course of doing so.

The forwarded strand material S is thus returned to the kier 10 through the superstructure discharge portion 26 with the cycled treating bath portion that has caused the forwarding, and a perforate baffle member 50 is disposed within kier 10 adjacent the returning end of discharge portion to allow the cycled treating bath portion returning with the strand material to be shed adequately thereupon and to direct orderly transient accumulation of the returning strand material in the treating bath at the storage chamber formed between the partitioning 16 and 18.

It is necessary to provide for shedding of the returning treating bath portion adequately enough to avoid undue gravity impact therefrom on the returning strand material S as it piles into the kier storage chamber, because such impact not only makes orderly piling difficult but also can adversely affect the quality of the material being handled. The perforate baffle member 50 provides for adequate shedding by a disposition causing significant deflection of the returning strand material from the path in which it is discharged from the superstructure 20.

In the illustrated embodiment, the superstructure discharge portion returns to the kier 10 at an inward inclination in the order of 30.degree. from vertical and the baffle member 50 is inclined downwardly and outwardly in the order of 15.degree. from vertical, which has been found in actual practice to be an effective arrangement. What happens with such an arrangement is that a substantial portion of the returning treating bath portion passes through the baffle member 50 and drops harmlessly into a pool that forms inside the J-configuration of the kier storage chamber, while the remainder is deflected predominantly toward the outer partition 16 of the storage chamber to aid in piling the strand material S. The returning strand material S is also deflected by the baffle member 50, but the change of direction involved in such deflection introduces a more or less periodic hesitation in the strand material as it lands on the baffle member 50 and is then carried off with the deflected treating bath portion. The result is a quite orderly piling of the strand material S in the kier storage chamber, and a pronounced opening of the strand or rope configuration, apparently caused by the shedding and deflection of the returning treating bath portion at baffle member 50, which materially aids the piling order.

Structurally, the baffle member 50 is arranged to form part of the inner partitioning 18 for the kier storage chamber, but is angled from the general contour of partitioning 18 to provide the above-noted deflection of the returning strand material S. In particular, the baffle member 50, as well as the storage chamber partitioning 16 and 18, is formed in a flat width with stiffening flanges at each edge, and a suitable degree of perforation is provided by 3/8 inch dimple holes on 1 1/2 inch centers in the flat width. A width of about 24 inches is required for each jet processing station, and if more than one station is desired, the kier 10 is made long enough in the direction of its cylindrical axis to house a storage chamber for each station and a jet arrangement is provided in the foregoing manner for each station as well. Jet machines of up to six stations are in common use.

The illustrated jet processive system is completed by a water fill line 52 running to kier 10 through a control valve 54, a dyestuff and chemical add line 56 also running to kier 10 from a suitable add tank and injection means (not shown) and a recycle line 58 branching from the jet supply line beyond the heat exchanges 46. This recycle line 58 is fitted with a throttle valve 60 so that a portion of the jet supply feed can be recycled to kier 10 to maintain the treating bath B at a desired temperature with good uniformity. In returning to kier 10, the recycle line 58 joins a drain line 62 through which the treating bath B may be dropped from kier 10 by opening a control valve 64 therein.

A jet processing operation proceeds representatively as follows. Starting with kier 10 empty, water is added through filll line 52 to a suitable level and then the strand material S is loaded by opening port 14, after starting the supply feed to venturi 32 and the drive to roll member 30, so that the leading end of the strand material S can be introduced at the intake portion 22 of superstructure 20. The suction generated by the operating venturi 32 will thereupon draw the introduced leading end up over roll member 30 and into the horizontal continuing portion 24 of superstructure 20 through which it will be forwarded by the jet influence to the discharge portion 26 for piling in the kier 10. As more and more strand material S is drawn in and the piling continues, the kier storage chamber will fill so that the introduced leading end will appear at the exit end of the storage chamber where it can be reached and sewn to the strand material trailing end to form an endless strand for processing after the loading port 14 has been closed.

If the strand material being handled requires an initial wash, this may be done with the water added before loading and in which case it will need to have been added at a suitable wash temperature or brought up to temperature by the heat exchanges 46. The wash water will then be dropped and the kier 10 refilled for the addition of chemicals and dyestuff for a dyeing cycle at suitable temperatures and pressure, after which further washing and scouring can be completed in a similar manner. Unloading is then accomplished by again opening the port 14, finding the joined strand material ends, and removing the strand material after separating these ends.

The jet arrangement of the present invention makes it possible to carry out such an operation with a number of advantages. Because the lifting roll member 30 is situated in the superstructure 20, the load capacity of the kier 10 is increased up to 50 percent depending on the particular character of the strand material being handled, and a similar increase in operating speeds up to 300 yards per minute is permitted due to the more orderly piling effected by the baffle member 50 and the better situation of roll member 30 for lifting the piled material from the storage chamber. In addition, circulation of strand material through superstructure 20 is effected at lower jet pressures because of the horizontal disposition of the venturi 32 for delivery of the strand material thereto by roll member 30, and the cycled treating bath portion returning with the strand material is made easier to handle at the baffle member 50.

As a result, undue tension on the strand material is avoided during circulation, the orderly storage chamber piling permits essentially tangle free operating at the higher speeds possible, and the strand material is generally handled in a manner that eliminates difficulty with crows feet, crack marks, creasing, and the like. Furthermore, the structural simplicity of the jet arrangement in which the only moving part is the driven roll member 30 substantially reduces operating adjustments and maintenance requirements.

It is also notable that jet processing equipment embodying the present invention in the foregoing manner can also be used to good advantage for drying the strand material S after wet processing by simply dropping the treating bath B and continuing the strand material circulation by jetting heated air at the venturi 32 while disposing of the effluent vapor in some suitable manner as the drying progresses. Such drying use of the equipment can be of particular interest when a solvent treating bath has been used.

Jet processing equipment of the sort involved here is normally, although not necessarily, designed for operation at elevated pressure and temperature, a representative design rating being for 53 p.s.i. at 300.degree. F, and the superstructure 20 is consequently associated with kier 10 in pressure retaining relation for such operation.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise to exclude any variation or equivalent arrangement that would be apparent from, or reasonably suggested by, the foregoing disclosure to the skill of the art.

Claims

We claim:

1. In apparatus for wet processing textile material in endless strand form by circulating the strand through a vessel containing a treating bath under the influence of means including a venturi-induced jet of a cycled portion of the treating bath, the combination which comprises:

a. a superstructure having a vertical intake portion rising from said vessel, a horizontal continuing portion, and a terminal discharge portion returning to said vessel;

b. a driven roll member housed at the junction of said vertical intake and continuing horizontal portions for lifting said strand material into said superstructure from a treating bath contained in said vessel;

c. a venturi structure formed in said continuing horizontal portion and having means connected thereat to cycle a portion of said treating bath continually thereto under pressure for subjecting said strand material to the jet influence and forwarding it through said superstructure; and

d. a perforate baffle member disposed within said vessel adjacent the returning end of said terminal discharge portion for allowing the cycled treating bath portion returning with said strand material to be shed adequately therefrom and for directing orderly transient accumulation of the returning strand material in the treating bath contained by said vessel.

2. In apparatus for wet processing textile material, the combination defined in claim 1 wherein said vessel is a pressure vessel and said superstructure rises from and returns to said vessel in pressure retaining relation thereto.

3. In apparatus for wet processing textile material, the combination defined in claim 1 wherein said superstructure, except for the portion housing said roll member, is tubular in form and enough larger in cross section than said strand material to allow for passage of said material freely therethrough.

4. In apparatus for wet processing textile material, the combination defined in claim 3 wherein said driven roll member is housed at the junction of said vertical and continuing horizontal superstructure portion at a disposition such that said strand material is lifted thereby axially into said vertical portion and delivered therefrom axially to said horizontal portion.

5. In apparatus for wet processing textile material, the combination defined in claim 1 wherein said driven roll member is formed to lift said strand material from said treating bath into said superstructure by tractive reaction with said strand material at the surface of said roll member.

6. In apparatus for wet processing textile material, the combination defined in claim 1 wherein the disposition of said perforate baffle member is such that the returning strand material is deflected significantly from the returning path in which it is discharged from said terminal discharge portion of the superstructure.

7. In apparatus for wet processing textile material, the combination defined in claim 6 wherein said terminal discharge portion returns to said vessel at an inward inclination in the order of 30.degree. from vertical and said perforate baffle member is inclined downwardly and outwardly in the order of 15.degree. from vertical.