Process for the wet treatment of endless strands of textile material

An endless strand of textile material is initially dyed by transporting it spirally through successive compartments of a vat and simultaneously and separately circulating a homogeneous dye liquor through the compartments individually, and then the textile material is rinsed while continuing to transport it through said successive compartments, by causing a rinsing liquor to flow successively through the compartments in countercurrent to the movement of the textile material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a process for the wet treatment of endless 
strands of textile material in batches in a wet-treatment vat, in which 
the textile material is transported along a spiral path through a treating 
liquid. 
It is known that strand-form piece goods sewn endlessly together can be 
dyed by being transported through a bath of a dye liquid, for example by 
means of a winch or even by means of a hydraulic system (for example a 
nozzle system). The main disadvantages of this known process are that the 
strands of textile material have to be matched exactly with one another in 
their length in order to obtain optimum dyeing results. 
It is also known that printed textile material can be washed by being 
transported spirally through and rinsed in several vats. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a process of 
the type described above which gives extremely good wet-treatment results 
with a high degree of economy, and which in addition can be carried out in 
a structurally simplified apparatus occupying relatively little space. 
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that, using one and 
the same wet-treatment vat, the textile material is 
(a) initially dyed by being transported spirally through several separate 
adjoining, wet-treatment compartments of the vat in which it is exposed to 
the action of a homogeneous circulating dye liquor, and 
(b) then rinsed with rinsing liquor which is transported through the 
individual wet-treatment compartments of the vat in countercurrent to the 
textile material and enters at the end of the vat at which the textile 
material exits. 
In the process according to the invention, therefore, the textile material 
to be treated is successively transported through the individual 
wet-treatment compartments, at least during the dyeing process, each of 
these wet-treatment compartments containing the same dye liquor which is 
kept homogeneous throughout by permanent circulation so that, during the 
dyeing process, all the compartments of the wet-treatment vat are filled 
with dye liquor having the same temperature, chemical composition and dye 
composition. In this way, it is possible to obtain optimum dyeing results 
with a reduced amount of liquor. 
On completion of the dyeing process, the dye liquor is run off from the 
vat, and rinsing liquor or rinsing water is passed successively through 
all the wet-treatment compartments, starting with the compartment at the 
end of the vat where the textile material exits, so that the rinsing 
liquor is pumped through the entire wet-treatment vat (successively 
through all the wet-treatment compartments) in countercurrent to the 
textile material. In addition to reducing the amount of dye liquor, this 
arrangement also provides for a considerable saving in the rinsing 
process. In addition, piece goods to be treated can be sewn endlessly 
together to form a strand of considerable length, thereby further 
increasing the economy of the process. 
In addition to these advantages of the process according to the invention, 
however, it is possible to obtain a very considerable structural advantage 
by virtue of the fact that both the dyeing operation and the rinsing 
operation can be carried out in one and the same apparatus or 
wet-treatment vat, so that apparatus costs and spacing requirements can be 
reduced. 
The wet treatment vat is divided by partitions into a number of wet 
treatment compartments which communicate with one another through openings 
above their normal dye liquor level, each wet treatment compartment being 
connected to a common delivery pump and a common heat exchanger through a 
separate inlet and outlet for the dye liquor, and inlet for rinsing liquor 
being provided at the end of the vat at which the textile material exits, 
for introducing rinsing liquor into the wet treatment compartment situated 
at that end of the vat, an outlet for the rinsing liquor being provided at 
the opposite end of the vat for running off rinsing liquor from the wet 
treatment compartment situated at this opposite end of the vat, and 
changeover means being provided to enable dye liquor to be separately 
circulated through the individual wet treatment compartments or rinsing 
liquor to be delivered in countercurrent to the textile material. 
Accordingly, it is possible separately to supply all the wet treatment 
compartments with dye liquor from a common source and to run off this dye 
liquor from the individual compartments, again separately be means of a 
common delivery pump, for the purpose of regeneration. By a comparatively 
simple changeover operation, the dye liquor can be run off from the 
individual wet treatment compartments and the supply of dye liquor shut 
off, so that the supply of rinsing liquor and hence the rinsing operation 
can be commenced after dyeing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A first embodiment of a wet-treatment apparatus according to the invention 
is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. This wet treatment apparatus includes a wet 
treatment vat 1 through which the textile material 2 to be treated with 
liquid is spirally transported in the form of an endless strand in the 
direction of the arrow 3. The elongate vat 1 may be symmetrical in 
cross-section, as shown in FIG. 2, and may comprise substantially 
straight, opposite housing side walls 4, 5, an arcuate base 6 and a 
correspondingly shaped cover 7, all the above mentioned housing sections 
preferably merging smoothly with one another. 
The cross-section of the vat may of course also assume other forms, for 
example a cross-sectional form characterised by an inclined base at one 
end. 
The ends of the wet treatment vat 1 are essentially formed by straight, 
flat walls 8, 9. 
According to one important aspect of the invention, the interior of the wet 
treatment vat 1 is longitudinally divided into a number of wet treatment 
compartments 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 (i.e. into six wet treatment 
compartments in the present case) by partitions 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 
which are sealingly built, preferably welded, into the wet treatment vat 1 
and which extend upwards over only part of the internal height of the vat 
from the base 6 thereof. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the partitions 16 to 
20 are arranged substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis 21 
of the vat, being separated at substantially equal intervals from one 
another and from the adjacent side walls 8 and 9 of the vat 1 and 
extending parallel thereto, so that in this case all the wet treatment 
compartments 10 to 15 are equal in size. Above the individual wet 
treatment compartments 10 to 15, there are guide means and transfer means 
for the textile material 2 so that the textile material can be guided and 
transferred from one compartment to the following compartment, the last 
wet treatment compartment 15 through which the textile material is 
transported (arrow 3) communicating with the first wet treatment 
compartment 10, for example through a delivery passage 22 indicated by 
dash-dot lines (cf. FIG. 1), so that the textile material 2 can be 
returned from one end of the wet treatment vat 1 to the opposite end, 
particularly during the dyeing process. 
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the guide and transfer means are 
formed by several guide rollers 23, at least some of which are also used 
for mechanically transporting the textile material. In addition, at least 
one of these guide rollers could of course also be in the form of a 
standard winch. The number and size of the guide rollers and winches will 
generally be determined by the type of textile material to be treated and 
by the width of the vat 1. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the 
endless textile material 2 is guided through the individual wet treatment 
compartments 10 to 15 in freely depending form (it could also be 
temporarily deposited in these compartments). In some cases, however, it 
would also be possible to use additional guide means in the form of guide 
rollers. 
Whereas, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, only one side of the 
textile material 2 lies on the guide rollers 23, it would also be possible 
to associate a counter roller (not shown) with at least one guide roller 
in order to obtain greater adhesion and hence to ensure positive transport 
of the textile material 2. By providing a counter roller of the type in 
question, as known per se, it would also be possible mechanically to 
remove surplus water by squeezing from the section of textile material 
ascending from the associated wet treatment compartment. 
In this first embodiment, the guide and transport rollers 23 for the 
textile material 2 preferably extend over the entire length of the wet 
treatment vat 1, so that they can be driven by a common drive (not shown). 
For each of the wet treatment compartments 10 to 15, the base 6 of the vat 
comprises a pipe connection 10a to 15a serving as outlets for the dye 
liquor, a shut off valve 10b, 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b, and 15b being provided 
in each of these pipe connections. All the pipe connections 10a to 15a 
communicate through a collecting pipe 24 with a common delivery pump 25 
for the dye liquor, which at its output or delivery end is connected to a 
common heat exchanger 26. From the heat exchanger 26, a distributing pipe 
27 extends longitudinally through the wet treatment vat 1 above the 
individual wet treatment compartments 10 to 15. The distributing pipe 27 
has outlets 10c to 15c for each of the wet treatment compartments 10 to 
15, these outlets representing the inlets for the dye liquor into the 
compartments. Accordingly, each wet treatment compartment 10 to 15 may be 
individually supplied with dye liquor and the dye liquor may be separately 
run off from each of the wet treatment compartments at their lower ends. 
In the individual wet treatment compartments 10 to 15, a bath of dye 
liquor 28 is maintained at a suitable level 29 which lies below the upper 
edge of the partitions 16 to 20 (for example known level indicators, not 
shown, may be used for this purpose). In this way, each individual wet 
treatment compartment 10 to 15 is continuously supplied with fresh dye 
liquor from a common source so that the particular bath composition may 
always be kept homogeneous throughout. 
Since, in this first embodiment, the partitions 16 to 20 extend over only a 
certain part of the height of the vat form its base 6, the individual wet 
treatment compartments 11 to 15 communicate freely with one another 
through the upper vat space, so that the spirally transported textile 
material 2 can be guided and transferred without interference in the upper 
part of the vat. 
It can also be seen from FIG. 1 that pipe connections 32, 33 closeable by 
valves 30, 31 are provided on the end walls 8 and 9 of the wet treatment 
vat 1 (preferably near its base 6) for the introduction and removal of 
rinsing liquor. In the present case, it is assumed that the textile 
material 2 is removed from the vat 1 after the wet treatment, for example 
in the vicinity of the right-hand end wall 9 of the vat 1. In this case, 
the rinsing liquor is delivered through the pipe connection 33 provided on 
the end wall 9, as indicated by the arrow 34, whilst the spent rinsing 
liquor is removed through the pipe connection 32 provided on the opposite 
end wall 8, as indicated by the arrow 35. 
In addition, change-over means (not shown in detail) are provided, by 
which--manually or automatically--the dye liquor is run off from the 
individual wet treatment compartments 10 to 15 on completion of the dyeing 
process, the shut-off valves 10b to 15b are closed and the supply of dye 
liquor to the individual wet treatment compartments is shut off, whilst 
the introduction the removal of rinsing liquor through the pipe 
connections 32 and 33 is switched on. 
Finally, this first embodiment may comprise means for additionally 
introducing dye liquor onto the textile material above the wet treatment 
compartments (or even only over a few certain wet treatment compartments) 
in the region preceding the point at which the textile material 2 
re-enters a wet treatment compartment. As shown in FIG. 2, these means for 
additionally introducing dye liquor may be formed by a spray system 36 
which comprises spray nozzles and which is arranged in the region between 
the dye liquor level 29 and the last guide roller 23 over which the 
textile material 2 is transported (arrow 3). If desired, the spray system 
36 may also be substantially annular or partly annular in configuration, 
so that it may also serve as another guide element for the textile 
material. 
The preceding description of the first embodiment of the apparatus 
according to the invention also provides a clear idea of the process 
according to the invention. In this process, the textile material 2 is 
introduced in the usual way into the wet treatment vat 1 in which it is 
first dyed and then rinsed, i.e. in one and the same vat. During the 
dyeing process, the textile material 1 sewn endlessly together in strand 
form is transported spirally in the direction of the arrow 3 through the 
adjoining, separate wet treatment compartments 10 to 15. This operation 
may be repeatedly carried out in the required manner by the textile 
material 2 being returned from the last wet treatment compartment 15 of 
the vat 1 through the delivery passage 22 to the first wet treatment 
compartment 10. While the textile material is being transported in this 
way through the vat 1 or successively through its wet treatment 
compartments 10 to 15, the wet treatment compartments are kept filled with 
dye liquor 28 to the required level 29, the dye liquor of each individual 
wet treatment compartment 10 to 15 being circulated through the separate 
inlets and outlets 10c to 15c and 10a to 15a for the dye liquor by the 
common delivery pump 25 and the common heat exchanger 26 so that the 
composition of the dye bath is always kept homogeneous. 
As already mentioned, the dye liquor is run off from the individual wet 
treatment compartments and the supply of dye liquor is switched off on 
completion of the dyeing process, and rinsing liquor or rinsing water is 
delivered through the wet treatment vat 1 via the pipe connection 33 in 
countercurrent to the direction in which the textile material 2 is 
transported, as indicated by the arrow 3. Accordingly, the rinsing liquor 
is initially pumped into the wet treatment compartment 15 from below, 
flows over the upper edge of the partition 20 into the following 
compartment 14 and so on until it is run off from the opposite compartment 
10 through the pipe connection 32. This rinsing operation may be carried 
out by initially transporting the textile material, still in the form of 
of an endless strand as in the dyeing process, through the wet treatment 
vat 1, then severing the strand of textile material after a reasonable 
time and removing it from the vat 1 in the region of its end wall 9, 
or--in the case of material which is fairly easy to rinse--by severing the 
strand of textile material at the beginning of the rinsing process, 
transporting it spirally towards the end wall 9 and removing it in the 
region of the end wall 9. 
As already mentioned in connection with the transport system for the 
textile material 2, surplus water may be removed from the section of 
textile material ascending from a wet treatment compartment (above the dye 
liquor level 29), not only mechanically (by squeezing) but also by means 
of a compressed-air nozzle system. 
For particularly intensive dyeing, it can be of advantage additionally to 
supply dye liquor to the textile material 2 before it re-enters the 
corresponding wet treatment compartment, which in the embodiment shown in 
FIG. 2 may be done by means of the spray system 36. 
Some other embodiments and procedures characterising the present invention 
are shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. 
Whereas, in the first embodiment (cf. in particular FIG. 2), the textile 
material 2 is guided over and transported by the guide rollers 23 on one 
side only, FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which three guide and 
transporting rollers 40 (as seen in cross-section) are arranged parallel 
and adjacent to one another in such a way that the strand-form textile 
material 2' is guided on its inside over the two outer guide rollers 40 
and on its outside over the middle guide roller 40, so that the textile 
strand is looped around a larger area of the guide rollers 40, thereby 
providing greater adhesion for the transport of the textile material 
through this wet treatment vat 1'. 
In addition, means for additionally supplying dye liquor 42, in the form of 
an overflow barrier 41, is provided in this case over the last guide 
roller 40 to be contacted by the textile material. 
In the embodiment shown in cross-section in FIG. 5 (once again in 
simplified form only), the guide and transporting rollers used in the 
preceding embodiments are replaced by a supporting belt 51 circulating 
endlessly over three guide rollers 50 in the upper part of the wet 
treatment vat 1" as the mechanical transport system for the textile 
material 2". 
In addition to the already described mechanical transport systems for 
transporting the textile material through the wet treatment vat, it is of 
course also possible, as known per se, for the textile material to be 
transported hydraulically by means of liquid nozzles (for example in a 
nozzle delivery tube), in which case this hydraulic transport system may 
also be linked with the delivery passage which connects the two wet 
treatment compartments situated at the opposite ends of the wet treatment 
vat. In addition, guide and transport systems which are driven 
independently of one another may of course also be suitably combined with 
one another. 
Finally, FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a wet treatment vat 60, in 
whose housing 61 the work treatment compartments 62 to 67 are formed by 
partitions 68 to 72 which are arranged at equal intervals from and 
parallel to one another, being installed in the housing 61 (preferably by 
welding) obliquely of the longitudinal axis 73 of the vat. The oblique 
positions of these partitions 68 to 72 may be selected in such a way that 
they correspond to the spiral transport of the textile material 2'". Apart 
from this, the remaining fittings and components of the wet treatment 
apparatus may be designed and arranged in exactly the same way as in the 
preceding embodiments. 
In addition to the embodiments which have been described with reference to 
the accompanying drawings, other modifications are of course also possible 
in accordance with the invention. 
Thus, for loosely introducing the textile material into the wet treatment 
compartments, it is possible to provide at least one cuttle motion above 
the middle of the compartments by which the textile material can be 
deposited in the wet treatment compartments towards the middle thereof. 
In another modification, the adjacent wet treatment compartments 
communicate with one another through an externally arranged overflow in 
the form of a vertically adjustable double pipe. This is of importance 
during rinsing when the rinsing liquor is delivered in countercurrent to 
the textile material (in which case the rinsing liquor does not of course 
flow over the upper edges of the partitions from one wet treatment 
compartment to the other). Finally, it is also possible to arrange a 
self-aligning roller in the return path from the last wet treatment 
compartment to the first wet treatment compartment, this self-aligning 
roller in turn driving a separate winch for introducing textile material 
into the first wet treatment compartment. In this way, the textile 
material is loosely returned to the first wet treatment compartment, 
particularly during dyeing.