US2445504A - Process of fluid treating webs of fabric - Google Patents

Description

July 20, 1948. s. H. WILLIAMS PROCESS OF FLUID TREATING WEBS 0F FABRICS Filed Oct. 6, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 20, 1948. s. H. WILLIAMS 2,445,504

PROCESS OF FLU ID TREATING WEBS 0F FABRICS Filed Oct. 6, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 20, 1948- s. H. WILLIAMS 2,445,504

PROCESS OF FLUID TREATING WEBS OF FABRICS Filed Oct. 6, 1944 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 3 i! i W1 '1' 1i 'i M I n M .1 =1 '1 JP 12 J8 J awe/whom Jriz lmerjf suitable way to carry out this Patented July 20, 1948 PROCESS OF FLUID TREATING WEBS OF FABRIC Sumner H. Williams, Charlotte, N. 0. Application October 6, 1944, Serial No. 557,459

1 Claim. 1

The purpose of this invention is to produce controlled uniformity of dyed or chemically treated lots of material by a continuous operation. From a control standpoint, I have found that a function is to first apply the colors or chemicals tothe material and then carry either in a continuous operation, or as a separate operation, for further dyeing or developing, to the unit such as designed, inorder to further properly fix or fasten the dyestuffs to the material or fibres. This procedure is best explained on the order of a continuous vat pigment form of dyeing. I use the vat colors in citing this instance, but the same is true of any of the other groups of colors or chemicals that require additional development, reduction or fixation in order that they may be dyed or treated to obtain their maximum fastness. The vat colors in their pigment form have little or no affinity and, therefore, can be applied very uniform over the material to be dyed, in this form, but require further reduction treatment so that they may be properly afiixed to the material to produce their rated fastness.

One object of this invention is to takesuch pretreated material containing these pigment dyes or chemicals, or other coloring matter, to a developing or dyeing unit, such as shown, either in a wet or dry state and gravity feed a treating solution with the material through a confined channel area arranged so that the treating fluid follows the material in an even manner, and due to the close confinement, the vat pigments in the process of becoming solubilized or reduced are prevented from bleeding off into a wide area of solution, as this solution travels with the material, closely confined. The stripping off action or bleeding is held to a very close minimum and produces results from a dyeing standpoint that cannot be obtained by the present methods in use, such as the adding of pre-dissolved dyes to a dyebath.

By pre-treating the material with this coloring matter, it is possible to use types of dyestuffs that vary considerably in their rates of exhaust or have different chemical structuresand produce even dyeing effects by such mixtures, which are uniformly controlled. If such mixtures of colors were dissolved and added to a tank of any structure as the material would pass through, the fastest dyeing types would be absorbed first out of the solution, leaving behind the less sub-stantive types and produce an uncontrollable dyeing factor. By carrying such mixtures or groups of colors that have already been adhered to the fabric.

material, such as by padding them on or by any other means, for further dyeing and development, they may be carried with the material, together with the fluid, so that no remaining color is left back in any stationary part of the treating liquid, as the treating liquid is forced by gravity to flow concurrent with the material until the dyeing or chemical action has been completed. 7

It has taken many years of research to devise a movable treating fluid in a confined area to produce the results as explained.

The following description relates to my invention in the process and apparatus of treating material. More particularly it deals with chemical treatment whether bleaching, dyeing, washing or otherwise of a continuous web of textile The web or fabric or material, as mentioned here, may be in any physical form, such as thread or yarn or yarns grouped together, known as warps.

Textile fabrics have been made by weaving, knitting or otherwise, yarn thread or other strands in great varieties of materials thus the fibers which are spun together to form the material may be animal fibers such as silk, wool and mohair, mineral fibers such as asbestos, sodium silicate and similar forms or may be of vegetable origin such as natural fibers of cotton, flax and synthetic fibers as cellulose acetate, viscose or cuprammonium and all other forms of synthetic silk-like materials as nylon and casein fibers. Frequently these materials are made up not only of a single type of fiber but a mixture of various materials such as above described.

Chemical treatment of such mixed fibers for bleaching, dyeing or otherwise conditioning, must take into consideration differences in reaction by the several types of fibers and difierent periods of time or conditions which must be observed in producing a satisfactory uniform product.

This invention proposes a process for the chemical treatment of such textile fabrics regardless of their particular constitution and applicable for many operations such as bleaching, dyeing and the like.

In many instances satisfactory treatment of the material is dependent upon avoiding unnecessary exposure to the air either of the reacting solution or of the fabric undergoing treatment. In the treatment of a continuous web of material it is important to insure even and uniform exposure of the material throughout its length to the reacting solution or solutions. In like manner it is necessary to bring the reacting solution into the most intimate contact with the terial under treatment.

fabric until the desired chemical and physical actions take place between the material and ingredients carried by the treating liquid. This invention provides for the dyeing, bleaching or other chemical treatment of a continuous web of material in a manner that allows the material to be treated evenly on all sides as the layer of treating gliquid .completely surrounds the material and is held in close contact to the latter by the particular construction of narrow channels through which the material to be treated moves and thus is brought into contact with the treating fluid which is also in motion either in the direction of the material or in the opposite direction. This brings about faster chemicaltreatment due to utilizing the full area of this liquid traveling in motion with the material.

This procedure maintains a positive control-and a desirable low ratio of treating liquid to the ma- By the material being surrounded with such a thin layer of liquid the ingredients which are either'dissolved or held in suspension in the'liquidare forced by close con- "tact to react evenly over the material for the purposeintended and without loss. This is in direct contrast to the prevailing practice which either forces the chemical solutions through stationarilyheldmaterials or conversely agitates the material in a-normally stationary treating solution.

My invention uses a basically diiferent principle, that of causing the material to travel through themachine so that the material is submerged -in a minimum quantity of the liquid so arranged-as to bring the material in close contact with the dyes, bleaching agents or other chemicals. At the same time the treating liquid is caused -to travel incontact with the fabric until completion of the desired chemical reaction,

To define more clearlythe'treatment of material either chemically or with dyestufis, inasmuch as the chemicals or coloring matter may react (not only chemically but physically, this in vention covers the mechanical and physical reactions between the material to be treated and the ingredients, which are brought in contact with it, contained in thefluid, as these ingredients .in the fluid may be chemically inert and are mechanically forced on the material by either close contactin processingsame by the method stated.

Toproperlycarryout my process for the chemical treatment of acontinuously advancing web of textile fabric, I .have designed an improved apparatus capable ofsuccessfully treating the-material and in particular dyeing it by anyone of the different types of dyes. The .apparatus is equally advantageous for bleaching and other chemical treatments than dyeing.

A furtherobjectiofmy invention .is to provide an apparatus by which the material may be treated toa blend of.colors giving a desired shade. Thistreatment maybe simultaneous or successive when the dyes have diiiierent afiinities for the fiber treated or adhere to the material at different rates of speed. .By applying these colors together with .the material or by first treating the material with these colors and then passing them through the apparatus for Ifurther development, the forced contact of the reacting materials with .the fabric in a confinedarea andsubject to common motion, the dyes are prevented from exhausting as they would react when applied from stationary solutions.

In particular the reacting chemicals with which it is intended to treat the fabric, may be fed to extend the full width the apparatus either at the point of entrance or at any subsequent stage, or separate reagents may be added at separate points in order to bring the reaction to completion at the point of delivery.

A still further object of my invention is to maintain a desired control of the temperature of the material and reacting liquid.

.sAmongrthe objects ofamyiinventionis to economize thechemical agentsused and to guard them from unnecessary exposure to oxidation.

As an illustration of the preferred form of apparatus by which my invention may be carried rout, I have shown a typical installation in the the area of thejfabric to be treated permitting the movement of the .treatingliquid along with or contraryto the course of the webbeing treated and with minimum exposure to the air.

Such an arrangement is accomplished with a tank 4 WhiChIiS composed of suitable material to withstan'dlthe chemicals in'the treating solutions. This tank hasfheating means such as the coil 5 or analogous means by which the water or other fluid in the tank maybekept at the desired temperature most satisfactory for carrying out the chemical treatment.

The tank has an'inner wall or lining'fi'by which the tankbecomes a heating Water jacket. This lining is formed with verticalpartitions or dams. Ihave shown two such transverse hollow partitions"! and 8 extending upwardly in the tank. The top of the'transverse partition!) is slightly lower'thanthe 'top 'of;roll"2ll, preceding this partition. Fig. 1 shows'that the 'fluid'trave'ls over the first top roll 20, following the material into the roll '26, is slightly lower than the first, allowing the liquid to cascade from one channel to the other. The dam '9, slightly lower than roll 20, allows for a continuation of the flow of liquid into the'next series of channels, the cascade of liquid flowing-over the top of each roll 20, until reaching the exhaust level i8.

At the head or entrance end of the tank the innerwall or linings rises above the tank to form a funnel or chute lfi'which'in Fig.2 is shown to of the tank and to permit the entrance of the web of fabric 16.

The ch'emical solution is added in'desired quantity'to the funnel 1-5 through the inlet pipe l1.

After flowing through -the tank the spent chemical liquid overflows through the pipe [8.

Suitably journaled in the side walls of "the tank assh'own-at T9 in Fig. '2, is a series of rolls 20. A roll "20 surmoun'ts each partition 1, 8, [0, H, l3 'and T4 and has a diameter slightly greater than the partition. Each'of'the several rolls 20, is slightly lower than its preceding roll, so that the liquid fiowingover the top of th'e first'roll '20, flows through and under the "baffles, following the material, and cascades over the second roll 20, continuing-over dam 9 and in the same manner throughout the balance of the machine to wells 23 between the several partitions. dams and the walls of the tank. Thesepartitions extend below the full width of the tank. They have a transverse width slightly less than the'wells in which they are suspended thus providing narrow passageways for the web and the surrounding liquid.

The lower end of each baffle has a pair of standards 24 in which is journaled a roller 25. This roller has a diameter slightly greater than the transverse width of the baffle. The diameters of the rolls and 25 are such that the web l6 passes through the narrow channels between the baffles and the adjacent partitions, dams or tank walls.

Suitably mounted on standards 26 on the side of the tank are rolls 21 and 28 arranged in super posed pairs. The first pair of rolls '2'! surmounts the dam 9 and the lower roll 28 has adiameter such that the web rises upwardly along one side of the dam and down the other side equally spaced between the vertical faces of the dam and the adjacent baflles.

A second pair of rolls 29 and 30 is mounted above the tank and the dam l2 in the same manner and for the same purpose.

At the discharge end of the-tank a third pair of rolls 3| and 32 is mounted to receive the web as it rises from the narrow space between. the baffle 2| and the wall of the hollow tank 6.

Each pair of rolls is driven with suitable driving means provided to rotate the rolls advancing the material through the machine, their purpose being to cut down the strain and lessen the tension on the fabric in its travel through the apparatus.

Figure 3 illustrates the method of starting the chemical treatment. The requisite quantity of chemical solution having been runinto the wells 23, a web It is passed between the pairs of rolls 21, 28,29, 30, 3| and 32.

The baffles are then lowered, either simultaneously or successively into their respective wells. This serves to festoon the web so that it passes down near the end wall 5 of the tank around the roller 25 of the first baffle and thence around the roller 20 above the partition 1; Each baillejl establishes a corresponding festoon in its respective well. 1

It will be apparent that the web delivered from the well in advance of the dam 9 is carried up to the first pair of rolls before festooning through the wells between the dams 9 and I2. In like manner the web passes through the second-rolls before festooning in the wells between dam l2 and the third pair of rolls. 1

The treating fluid reaches a level above the partition I, over top roll. 20 and the level of film of liquid over this rollis governed by the speed of the fluid fed into the machine at FL The speed of thetravel of the fluid with the material is, therefore, regulated at point of entry l1, and point of exhaust l8. As the solution cascades over the top of each roller and down through the channels with the material, the speed of flow is governed at the point of entry, and the height of film above the rollers 20 is governed at the point of exhaust l8.

As the web is drawn through the apparatus it will carry with it a thin narrow surrounding stream of treating liquid modified only by the wringing action of the rolls. Fresh liquid is fed into the funnel or hopper I5 as the spent liquid is discharged from the overflow l8.

The surface of the treating liquid exposed to the air is limited to that area between the bafiles and over the dams. This is a verysmallratio compared. with the area of fabric being treated. Consequently there is a minimum of deterioration of the treating liquid which is very important where the latter must be protected against oxidation. I

- In some-instances separate dye solutions may be introduced successively. For examplea dye which operates slowly may be introduced with the web and followed by the introduction of a more rapidly operating dye into the well between the dam 9 and partition I'll. Thus both dyes will have completed their reaction as the web leaves the finalwell.

Some reactions may suggest the advisability of drawing the web through the apparatus in the reverse direction to theflow of liquid reagent. This of course will be easily accomplished in the apparatus as described. 1 Likewise the several wells may be arranged horizontally so that the material and fluid may be caused to traverse back and forth in a horizontal direction. 7

Instead of heating the water bath of the tank by means of the coil 5, I may also use steam, gas or electrical units. Such heating means may also be applied to the removable baffles.

The'process of chemically treating the fabric in this apparatus may be carried out for various objects. Thus the process is peculiarly adapted for all types of vat or leuco colors which due to their oxidizing properties are dyed to the best advantage in baths or solutions that are not exposed tothe air. Such colors are indanthrene blue BCS-color index No. 1114 and caledon jade green-color No. 1101. With such colors the baffling of the path gives a maximum area of fabric in contact with the solution and a minimum exposure of liquid. This consequently minimizes the required amounts of reducing chemicals such as sodium hydrosulphite.

It will be evident that similar advantages are obtained by confining bleaching solutions such as sodium or hydrogen peroxide and solution of chlorine incidental to carrying out a bleaching operation. 1 i i As' an example of continuously dyeing with direct or substantive dyes I have carried out the process with diamine sky blue FF-color index No. 518 and chrysophenine color index No: 365 obtaining all depths of shades. The material was first treatedv with a direct color by passing the material through a bath containing the color in a water solution. The fabric was then taken to the illustrated apparatus eitherwet or dry where the dyeing and developing was accomplished by the further treatment of the material with the solution of common salt. This-solution traveled in the thin area with the material at 200 F. forcing the proper fixation of the dyestuff to the fiber until the reaction was completed. The application of this group of colorssurpasses in time and control the conventional methods in use for applying this group of dyestuffs.

The second method used in applying the direct colors is by entering the untreated material, containing no dyestuffs, to the machine and feeding simultaneously the dissolved color along with the necessary chemicals, and the color and'material traveling together until the dyes are absorbed out of the fluid onto the material to a point where the dyein action is complete, adding, it necessary, solutions of common salt or other chemicals that. may be necessary to accelerate the dyeing action between the material and the colors held inthefluid. i

. Sulphur. dyestuffs; such: as .immedial'. green-- c'olo'r': index" No; .1106 and .immedial orange 6* "-colortin'dex No:.-949 arerapplied: in the samermanto the-treatingliquid-and causing thefabric and liquid: to? travel together in? close contact; Here againathea-dyeingractionj is completed: in a shorter. space I of time; with amore -'-completecontrol of final shade and less oxidation of the dyestuif;

In applying diazo ordevelopeddyes' such'as primulineecolorind'exs No. 812 ordiamineblack BH-c-olor indextNoz- 401,- the'first step is carriedout" inrthe'same' manner as with direct or substan tive dyestuffs but as these colors necessitates. furthertreatment; necessary to produce" their desired fastnessrand true shade, they are further. chemically treated. Thus the fabric: which-already contains the fixed dyestufl' is passewthrough-the apparatus-- containing "the solution with sodium nitrite and either-hydrochloric orsulphuric acid: For: the production. oithe final shade thefabric may be treated further'innthe same apparatus after rinsing, by-applying such developers :as beta naphthol 01 other" suitable chemicals.

Ihave used? this process also for: the dyeing of vat colors-shownby color indexes suchas anthra yellowGG'-colo'r index: No: 1095-, indanthrene olive-Rcolo1':index-No; 1150;. bromide indigo MInB/iB1color"index"No-.: 1184 and. helindone pink BNc=ol'or index No- 1211. These include the anthraquinone,fthe indigoid; both bromide and the thio indigoi'd types,. including synthetic indigo-c'olor index-v No. 1 1'77 or 'hydron" blues color' index Nos.- 969 and 971, carbasols; andthe water soluble vat colors: or leuco' vatsrs'uchs as known to the trade as al'go'solsor indigo'sols (cale don jade greeneindex" color No; 1101'); All these groups have been dyed successfully by this process by 1 treating the material to" be dyed t with these dyes inipigment orin soluble form andcen; tered into the continuous developing and dyeing unit, either wet ordr'y; intowhich'istfed simultaneouslythe necessary reducing." and dyeing chemicals; such as hydrosulphite of sodium,.caus= tic soda and common salt-,- all traveling together} the'materi-als'dyes and solution throughthenarrow channels. or'orifices until the dye action" is complete; By dyeing these colors'in such. a confined" fluid medium which travels with? the material throughout 1 the machine in close contact with: each other, thematerial is surrounded by a thin layer ofsolution. The reduction and dyeing action takes place-in such" a confined area that complete exhausts of dyes are obtained in aluminium space of time, producing results thatheretofore have not-been accomplished in the practical art of handling the groupsof dyestuif mentioned; This is particularly true in'th'e dyeing of what is known to the trade as h'eavy or dark-shades of vat colors such were still 'best appliedbywhat is knownas either" jig or padji'g-methodof dyeing. Inthis process it'isinecessary topass-tlie material a num'ber oftim'es back and-forth through the solution inorder to properly obtain the correct shade -and"fast'ness' and duringthese passages portions-of a various color combination may come off orgo back-' onu'nevenly, producing unpredictable results; Inproducing these sameheavy-shadesby this invention the pigment color eitherin dispersed" or soluble form is first applied to the-fabric'and then: carried or passed through this machineeither in onecontinuous operation or as a sep'-' arate: treatment by the" material having con-' tained .t-heunfixed dyestuff. The colors must be put in a soluble iorm byreduction as the dyes ofthis'groupof colors are made soluble by entering them into a reducing solution. They have anatura'l tendency to bleed out into the area of fl'uid into which theyare immersed. By this invention they-are immersed in such a thin layer of solution, the dyeings are forced in contact withthematerial preventing this bleeding off into an area: of solution which is a. major factor in producing true shadesby holding the dyestufi on the'materi'al, by running it throughthe closely fitted channels which prevent the dyes, as they become soluble, to leave the material and bleed out. into a-wide area of'fluid. As this group' of colors. has been passed throughthis machine where the reducing anddyeing action takes place; theyare eithertthen in a separate or in a continuous operation, washed and oxidized in the usual. manner necessary to treat this class vof dyestufis.

Additionally I may carry out the dyeing" and developing of the naphthol or insoluble azo group of colors represented as a group by naphthol as (beta-hydroxynaphthoic acid anilide) developed with fast scarlet salt'GGN (stabilized diazo salt of 2,5 -dichloroaniline) andnaphthol AS-G diacetoaceti'c tolidedeveloped with fast red B base 5-nitro-4-aminotoluene. The same principles ofler their advantages in this field where materials must be brought in contact with chemicals or developers'to produce a chemical reaction or completion of process. The materials to be treated are carried together with the chemicals through this continuous dyeing and developing unit in close contact in the confined areas as shown, which produce, due to their design, results much more satisfactory than any of the other conventional continuous methods now employed in the art. 7

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that I have devised a method of dyeing, developing and treating fabrics with chemicals by continuous movement of the fabric, the liquid and chemicals through a confined area so that the fabric is evenly surrounded by liquid. The close contact forces the material in the liquid to react with the fabric. This process results in improvements and advantages and simplifies the control in production in dyeing and chemical treatment. It also gives greater economy in the use of the chemicals and dyes by utilizing avery low rati'o of liquid to the fabric treated.

The-invention is supplemented by the'novel and improved apparatus including the removable bafll'es and attached immersion rolls which block exposure of all but a thin .area of the liquid. Manyminor details in the process and apparatus are possible without departing from the scope of the. following claim.

I claim:

A continuous process of treatinga continuous Web. of. fabric. with a chemical solution,- which consistsin drawing the web successively downwardly and upwardly through. a tank, reducing the elevationof the web. drawn through said tank successively and progressively with the highest elevation of said Webbeing nearest the point of admission ofsaid web into the tank, feeding a chemical solutioninto thetank at a point immediately. adjacent that at which. the web enters the tank, successively bafllingsaid solution and 10 web together in a confined area at progressively REFERENCES CITED lower levels with the highest bailiing point bein nearest the point of admission of said solution i ifig gzgg are of record m the into the tank, moving the chemical solution through the tank by the combined action of 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS drawing said web therethrough and the effect of Number Name Date gravity to cause said solution to travel in a thin 1,029,366 Haskell June 18' 1912 stream immediately surrounding and with said 1,402,765 Haskell Jam 10, 1922 web, removing said web from the tank, and. simultaneously withdrawing spent solution from 10 said tank adjacent the point of removal of the web from said tank.

SUMNER H. WILLIAMS.

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