GB2081322A - Improvements in or relating to machines for wet treatment of fabrics - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for fulling and/or washing fabrics in rope-form is provided with means 6, 7 for moving the looped fabric 2 within the tank housing 1 of the machine and which directs the fabric against a rotating vane member 70 impinging on the fabric to cause it to move downwardly of the housing. The means for moving the fabric comprise cylinders, belt or cylinder conveyors. Pressing cylinders (80), Fig. 3 (n.s.) or (104), (111), Fig. 4 (n.s.), and/or an inflatable bladder 9 with a polytetrafluoroethylene cover sheet 11, Fig. 1, co-operate with the fabric moving means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to machines for wet treatment of fabrics This invention is concerned with improvements or relating to machines for wet treatment of fabrics and, more particularly, machines for fulling and/or washing fabrics in cord.

Conventional machines for fabric washing and/or fulling comprise a tank, a series of guide rollers, a pair of co-operating cylinders which are resiliently pressed and by substantial force against each other, with the fabric passing therebetween and being fed to the fulling box, generally comprising a fixed lower plate and a top plate pivoted at one end and pressed to the former.

These known machines have the disadvantage of rather slow operation to avoid damages or faults to the fabric. In order to obviate this slowness, the fabric is sewn selvedge to selvedge to form a tubular-like body swelling due to centrifugal forces. However, sewing and unsewing operation requires time and labour and accordingly is not advantageous.

Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a cord fulling and/or washing machine for high speed cperation without any damage to the fabric, with resulting reduction in treatment times and increase in efficiency.

In order to achieve this object, the invention proposes a machine for washing and/or fulling cord fabrics comprising a tank housing for the treatment liquid, means in said tank housing for operating said fabric, said means having an inlet and an outlet for the fabric, and a rotating vane member located at said outlet for impinging on the fabric from the latter.

According to a preferred embodiment, the fabric operating means comprise a belt conveyor which is resiliently pressed upon by a cylinder or bladder connectible to a pressure air source through means allowing modification of the pressure existing therein, in order to modify the pressing action being exerted on the fabric by the bladder. In order to modify the pressing action on the fabric, the bladder or inflatable element is partly defined on the opposite side to the fabric by a hood, which is connected to a pressing element, for example to a linkage, being acted upon by at least one pressure fluid jack.

These and other aspects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, given by mere way of unrestrictive example, of some embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of a machine according to the teachings of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a detail of the bladder at the zone where the bladder is intended to co-operate with the cylinder; and Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic vertical sectional views showing two different embodiments of the machine according to the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes the tank, for example of stainless steel, within which the cord fabric 2 is wet treated. The tank may be of any conventional implementation, is carried by a casing of sections, not shown, resting on the ground by means of feet 3. Still by modalities per se known, bottom exhausts 4 are provided for the removal of water or washing solution, as well as relative supply conduits 5.

The fabric roll or rolls 2, the ends of which are sewn to each other to form a loop-like element, are moved in the direction of arrow A by conveyor means comprising, in this example, a) a tern of cylinders 6, one of which is operated by an electric motor M in this case through a reduction unit, and b) a series of belts of a continuous web or carpet 7.

In the present example, the driven cylinder 6 is located at the outlet of the conveyor means, whereas the other two cylinders (which are idle) are located at the inlet side. In any known manner, the cylinders are carried by the sides 8 of said tank 1. The idle top cylinder located at the inlet side is pressed upon (through the fabric 2 and belts or web 7) by an inflatable body or bladder 9 which, due to its adaptability. defines with such a cylinder or with the belts or web a passage or channel for the fabric, the length "L" of which is by many times large than that of the passage formed by two co-operating rigid cylinders, as provided by conventional machines. This is advantageous since the pressing action exerted on the passing fabric lasts for a longer period, may be more moderate and allows a reduction in treatment times.Moreover, a knot or enlargement in the fabric cannot produce a deleterious hammering effect on the fabric.

The bladder 9 may be of substantially cylindrical shape and made in accordance with the techniques used in the manufacture of pneumatic boats. Particularly, it will be provided from tubewrapped web material with mutually welded edges, for example by curing or heat processing, such a tube being closed by welded heads. The web material may comprise a core of fabric or textile yarns 10 embedded within a mass of synthetic rubber (such as neoprene).

Advantageously, in order to reduce the friction that the fabric 2 would exert on the bladder 9, the latter at the zone of contact with the fabric is provided with a comparatively thin layer 11 of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflori) (Registered Trade Mark) provided with feet 1 2 which are embedded in the material of the bladder 9. The embedding may occur when the layer of synthetic rubber is still soft. After curing, the feet 12 remain firmly secured to the bladder. The purpose of such a construction is to reduce the friction between the fabric and bladder.

Outwardly projecting, threaded pin-like elements 13 are secured, for example welded by curing to the bladder 9, by which the latter is removably attached by nuts 14 to a metal hood 1 5. This hood 1 5 is fitted with heads 1 7 and defines a substantially semi-cylindrical seat 16, in which said bladder 9 is accommodated. It is also provided with holes for the passage of the fastening elements 13 and a conduit 18, also secured to the bladder, by which the compressed air is supplied.

To this end, the conduit 1 8 is connected to a pressure adjusting valve 19 which, in turn, is connected to a pressure air source 20. This valve, or other valve not shown, also aliows release of the pressure from the bladder.

Instead of the coating 11 of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) (Registered Trade Mark) directly applied to the bladder substantially forming a unitary body therewith, use can be made of a bladder without any coating, but which is replaced by one or more sheets 11- of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) (Registered Trade Mark) secured at the front by means of strips and screw to the hood 1 5 and left free along the remaining portion of the development thereof. As shown in Fig. 1 , the free portion of sheets 11 is interposed between the bladder 9 and fabric 2.

This solution is simpler and less expensive than that of Fig. 2, because of not requiring the replacement of the bladder when the coating has been worn out, but only the replacement of sheets 11.

For the insertion in and removal of the fabric 2 from between the bladder 9 and the underlying web 7 respectively at the beginning and end of treatment and for the adjustment for the length "L" of the fabric contacting surface, the hood 15 is connected to a double acting, pressure fluid jack 21 and provided at the sides with two projecting plates 22 which are slidably mounted in vertical guides 23 secured to the side walls 8 of the tank 1.

At the outlet of the above described conveyor means, the fabric 2 is supplied due to the speed of movement of webs 7 to a high speed rotating member 70, provided with vanes 71 and operated by an electric motor Z, in this case through a reduction unit. The member 70 is carried between the side walls 8 of the tank and rotates in a direction opposite to that of cylinders 6. The fabric 2 moving on and with the belts 7 is thrown towards the vane wheel 70, which violently impinges on the fabric 2, causing it to deviated in a downward direction and subjecting it to a mechanical action promoting the treatment thereof.

The bladder 9 could also be located at the position indicated at X, shown by a broken line, or at a location between the two upper cylinders.

The operation is as follows. The jack 21 has lifted the bladder 9 which is deflated. The fabric 2 is passed between the latter and the underlying belts 7. The bladder is inflated to a certain pressure and then applied by means of jack 21 against the fabric 2. Then, the conveyor means and vane wheel 70 are operated.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, in which to denote parts which are equal or corresponding to those of the preceding embodiment the same reference numerals associated with letter B are used, the bladder 9 is replaced by a rigid idle cylinder 80 carried by a frame 81, at one end pivoted at 82 and which is acted upon by a double acting pneumatic jack 83. The cylinder 80 slightly presses through the fabric and belts or carpet against the drive cylinder 6B. The vane wheel 70B impinging on the fabric 2B is located at the outlet of the conveyor means.

Referring to Fig. 4, reference numeral 101 denotes a tank provided with a rack or creel 102, and sprayers 127 are provided for the delivery of water or soapy solution which bya pump, not shown, is sucked from the bottom of tank 101, where such a liquid collects by gravity. The tank is also provided with a pair of operating cylinders 104 and 1 1 1.The top cylinder 1 11 is idly mounted on a horizontal shaft 112 supported by a fork element 128, so as to be movable relative to the tank 1.

In addition to performing the function of operating cylinder, the lower dylinder 104 also acts as a support and transmission roller for a continous belt conveyor 129 which is loop entrapped on other transmission rollers 130, 1 30', of which at least roller 130 is rotably driven in the direction of arrow F by an electric motor schematically shown at 110'.

Adjacent and in front of the transmission roller 130, that is at the conveyor outlet, there is a vane wheel 131 operated by a motor, here not shown, imparting thereto a rotary motion in the direction of arrow K.

As in the previously described embodiment, the vane wheel impinges on the fabric being supplied thereto by the conveyor. A pressure roller 118, which is pivoted at 11 9 and counterbalanced by a balance weight 120, ensures the desired adherence of the fabric web T to the underlying conveyor 129.

The fork element 128 provides a pair of parallel arms 132, at an intermediate location of which the shaft 112 is mounted and idly carries the upper cylinder 111. At a first end 133 of said arms there is pivoted the stem 1 34 of a piston 1 35 which is hydraulically or pneumatically slidably driven within a cylinder 1 36 pivoted at 137 to the tank 101. The second end of said arms 132 is pivoted at an intermediate location 138 of a rod 139 having one end 140 pivoted to the tank 101 and the other end 141 pivoted at the extreme location of a stem 142 of a piston 143 hydraulically or pneumatically slidably driven within a cylinder 144 also pivoted at 145 to the tank 101.

The kinematic motion defined by elements 132, 138-145 affords a displacement of shaft 112 and accordingly of the upper cylinder 111, parallel to itself, so as to move said cylinder 111 from a position, shown by full line and suitable for washing, at which said cylinder 111 overlies the lower cylinder 104, to a displaced position, shown by broken line, at which said cylinder 111 is no longer vertically aligned with cylinder 1 04. This is essential for considerably increasing the speed of rotation of the fabric (up to three times that of conventional machines) in order to obtain a light fulling, avoiding the considerable jumps (creases) which would be caused by the jolts of cylinder 111 if it should be vertically over cylinder 104, just at high speeds.

The kinematic motion defined by elements 1 32-137 affords adjustment of the height of the slit for the passage of the web T between the upper cylinder 111 and conveyor 129, and this in accordance with such a web T.

Claims (13)

1. A machine for wet treatment of fabrics, particularly for fulling and/or washing cord fabrics, comprising a tank housing for the treatment liquid, means in said tank housing for carrying said fabric, said means having an inlet and an outlet for the fabric, and a rotating vane member located at said outlet for impinging on the fabric from the latter.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrying means comprises a continuous conveyor having a pressing member resiliently pressing thereon and defining with the conveyor a passage for the fabric.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressing member is a cylinder.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressing member comprises a bladder.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said bladder is connectible to a pressure gas source.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said bladder is partly defined by a substantially rigid hood.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one jack is associated with said hood.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bladder is secured to the hood.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said bladder is at least partly coated with material having a low coefficient of friction.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein between said bladder and fabric there is interposed a sheet of material having a low coefficient of friction, which is retained at one end thereof.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conveyor means comprises a continuous conveyor and an idle cylinder, co-operating with said continuous conveyor and spring loaded, means being provided for displacing the cylinder paraliel to itself, so as to modify the position at which it operates on the continuous conveyor.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 12 modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of Figs. 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.