GB2152085A - Continuous high pressure wet heat treatment of cloth - Google Patents

Abstract

Continuous high pressure wet heat treatment of cloth comprises transporting a cloth 1 continuously through a high pressure steamer 2 maintained at a temperature approaching 150 DEG C, the cloth having been soaked with a high temperature treating solution, for prevention of shrinkage in the width direction of said cloth through the use of a wet heat treatment mechanism 7 having presser rollers 72 which hold the cloth onto a guide drum 71, and washing the cloth while it is simultaneously widened to a prescribed width by use of an open width setting mechanism 8. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to methods and apparatus for the continuous high pressure wet heat treatment of a cloth The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the continuous wet heat treatment of a cloth, particularly an elongated cloth such as an open-knit cloth, at an elevated temperature and pressure.

In subjecting a long woven or knitted article (which will hereinafter be called a cloth) to such treatments as scouring, bleaching, weight reduction, dyeing and resin finish continuously, it is common practice to wet heat treat the cloth soaked with a treating solution through the use of an apparatus such as a "Perble Range" (the commercial name of the apparatus developed by Sando Iron Works Co., Ltd., Japan) and a high pressure steamer.

In transporting a long cloth through such wet heat treatment apparatus continuously, however, it is unavoidable that a tension in the lengthwise direction of the cloth is applied, and thus the dimension of the cloth in its width direction is reduced. It is therefore difficult to produce a treated cloth having a prescribed width. This is particularly true for such an elongated woven cloth, lawn or georgette, a knitted cloth or an open-knit cloth in which, due to the tension in transporting the cloth continuously, the lengthwise dimension of the cloth is elongated remarkably, and therefore, a cloth having a prescribed width can hardly be produced.

Moreover in wet heat treating an open-knit cloth continuously, curls are caused to occur at the selvages of both sides of the cloth while it is being transported continuously through the steamer body, and, when such a cloth having curls is subjected to a mercerization treatment, an irregularity in the treatment of the cloth occurs, namely, irregular selvages.

Therefore, conventionally, after the mercerization treatment is finished, both side selvages of the open-knit cloth having this irregularity are cut off to produce an article of commerce, and since the width of the cloth to be cut is about 1 scum, this results in appreciable waste of material and losses in economic value of the material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the continuous high pressure wet heat treatment of a long cloth, particularly easy to be elongated, which is speedy and effective in a high pressure steamer body.

The invention may be performed in various ways and preferred embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings which illustrate, in vertical cross-section, three examples of apparatus of the invention for the continuous wet treatment of a long cloth.

Example 1 In an example shown in Figure 1 an easily elongatable long cloth 1 to be treated, such as a woven cloth (lawn and georgette) or an open-knit cloth produced by opening a circularly knitted cloth (hereinafter will be called simply a cloth), is passed through a high pressure steamer body 2 in which a long cloth is continuously wet heat treated under a high temperature and wet heat pressure for the purpose of subjecting the cloth 1 to such treatments as pretreatment, weight reduction, dyeing and resin finish.The steamer body 2 is provided with a cloth inlet 3 and a cloth outlet 4 respectively, having an inlet side seal mechanism 5, and an outlet side seal mechanism 6, enabling the cloth 1 to be transported continuously through the steamer body 2, while maintaining the interior of the steamer body with wet heat at a temperature, for instance of 1 50 C. Any one of the seal mechanisms developed by the present applicants may be selectively used.

A wet heat treatment mechanism 7 for the cloth is provided in the steamer body 2, and comprises a cloth guide drum 71, whose surface is composed of such a material as rubber and metal for the purpose of guiding the cloth, a plurality of presser rollers 72 provided around almost the entire circumference of the cloth guide drum 71 for pressing the cloth to the cloth guide drum 71, and a plurality of treating solution jet nozzles 73 for propelling a treating solution such as a pretreatment solution, dye solution and resin solution to the cloth. A treating solution saucer 11 is attached to the wet heat treating mechanism 7 to receive the excess treating solution propelled from the treating solution jet nozzles 73 to the cloth.The apparatus is designed to circulate the treating solution in the treating solution saucer 11 via a filter 12, a solution tank 13, a pump 14 and a heat exchange and heating device 1 5 to the treating solution jet nozzles 73.

An open width setting mechanism 8 for the cloth is also provided in the steamer body 2, and comprises an open width drum 81 and a plurality of open width bars 82 located around the circumference of the open width drum 81. The present applicants have developed a variety of open width drums and any of these may be selectively applied. A plurality of wash water jet nozzles are provided around the open width setting mechanism 8 for propelling wash water to the cloth so as to wash the cloth simultaneously. and a wash water saucer 10 receives the wash water propelled from the washing water jet nozzles 9. The apparatus is designed n such a way that the wash water in the wash water saucer 10 is circulated via a filter 121, a wash water tank 131, a pump 141 and a heat exchange and heating device 1 51 to the washing water jet nozzles 9.

Continuous high pressure wet heat treatment of a long cloth using the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 will now be described.

Firstly, the interior of the steamer body 2 is maintained at a high temperature and pressure of wet heat, the temperature being for example, about 1 50 C, by blowing superheated steam thereinto. Then, the cloth 1 to be treated is continuously transported through the wet heat treatment mechanism 7, and the open width setting mechanism 8, located in the steamer body 2.While the cloth 1 is transported in contact with the cloth guide drum 71, the treating solution which is heated for instance, to a temperature of about 1 50 C, is propelled from the treating solution jet nozzles 73, to the cloth repeatedly, while, at the same time, the cloth is pressed to the drum by means of the presser rollers 72, so that the cloth is wet heat treated effectively and uniformly and also there is no appreciable shrinkage of the cloth in the width direction or the formation of selvage curls.

The wet heat treated cloth is then introduced into the treating solution saucer 11, and soaked with the treating solution therein.

The cloth is not now effectively under any tension and thus the tension in the lengthwise direction of the cloth is released. The cloth is now guided into the open width setting mechanism 8 where wash water heated up to nearly 1 50 C by the heat exchange and heating device 151, is propelled to the cloth by means of the wash water jet nozzles 9. The cloth is set to a prescribed width, washed efficiently, and is taken out of the steamer body 2.

As above described, by using the abovementioned example of the present inventive apparatus, a cloth introduced into a high pressure steamer body is wet heat treated whilst resisting shrinkage thereof in the width direction, so that a product having a prescribed width can be produced eminently, uniformly and effectively.

Example 2 In the example shown in Figure 2, the high pressure steamer body 2 is provided with another open width setting mechanism 81, and a washing mechanism 16, both being provided witha plurality of wash water jet nozzles 9, in addition to a wet heat treatment mechanism 7, and an open width setting mechanism 8, similar to that illustrated in the preceding apparatus. The primary open width setting mechanism 8 is impinged upon by the propelled treating solution, and another treating solution saucer 111 is added thereto.

Construction of the other parts of the apparatus is the same as in the preceding example of the apparatus, so that descriptions thereof are not necessary.

In using this apparatus, a cloth 1 to be treated introduced into the high pressure steamer body 2, is wet heat treated effectively and uniformly through the use of the wet heat treatment mechanism 7. so as to avoid appreciable shrinkage of the cloth in its width direction. The cloth is set to a prescribed width with the use of the primary open width mechanism 8 while the treating solution is propelled thereonto, and is soaked with the treating solution again in the treating solution saucer 111 during a time when it is not under any tension, and thus the tension in the lengthwise direction of the cloth is effectively released. The cloth is then guided into the secondary open width setting mechanism 81 where high temperature wash water is propelled onto the cloth for setting the cloth to a prescribed width whilst simultaneously washing the cloth.The cloth is finally washed sufficiently through the use of the washing mechanism 16.

In this example of the apparatus. the wet heat treatment and, particularly, the washing of a cloth can effectively be done in the high pressure steamer body, so that washing of the treated cloth outside of the steamer body is no longer necessary. Example 3 A further example of the present invention is illustrated in the apparatus as shown in Figure 3. In this apparatus, the treating solution saucer 111 in Figure 2 is substituted by a plurality of cloth guide rollers 17, for transporting the cloth in a zigzag motion through snake-like undulations whilst under no tension, together with a plurality of treating solution jet nozzles 74 for propelling the treating solution directly onto the cloth. The construction of the other parts of the apparatus is the same as in the example of the apparatus in Figure 2.

In this apparatus, the tension in the lengthwise direction of the cloth is in a relaxed state as it passes through the cloth guide rollers 1 7. The cloth is then guided into the open width setting mechanism 81 for setting the cloth to a prescribed width, and thus the cloth is treated eminently and effectively as in the case of Example 2.

As above described in the present invention, the wet heat treatment of a cloth, particularly a cloth easily elongatable, can be performed continuously and effectively in a high pressure steamer body without increasing the dimension of the cloth in its lengthwise direction and without the formation of such defects as selvage curls in its width direction, thus creating a product of excellent quality.

Claims (5)

1. A method for the continuous high pressure wet heat treatment of a cloth comprising transportation of a cloth to be treated continuously through a high pressure steamer body maintained with wet heat at a temperature in the region of 100 to 1 50 C, preferably at the higher end of that range, wet heat treatment of the cloth soaked with a treating solution heated to a temperature within said range for the prevention of shrinkage of the cloth in its width direction, and then setting of the cloth to a prescribed width while simultaneously washing the cloth as well.

2. An apparatus for the continuous high pressure wet heat treatment of a cloth comprising a wet heat treatment mechanism for a cloth soaked with a treating solution and an open width setting mechanism for the cloth in a high pressure steamer body to be maintained with a high temperature and pressure of wet heat at a temperature in the range of 100 to 1 50 C, said wet heat treatment mechansim of the cloth comprising a cloth guide drum for transportation of the cloth continuously therethrough, a plurality of presser rollers for pressing the cloth to the drum, and a plurality of treating solution jet nozzles for propelling the treating solution which will be heated to a temperature in said range onto the cloth, and said open width setting mechanism for the cloth comprising, a cloth opening width drum for transporting the cloth continuously therethrough, a plurality of cloth opening width bars for increasing the dimension of the cloth in its width direction, and a plurality of wash water nozzles for simultaneously washing the cloth.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which a treating solution saucer is attached to the wet heat treatment mechanism for releasing the tension of the cloth in its lengthwise direction by soaking the cloth with the treating solution in the saucer.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which another open width setting mechanism and a washing mechanism, both being provided with a plurality of wash water jet nozzles, and another treating solution saucer are provided in succession to the primary open width setting mechanism.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which a plurality of cloth guide rollers and a plurality of treating solution jet nozzles for propelling a treating solution directly onto the cloth are utilised instead of the treating solution saucer attached to the other open width setting mechanism.