US3415084A - Apparatus for dyeing carpets and other fabrics - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 10, 1968 APPARATUS FOR DYEING CARPETS AND OTHER FABRICS Filed Jan. 25, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet l` (op vocoeooannnooo APPARATUS FOR DYEING CARPETS AND OTHER FABRICS Filed Jan. 25, 1967 Dec. 10, 1968 E. wlLFoRD ETAL.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 10, 1968 E.w|| FoRD ETAL 3,415,084

APPARATUS FOR DYEING CARPETS AND OTHER FABRICS Filed Jan. 25, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent O 3,415,084 APPARATUS FOR DYEING CARPETS AND OTHER FABRICS Ernest Wilford, Bingley, England, John K. Hanson,

Bangor, Northern Ireland, and John Whalley, Whitefield, England, assignors to The Bradford Dyers Association Limited, Bradford, Yorkshire, England, a British company Filed Jan. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 611,760 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Jan. 25, 1966, 3,339/ 66 6 Claims. (Cl. 68-9) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for dyeing carpets and other fabrics includes a dye bath and a steaming chamber through which the carpet is led for dyeing and then steaming. The entrance to the steaming chamber is above the dye bath and the dye bath is vertically adjustable to vary the distance of travel between the dye bath and steaming chamber to accommodate different fabrics having varying dye requirements.

` This invention relates to apparatus for dyeing carpets and other fabrics in long lengths. It is particularly applicable to the dyeing of carpets, but the apparatus can also be used for the dyeing of any fabric in the piece, for example blanket fabric.

There are two conventional methods of piece-dyeing lengths of carpet. In the first, known as beck or winch dyeing, the carpet is circulated for a period of hours through a dye bath, the disadvantage of this method being that the colour may be shaded across the width of the carpet from the edge to the middle. In the second conventional method, known as pad steam dyeing, the carpet is passed between pad rollers by which the colour is applied to it, and then is steamed. In practice it is found that there is difficulty in applying colour uniformly to a considerable width of carpet by pad rollers, with the result that there may be streaks on the dyed carpet.

We have found that a carpet or other fabric can be satisfactorily and consistently dyed if it is simply passed through a dye bath and then steamed in a steaming chamber, provided that it is uniformly saturated with the dye on entering the steaming chamber. If it is not uniformly saturated, then the dye tends to move within the carpet and uneven colouring results. If it is over-saturated, the dye runs down the carpet as it moves vertically through the steaming chamber and streaks appear.

We have also found that the period of drainage of the fabric from leaving the dye bath to entry into the steaming chamber is critical in that the fabric must shed liquid in excess of its requirements but not be permitted to drain beyond the point of saturation. Now carpets differ in fibre, construction and pile weight. Thus carpets may be made of nylon, viscose, acrylic fibres, or wool, and they may vary in weight from 14 to 50 ounces per square yard. The amount of dye liquor required just to saturate the carpet Varies enormously. Other fabrics likewise vary in their requirements for dye liquor.

Now it is the common practice for the manufacturer of the carpet or other fabric to send his fabric to a dyer in the piece, and the dryer must therefore be able to dye all the carpets and fabrics in one and the same apparatus.

In an apparatus according to this invention means are provided for leading a fabric through a dye bath and upwards therefrom to enter the upper end of a steaming chamber in which it is steamed while .travelling in loops, and the dye bath is carried by a support that is vertically adjustable so that the vertical distance between the dye ICC bath and the upper end of the steaming chamber can be varied. By adjusting the position of the dye bath it becomes possible to dye any fabric uniformly and without colour streaks.

Since the fabric enters the steaming chamber at the upper end of this, it moves downwards in its initial loop run. This is advantageous, because when the fabric comes into contact with the steam some additional movement of the dye, that is to say, drainage, may take place, and it is desirable that any dye moving in this way should not move towards the part of the fabric that is entering the steaming chamber.

Preferably means are provided for rapidly heating the fabric as it travels from the dye bath to a point at which it moves vertically within the steaming chamber. These heating means, which may take the form of steam coils, oil-heated heat exchangers or infra red heaters, may be arranged within the steaming chamber, but it is better to arrange them in a separate chamber through which the fabric travels on its way from the dye bath to the steaming chamber. It is desirable that the fabric should travel horizontally while being thus preheated. The purpose of the preheating is to raise the temperature of the dye rapidly, and so to assist in the striking of the colour into the fibre. This minimises the risk of streaks appearing on the finished fabric as a result of excess dye liquid running down the fabric when it first travels vertically in the steaming chamber. The desirability of effecting such preheating depends upon the nature of the dye and the nature of the fibres.

The preferred apparatus according to' the invention Will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a diagrammatic elevation of the apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a view on the line II-II in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the dye bath and its support; and

FIGURE 4 shows the inlet to a preheating chamber on a still larger scale.

In the apparatus shown a roll of carpet 1 around a tube 2 is supported at each end by a stand 3 that includes two freely r-otating rol-lers 4.

The carpet is drawn oif the roll and passes through a dye bath 5 and then upwards around. a roller 6 at the inlet of a preheating chamber 7 which is carried 'by a steaming chamber 8. The carpet passes from the chamber 7 into the chamber 8 through a slot `between two tubes 9, and then travels in deep loops around rollers 10 and in contact with guide rollers 11. After passing over the last rollers 10 the carpet travels downwards and out of the steaming chamber 8 through a water-sealed outlet not shown. The steaming chamber 8 and the rollers in it are conventional, all the rollers 10 being positively driven from a main driving shaft 12 through variable speed gears 13 (shown wholly dagrammatically) which are interconnected by shafts 14. T he roller 6 is driven by a belt 15 from the lirst roller 10. The carpet is-driven 'by its frictional engagement with the rollers 6 and 10.

Steam is injected into the chamber 8 through pipes 16.

The dye bath 5 is carried `by a support 17 with which three sleeves 18, 19 and 20 are rigid. The sleeve 18 is internally threaded and engages a vertical threaded rod 21, the lower end of which is Icarried in a gear box 22 and which itself carries a bevel gear in the box. A shaft 23 carries a handle 24 and also a bevel gear meshing with that carried by the rod 21. The sleeves 19 and 20 engage plain ` guide rods 25 and 26 which are supported at their upper ends by 'brackets 27 on the chamber 7. If the handle 24 is turned, the sleeve 18, and therefore the support 17 and the dye -bath 5, will Ibe forced to move vertically.

At each end of the dye bath 5 there is a bracket 28, the two brackets 28 carrying -a roller 29 for guiding the carpet into the dye bath. The bath is internally spanned by a roller 30 around which the carpet passes while immersed in dye liquor. This liquor is fed to the dye bath 5 from a reservoir 31 by a pump 32 through a pipe 33 controlled `by a valve 34. This valve 34 is operated in accordance with the level of the dye liquor in the dye Ibath 5 by a float 35 in a liquid-level control tank 36 which' communicates with the dye `bath 5 through a ilexible pipe 37. The float actuates a relay 38 through which the valve 34 is opened and closed, so as to maintain the liquid level in the dye bath substantially constant. The residence time of a fabric in the steaming chamber 8 is determined by the speed at which the rollers are driven. However, different fabrics may require longer or shorter periods of immersion in the dye liquor, but the same period of travel through the steaming chamber 8. It is therefore convenient to be able to adjust the depth of the liquor in the dye `bath 5, and the control tank 36 is made vertically adjustable in relation to the bath 5, so that the liquid level at which the float 35 operates the relay can 'be varied. To this end the tank 36 is carried by arms 39 pivoted to the dye bath 5 and capable of being locked in any desired angular setting.

The entrance t-o the preheating chamber 7 is formed between the roller 6 and the underside of a tray 40` which extends inwards from the wall of the chamber, so that a narrow passage 41 is formed just above the surface of the carpet 1, see FIG. 4. An opening is made in the roof of the chamber 8 and receives a pipe 42 connected to a fan 43 which exhausts into a discharge duct. This fan draws in Yboth air through the narrow passage 41 and steam from the preheating chamber (as shown by arrows). If steam were to pass outwards through the entrance to the chamber 7 is might condense on cold metal to form drops which in turn might fall onto and discolour the carpet. The air drawn in through the narrow passage 41 prevents such outward passage of steam. Any condensate is collected in the tray 40 and discharged through end outlets 45.

In the preheating chamber there are steam coils 44 fed with steam to maintain a high temperature in the chamber 7. It will be seen that the roller 6 and therst roller 10 provide a horizontal path for the carpet while it is being preheated.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for dyeing fabrics in long lengths comprising a dye bath, a steaming chamber in which the fabric is steamed while travelling in loops, and means for leading the fabric through the dye bath and upwards therefrom to enter the upper end of the steaming chamber, the dye `bath being carried 'by a support that is vertically adjustable so that the vertical distance between the dye bath and the upper end of the steaming chamber can be adjusted in accordance with the nature of the fabric to be dyed.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which means are provided for rapidly preheating the fabric as it travels from the dye bath to a point at which it moves vertically downwards within the steaming chamber.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 in which the heating means are mounted in a separate preheating chamber through which the fabric travels on its way from the dye bath to the upper end of the steaming chamber.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 having rollers providing a horizontal path for the fabric while it is being preheated.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 having means for exhausting the preheating chamber.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 including a dye reservoir, a pump for pumping dye liquor from the dye reservoir to the dye bath, and means responsive to the level of the liquid in the dye bath for controlling the delivery of liquor to the reservoir by the pump.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,738,946 12/1929 Chapin et al. 68-5 X 2,199,342 4/1940 Johnson 8--151 X WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 68-5

Images