US2729537A - Open width wet processing apparatus and process - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1956 J. B. LASLEY 2,729,537

OPEN WIDTH WET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Filed April 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JAMES B. LAJL 5") M, 7504M 384m II'TORA EKS J. B. LASLEY 2,729,537

OPEN WIDTH WET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Jan. 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 3, 1951 INVENTOR.

JAMEJ B. LAJLEV ATTOR/YIK) United States Patent OPEN WIDTH WET PRUCEING APPARATUES AND PRQCESS James B. Lasley, Lancaster, S. (1., assignor to The Springs Cotton Mills, Inc., a corporation of South Carolina Application April 3, 1951, Serial No. 213,975

11 Claims. (Cl. 8-151) This invention relates to the wet processing of fabric webs in open width form, and more particularly to an improved apparatus adapted for this purpose and to the method of wet processing fabric webs with apparatus of this type.

The open width wet processing of a fabric web consists essentially of training the fabric web so that it is successively immersed in and withdrawn from a constantly replenished treating liquor bath a number of times. An immersion tank is commonly employed to contain the treating liquor bath, and a series of immersion rolls are usually arranged adjacent the bottom of this tank for training the successive immersions of the web in the bath.

Commonly, too, some sort of baffle means is arranged in relation to the immersion rolls to create a tortuous path for the treating liquor flow and thereby agitate the treating liquor to enhance its action on the fabric web being processed. Heretofore, these bafile means have characteristically consisted of partitions arranged alternately for underflow and overflow of the treating liquor. Such an arrangement has been inherently troublesome, however, because it tends to trap any floating extract from the fabric web, and it has the further substantial disadvantage of directing the treating liquor flow against the faces of the fabric web each time it is immersed so that the web forms a series of barriers to the treating liquor flow which either requires the treating liquor to be moved through the immersion tank in the same direction as the fabric web, or results in channeling the treating liquor between the web selvages and the tank sides if it is counterflowed, which tends to create a stagnant condition at the web faces that substantially reduces the effectiveness of the treating liquor. As a result, the treating liquor soon becomes spent because the longest treated portion of the web is always subjected to the longest used treating liquor, and this in turn requires a series of separate immersion bath units to be used in order to obtain adequate treatment.

The improved apparatus of the present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing for channeling of the treating liquor transversely of the open width of the fabric web being processed so that the treating liquor may be effectively counterflowed to allow the wet processing treatment to be carried out in a much smaller space and with substantially greater facility and efficiency than has heretofore been possible.

The improved apparatus and method of the present invention are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of an open width wet processing apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the immersion tank incorporated in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken sub- 2 1sgubstantially from the position indicated at 4-4 in Referring now in detail to the drawing, the embodiment of the open width wet processing apparatus of the present invention as shown in Fig. 1 comprises an immersion tank It of generally elongated form and in which a plurality of immersion rolls 12 (some of which may be elliptical as at 14) are arranged in parallel spaced relation adjacent the bottom of the tank 10 and along its entire length.

Above the tank 10 a corresponding series of elevated guide rolls 16 are arranged for training a fabric web as at W in open width form under the immersion rolls 12 (or 14) and for withdrawing the web W above the tank 10 again from each of the immersion rolls 12 (or 14) in succession.

Fresh treating liquor is introduced in the tank 10 according to the present invention at the end of the tank ll) from which the fabric web W is finally withdrawn (i. e., the left end as shown in Pig. 1), and spent treating liquor is drained from the tank 10 at the other end where the fabric web W first enters. The fabric web W will normally be withdrawn finally from the tank 10 through a pair of squeeze rolls 18, as is common practice, and the fresh treating liquor may suitably be introduced by spray means as at 26! arranged to play on the web W ahead of the nip of the squeeze roll pair 13 so that it falls in the adjacent end of the tank 10 as it drains from the nip of the rolls 18 and from the web W.

By this arrangement the freshest treating liquor is always applied first to the most fully treated portion of the web W so that the greatest possible treatment differential is obtained, and this remains true as the treating liquor is counterfiowed through the apparatus in relation to the direction of web progression.

In order to provide for effective counterflow of the treating liquor in this manner, the immersion tank 10 is further fitted with partition members as at 22 (some of which may be arranged specially as at 24 for a purpose that will be explained further below). All of the partition members 22 (and 24) are disposed in the tank 10 to extend upwardly from the tank bottom between the immersion rolls 12 (and M) to a height above the treating liquor level to be maintained and alternately from opposite sides 0! the tank 10 in a length extending at least in projected alignment with the far edge (as indicated by broken lines at E in Fig. 2) of the open width of the fabric web W but terminating short of the other tank side.

As a result, the partition members 22 serve as baflle means for channeling the flow of treating liquor in a sepentine path (as indicated in Fig. 2 at F) so that it is directed transversely of the open width of the fabric web W at each of the immersion rolls 12 (and 14) in a manner that obriates any substantial resistance to the counterflow by the web W and that presents all of the treating liquor for effective action on the web W.

The spent treating liquor may be drained from the tank 10 at the right hand web entrance end (as seen in Figs. 1 and 2) by means of an overflow as indicated at 26 in Fig. 2 arranged in any suitable manner to maintain the desired treating liquor level in the tank 10.

In addition to the previously mentioned final squeeze roll pair 18, it will usually be desirable to employ an initial squeeze roll pair 28 arranged in the usual manner to act on the fabric web W before it reaches the immersion tank 10, and there will usually also be advantage in employing further intermediate squeeze roll pairs 30 spaced above the tank 10 at intervals along its length to act on the web W. According to the present invention, these intermediate squeeze roll pairs 30 are spaced 3 at intervals in relation to the specially arranged partition members 24 mentioned above (see Fig. l).

The special partition members 24 are adapted for compartmenting the tank 19 when desired, and for this purpose may suitably extend upwardly for the full tank height as shown. Also, these special partition members 24 are fitted with door members as at 32 (compare Figs. 2 and 3) arranged for closing to cover the space by which the partition members '24 terminate short of one or the other of the tank walls, and thereby form separate compartments in the tank 10. These door members 32 may suitably-be of the sliding type as illustrated in Fig. 2, the open position of the door members 32 being indicated in full lines and the closed position in dotted lines.

As the specially arranged compartmenting partition members 24 are arranged in relation to the intermediate squeeze roll pairs 39 as mentioned above (i. e., vertically below the squeeze roll pairs 34)), they provide for operating the apparatus of the present invention in separately functioning units if desired. Thus, an additional spray means as at 34 may be provided ahead of the nip of one or more of the intermediate roll pairs 30 to introduce fresh treating liquor to a separate tank compartment formed by closing the door member 32 of the special partition member 24 below the intermediate squeeze roll pair or pairs 39 involved. When this is done, the fresh treating liquor is introduced at the point of withdrawal of the fabric web W from the compartmented tank unit and the treating liquor is counterflowed through the unit in the same manner as when the fresh treating liquor is introduced only at the final squeeze roll pair 18 and counterfiowed through the entire tank 10, as previously described. The tank 10 may be provided with further overflow drain means as at 26 located just ahead of each of the special partition members 24 and arranged to be closed off when the apparatus is not compartmented, or removable cover plates 36 may be arranged over additional drain openings adjacent each of the special partitions 24 for replacement with a suitable overflow or other drain means when desired.

It should be noted at this point that the manner in which the treating liquor is counterflowed according to the present invention, so that effective web processing treatment may be obtained by successive immersions of an open width fabric web W in a single immersion tank 1 0, makes it possible to arrange the apparatus of the present invention in a particularly compact form with regularly spaced immersion rolls 12 (and 14) and guide rolls '16. For example, an installation of apparatus embodying the present invention as illustrated in Fig. 2, and which incorporates 25 immersion rolls 12 (and 14) and squeeze nips in addition to the initial squeeze rolls 28; has actually been made in exactly the same space formerly occupied by wet processing equipment having only 12 immersion rolls and only 3 squeeze nips.

In order to maintain this exceptionally compact arrangement while still providing for operation of the present invention in compartmented units, auxiliary guide rolls as at 38 and 46 are disposed ahead of each intermediate squeeze roll pair 3t and ahead of the final squeeze rolls 1%, for displacing the fabric web W backwardly as it is withdrawn from the last immersion roll 12 of each compartmentable tank section and thereby train the web W for return at a proper disposition for entrance at the squeeze nips without varying atall the regular spacing of the immersion rolls 12 (and 14) and guide rolls 16. This arrangement also allows conventional expander rolls as indicated at 42 in Fig. 1 to be spaced ahead of each squeeze nip in the usual manner, and slack take-up rolls 40 carried on bell crank pressure arms or the like (not shown) to be provided as necessary or desirable.

The embodiment shown in Fig. l of the apparatus of the present invention is particularly adapted for a washingtreatment following a bleach, and for this purpose the treating liquor would be hot water introduced at the final nip spray means 2% and maintained at a proper temperature by jacket steam, the entire bottom of the immersion tank 19 being jacketed as at 46, during its counterflow to the drain means 26 at the other end of the tank 14}. The effective counterflow washing treatment provided by this apparatus reduces substantially the amount of wash water normally necessary and accordingly also provides very substantial steam economies.

In the usual case, the tank 10 may be left uncompartmented for a treatment of this sort. Alternatively, however, it may be desirable to compartment the tank 10 at the first intermediate squeeze roll pair 30 and introduce fresh water at the spray means 34 too in order to take off a highly concentrated bleach liquor solution for recovery before continuing with the remainder of the washing treatment. Also, in addition to washing and recuperating, the apparatus of the present invention may be employed for a variety of other wet processing treatments carried out separately, such as scouring or soaping or dyeing, or the apparatus may be compartmented as described above for carrying out combinations of these treatments in successive compartmented units of the apparatus.

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 except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in web form comprising an immersion tank, means for training an open Width fabric web for immersion and withdrawal successively a plurality of ,times from said tank, and bafile means in said tank for separating each immersion of a fabric web by said training means, said bafiie means being arranged in said tank as partitions extending alternately from opposite sides of said tank in a length reaching at least in projected alignment with the respective opposite side edges of said web and terminating short of the other side of said tank, whereby said baflle means are adapted for directing a treating liquor flow in said tank transversely of the open width of a fabric web at each immersion therein by said training means.

2. An open width wet processing apparatus for'treating fabrics in web form comprising an immersion tank, a plurality of immersion rolls arranged in spaced relation adjacent the bottom of said tank, and partition members disposed in said tank to extend between said spaced immersion rolls alternately from the opposite sides of said tank in a length reaching at least in projected alignment with the respective opposite side edges of said web and terminating short of the other side of said tank, whereby said partition members are adapted as baffie means for directing a treating liquor flow transversely of the open width of a fabric web trained under said immersion rolls.

3. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in web form comprising an immersion tank, a plurality of immersion rolls arranged in parallel spaced relation adjacent the bottom of said tank, and partition members disposed in said tank to extend upwardly from the bottom thereof between said spaced immersion rolls and alternately from the opposite sides of said tank in a length reaching at least in projected alignment with the respective opposite side edges of said web but terminating short of the other side of said tank, whereby said partition members are adapted as baflle means for directing a treating liquor flow transversely of the open width of a fabric web trained under said immersion rolls.

4. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in web form comprising an immersion tank, a plurality of immersion rolls arranged in parallel spaced relation adjacent the bottom of said tank, means arranged above said tank for training the open width of a fabric web under each of said spaced immersion rolls and for withdrawing the web above said tank successively from each of said rolls, means for introducing a treating liquor adjacent the point of final withdrawal of a fabric web from said tank by said training means, means for draining said tank of spent treating liquor adjacent the point at which a fabric web is first passed under an; immersion roll by said training means, and partition members disposed in said tank upwardly from the bottom thereof between said spaced immersion rolls and alternately from opposite sides of said tank in extending relation short of the other side thereof but in a length reaching at least in projected alignment with the respective opposite side edges of said web for directing the treating liquor fiow to said drain means transversely of the open width of a fabric web at each of said immersion rolls.

5. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in Web form comprising an elongated immersion tank, a plurality of immersion rolls arranged in parallel spaced relation adjacent the bottom of said tank along its entire length, elevated guide rolls for training an open width fabric web under said spaced immersion rolls and withdrawing the web above said tank successively from each of said rolls, means for introducing fresh treating liquor at the end of said tank from which the fabric web is finally withdrawn, means for draining said tank of spent treating liquor at the opposite end of said tank where the fabric web is first passed under an immersion roll, and partition members disposed in said tank upwardly from the bottom thereof between said spaced immersion rolls to a height above the treating liquor level and alternately from opposite sides of said tank in a length extending at least in projected alignment with the far edge of the open width of said fabric web but terminating short of the other tank side for directing the treating liquor flow to said drain means transversely of the open width of said fabric web at each of said immersion rolls.

6. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in web form as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that a pair of squeeze rolls are disposed above said tank for acting on said fabric web as it is finally withdrawn, and said means for introducing fresh treating liquor comprises a spray arranged to play on said fabric web ahead of the nip of said squeeze rolls.

7. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in web form as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that a plurality of squeeze roll pairs are spaced above said tank at intervals along its length for acting on said fabric web, and auxiliary guide rolls are arranged ahead of each of said squeeze roll pairs for displacing said fabric web backwardly in order to train it for return at a proper disposition to the nips of said squeeze rolls while still allowing said first mentioned guide rolls and immersion rolls to be regularly spaced along the entire length of said tank.

8. An open width processing apparatus as defined in claim 7 and further characterized in that the tank partition members disposed beneath each of said squeeze roll pairs are fitted with door members arranged for closing the space between said partition members and said other tank side to compartment said tank, said tank is provided with drain means adjacent the points at which a fabric web first enters each of the tank compartments formed when said door members are closed, and spray means for introducing fresh treating liquor is arranged to play on said fabric web ahead of the nips of at least two of said squeeze roll pairs.

9. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in web form comprising means for containing a treating liquor bath, means for immersing and withdraw ing a fabric web in open width form a plurality of times in and from said bath, means for introducing fresh treating liquor to said bath adjacent the point of final 'withdrawal of said fabric web, means for draining spent treating liquor from said bath adjacent the point of first immersion of said fabric web, and means for channeling a continuous flow of treating liquor between said introducing means and draining means in said bath widthwise of the open width of said fabric web at each immersion of said web in said bath.

10. The method of wet processing a fabric web in open width form which comprises immersing and withdrawing said fabric web a plurality of times in and from a treating liquor bath, introducing fresh treating liquor to said bath adjacent the point of final withdrawal of said fabric web, draining spent treating liquor from said bath adjacent the point of first immersion of said fabric web, and channeling the flow of treating liquor in said bath transversely widthwise of the open width of said fabric web at each immersion.

11. The method of wet processing a fabric web in open width form which comprises immersing and withdrawing said fabric web a plurality of times in and from a treating liquor bath, counterfiowing the treating liquor bath bath in relation to the direction of travel of said fabric web through said bath, and channeling the flow of treat ing liquor in said bath transversely widthwise of the open width of said fabric web at each immersion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 160,743 Barker Mar. 16, 1875 761,107 Muntades et a1. May 31, 1904 1,008,413 Huillard Nov. 14, 1911 1,037,280 Matter Sept. 3, 1912 1,402,765 Haskell Jan. 10, 1922 1,421,664 Brown et a1. July 4, 1922 1,683,782 Johnson Sept. 11, 1925 1,819,051 Wilson et al. Aug. 18, 1931 2,142,043 Boyd Dec. 27, 1938

Claims (2)

1. AN OPEN WIDTH WET PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR TREATING FABRICS IN WEB FORM COMPRISING AN IMMERSION TANK, MEANS FOR TRAINING AN OPEN WIDTH FABRIC WEB FOR IMMERSION AND WITHDRAWAL SUCCESSIVELY A PLURALITY OF TIMES FROM SAID TANK, AND BAFFLE MEANS IN SAID TANK FOR SEPARATING EACH IMMERSION OF A FABRIC WEB BY SAID TRAINING MEANS, SAID BAFFLE MEANS BEING ARRANGED IN SAID TANK AS PARTITIONS EXTENDING ALTERNATELY FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TANK IN LENGTH REACHING AT LEAST IN PROJECTED ALIGNMENT WITH THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SAID WEB AND TERMINATING SHORT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID TANK, WHEREBY SAID BAFFLE MEANS ARE ADAPTED FOR DIRECTING A TREATING LIQUOR FLOW IN SAID TANK TRANSVERSELY OF THE OPEN WIDTH OF A FABRIC WEB AT EACH IMMERSION THEREIN BY SAID TRAINING MEANS.

11. THE METHOD OF WET PROCESSING A FABRIC WEB IN OPEN WIDTH FORM WHICH COMPRISES IMMERSING AND WITHDRAWING SAID FABRIC WEB A PLURALITY OF TIMES IN AND FROM A TREATING LIQUOR BATH, COUNTERFLOWING THE TREATING LIQUOR BATH BATH IN RELATION TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID FABRIC WEB THROUGH SAID BATH, AND CHANNELING THE FLOW OF TREATING LIQUOR IN SAID BATH TRANSVERSELY WIDTHWISE OF THE OPEN WIDTH OF SAID FABRIC WEB AT EACH IMMERSION.

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