Treatment of continuous towels

Apparatus for treating continuous fabric includes a frame on which is mounted an open bath for receiving a treating liquid through which fabric to be treated is passed. An elongate immersion member movably mounted on the frame immerses the fabric in the treating liquid during its passage through the bath, and a pair of squeeze rollers, being an upper and a lower squeeze roller, grip the fabric when it has passed through the bath. At least one roller, preferably the lower squeeze roller, is driven, and at least one roller, preferably the upper squeeze roller is movably mounted on the frame. A driven rewind mandrel is mounted on the frame and the treated fabric having passed through the squeeze rollers is wound thereon. Means are provided for moving the immersion means and the movable squeeze roller their operative and respective inoperative positions.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to the treatment of continuous fabric, and more 
particularly but not exclusively to the treatment of continuous towels. 
Continuous towels are washed and reused many times during their life. It is 
conventional that the towels are initially white and then when they become 
too marked with stains which will not wash out, are dyed blue for further 
use. 
In order to prolong the life of the towels in their white state, it is 
known to treat the towels with an enzyme and/or detergent to remove the 
stains by soaking, the towels then being washed in the normal way. 
Eventually the enzyme and/or detergent is no longer effective and the 
towels are dyed blue. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention apparatus for treating continuous fabric 
comprises an open bath for reception of a treating liquid and through 
which fabric to be treated is passed, means for immersing the fabric in 
the treating liquid during its passage through the bath, a driven rewind 
mandrel onto which the treated fabric is wound, a pair of squeeze rollers 
intermediate the treatment bath and the rewind mandrel for gripping the 
fabric therebetween, at least one of the rollers being driven, and means 
for moving the immersion means and at least one of the squeeze rollers 
between their operative positions and respective inoperative positions in 
which the fabric to be treated may be fed in a roll between the squeeze 
rollers and between the treatment bath and the immersion means thereby 
threading the fabric through the apparatus. Subsequently the free end of 
the fabric is wound onto the rewind mandrel and the immersion means and 
the squeeze roller or rollers are returned to their operative positions. 
Preferably the immersion means and the or each movable squeeze roller are 
linked for simultaneous movement between their operative and inoperative 
positions. It is also preferred that the apparatus has a lid, opening and 
closing of the lid moving the immersion means and the or each squeeze 
roller into their inoperative and operative positions respectively. 
Preferably only the upper squeeze roller of the pair of squeeze rollers is 
movable into an inoperative position, which movement is effected by 
lifting the upper squeeze roller. 
The immersion means is preferably an elongated member extending, 
transversely of the fabric being treated and attached to means for lifting 
the member above the bath, the member also being pivotable about an axis 
located above and parallel to the member. 
Preferably a holder is provided for the roll of fabric to be treated and is 
preferably located so that it catches the roll after it has been fed 
between the treatment bath and the immersion means during the loading of 
the apparatus. 
The apparatus preferably includes drive means for the rewind mandrel and 
the lower squeeze roller. 
The treatment bath may include means for maintaining the level of treating 
liquid at the required level. 
The apparatus may include means for detecting when the complete fabric has 
been treated. 
The detecting means may comprise a limit switch located to detect the end 
of the fabric approaching the rewind mandrel. 
Preferably the treating liquid is either an enzyme and/or detergent or a 
dye.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an apparatus for treating a roll 
of continuous towel with a treating liquid, which may be either an enzyme 
and/or detergent or a dye. 
The treating liquid 10 is contained in an elongated bath 11, the towel 9 
being immersed in the treating liquid in the bath by an elongated member 
12 attached to means for lifting the member between an upper position 
(FIG. 1) and a lower operative position (FIG. 2). The member 12 is also 
pivotable about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the member 
into an inoperative position indicated in dash lines in FIG. 1. 
The treating liquid is supplied to the bath 11 from a tank (not shown) and 
its level is maintained substantially constant by any convenient means. In 
this embodiment, the bath 11 is a shallow bath and the lower end of the 
member 12 has dimensions similar to but smaller than the corresponding 
dimensions of the bath to minimise the excess amount of treating liquid 
required in the bath at any given moment. This is especially advantageous 
in the case of the treating liquid being an enzyme or a mixture of an 
enzyme and a detergent having a life of perhaps 5 minutes. 
Upstream of the treatment bath 10 is a holder 13 for the roll of towel to 
be treated and from which the towel may readily be withdrawn in an unwound 
state. 
Downstream of the treatment bath is a pair of squeeze rollers 14, 15 and 
then a rewind mandrel 16. Both the rewind mandrel 16 and the lower squeeze 
roller 15 are driven by a motor (not shown) about fixed axes. The upper 
squeeze roller 14 is movable vertically between an upper inoperative 
position (FIG. 1) and a lower operative position (FIG. 2). 
In this embodiment, the upper squeeze roller 14 and the immersion member 12 
are linked together and to the lid (not shown) of the apparatus whereby 
they may be moved together between their operative and inoperative 
positions by a hydraulic piston and cylinder (not shown) when the lid is 
opened and closed respectively. The opening and closing movements of the 
lid, in this embodiment, also stop and start the motor driving the lower 
squeeze roller 15 and the rewind mandrel 16. 
In operation, the lid of the apparatus is opened manually and thereby the 
upper squeeze roller 14 is raised and the immersion member 12 both raised 
and pivoted into their inoperative positions. A roll of towel 19 to be 
treated is then taken and with its free end held adjacent the rewind 
mandrel 16, the roll is fed between the squeeze rollers and beneath the 
immersion members into the holder 13. The free end of the towel is wrapped 
around the rewind mandrel. The lid is then closed thereby lowering the 
upper squeeze roller 14 and both pivoting and lowering the immersion 
member 12 into their operative positions. The towel is thereby threaded 
through the apparatus and immersed in the treating liquid. Closing of the 
lid also starts the motor for driving the rewind mandrel 16 and the lower 
squeeze roller 15, and the towel 19 is successively withdrawn from the 
holder 13, passed through the treating liquid 10, squeezed by the rollers 
14, 15 and rewound on the mandrel 16. The lid is then raised thereby 
stopping the motor and the treated roll of towel is removed from the 
apparatus. If the treating liquid is an enzyme and/or detergent, the 
treated roll of towel is left to soak and then washed. Alternatively, if 
the liquid is a dye, the treated roll is dried and is then ready for 
reuse. 
The invention is not restricted to the specific details of the embodiment 
described above. For example, the immersion member 12 may only be raised 
by opening of the lid, the member being freely pivotable, at least between 
its two positions shown in FIG. 1, whereby the roll of towel to be treated 
pivots the member in order to pass beneath the member during the step of 
threading the towel to be treated through the apparatus, the member then 
swinging back into its position shown in full lines in FIG. 1. 
Also, the upper squeeze roller 14 and the immersion member 12 may be moved 
between their operative and inoperative positions independently both of 
each other and the lid of the apparatus. 
Furthermore, the roles of the squeeze rollers may be reversed, or indeed 
both squeeze rollers may be moved apart into inoperative positions in 
order that the roll of towel to be treated may be passed between them. 
FIG. 3 shows one form of treatment apparatus incorporating the principle of 
operation of the apparatus described above, and the same reference 
numberals have been used for comparative features of the apparatus. The 
upper end of the immersion member 12 is pivotally attached to a bracket 17 
carried by a frame 18 from which the upper squeeze roller 14 is suspended. 
The frame is attached to the upper end of a piston of a hydraulic or 
pneumatic jack 22 whereby extension of the jack will raise the upper 
squeeze roller 14 and the immersion member 12 to allow a soiled towel to 
be fed as a roll through the apparatus into the holder 13 from the 
direction of the rewind mandrel 16. Contraction of the jack 22 returns the 
upper squeeze roller and the immersion member to their operative 
positions. The lower squeeze roller 15 and the rewind mandrel 16 are 
driven by respective chain or belt drives 20, 21 both of which are driven 
by the same output shaft of an electric motor. 
FIG. 4 shows a second form of treatment apparatus incorporating the 
principle of operation of apparatus described with reference to FIGS. 1 
and 2. 
Immersion member 32 is pivotally attached at a point 37 near its upper end 
to a beam 38. Also attached to the beam 38 is upper squeeze roller 34. The 
beam has one end 39 free and the other end 40 pivotally attached to one 
end of a hydraulic ram 41, the other end of the hydraulic ram being 
pivotally attached to supporting frame 42. The beam 38 is pivotally 
supported near its mid point by a shaft 43. The arrangement of the beam 38 
is such that when the hydraulic or pneumatic ram 41 is extended, the 
immersion member 32 and upper squeeze roller 34 are in their respective 
operative positions, and when the ram 41 is contracted the immersion 
member 32 and upper squeeze roller 34 are in their respective inoperative 
positions. 
To load a soiled roll of towel to be treated, lid 44 is slid to the open 
position, and thereby activates ram 41 to rotate beam 38 and move 
immersion member 32 and upper squeeze roller 34 to their respective 
inoperative positions. The free end of the towel is held adjacent rewind 
roller 36 and the roll is passed between squeeze rollers 34 and 35 and 
between the immersion member 32 and bath 31 and placed in holder 33. The 
free end of the towel is then wound onto the rewind mandrel and the lid 44 
slid to the closed position, the sliding of the lid 44 activating the ram 
41 to return the immersion member 32 and the upper squeeze roller 34 to 
their respective operative position. 
With the lid 44 in the closed position a starter switch (not shown) is 
exposed, the starter switch controlling electric motor 45 which drives the 
rewind mandrel 36 and lower squeeze roller 35 by means of a belt system 
(not shown). The rewind mandrel is driven through a slipping clutch (not 
shown) in order to allow the angular velocity of the rewind mandrel to 
change according to the size of the roll wound thereon and thereby to 
allow a constant linear velocity for the towel passing through the bath 31 
to be maintained. 
When the complete towel has been treated and passed through the squeeze 
rollers 34 and 35 a limit switch 46 detects the passing of the end of the 
towel and stops the motor 45. With the towel end having passed through the 
squeeze rollers 34 and 35 and, there is no longer tension in the towel, 
and with continuing rotation of the rewind mandrel the end of the towel 
rotates clockwise and in doing so contacts limit switch 46 to switch off 
electric motor 45.