Apparatus for the treatment of strand-like textile material

An apparatus for treatment of a strand-like textile material in the form of a continuous material rope, which is circulated during at least part of the treatment, includes: an elongated, essentially tubular treatment container; a transport nozzle array to which a transport medium flow can be applied; and a transport section adjoining the transport nozzle array. The transport section terminates on a material rope inlet side in a storage section of the treatment container. The storage section accommodates a folded material rope pile and includes: a gliding bottom extending at a distance above a container wall below, the gliding bottom extending from the material rope inlet side of the storage section to a material rope outlet side in vicinity of the transport nozzle array; and at least one unit provided for changing an inclination of the gliding bottom from the material rope inlet side toward the material rope outlet side.

The invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of strand-like textile material in the form of a continuous material rope which is circulated during at least part of its treatment.

So-called long storage machines are widely used in discontinuous single piece finishing for finishing and generally treating synthetic strand-like textile material, in particular. These long storage machines comprise an elongated, substantially tubular treatment container and a transport nozzle array arranged therein, to which transport nozzle array can be applied a liquid and/or gaseous transport medium flow. Adjoining the transport nozzle array is a transport section that terminates at a material rope inlet side in a storage section of the treatment container accommodating a folded rope pile. The storage section comprises a gliding bottom extending at a distance above the container wall located below, said gliding bottom extending from the material rope inlet side of the storage section to a material rope outlet side near the transport nozzle array.

Examples of such long storage machines are described in publications DE 2 207 679 A, DE 36 13 364 C2, DE 10 2007 036 408 B3 and FR 2 681 364, to mention only a few examples. As a rule, these machines are processed in a floating manner at a relatively high bath ratio (1:8 to 1:2) in the treatment bath. The material rope drive comprises a reel and a transport nozzle. In many cases the reel is a source of material damage resulting in dragging points or fabric displacement. This is due to low contact forces between the material rope and the reel as well as due to smooth reel surfaces; and, due to a fluid film between the material rope and the reel, the pulling action of the reel is frequently more likely rather minimal. Furthermore, the coordination of the material rope velocity generated by the transport nozzle and the reel circumferential speed is a problem in many cases. With the use of reels that are freely moving in material rope transport direction, it is attempted to reduce surface damage to the treated textile material caused by the decelerating effect of the reel.

A long storage machine is also known from publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,651, wherein a reel is omitted in one embodiment and the drive of the circulating material rope is achieved by air or an air/fluid mixture as the transport medium with which a transport nozzle can be loaded. A design of a long storage machine that, in principle, is similar is known from publication JP 07 305261 A. This machine also operates without a reel. The material transport is accomplished by a transport nozzle array that is optionally operated with gaseous and/or fluid transport media. Machines having this design can do with a relatively low draw-off height, along the length of which the material rope must be lifted at the outlet of the material storage section up to its entry into the transport nozzle. In so doing, the pulling forces exerted on the circulating material rope are appropriately lower in this region, this being advantageous in the treatment of sensitive textile materials.

In the elongated substantially tubular treatment container of long storage machines, there is provided, adjoining the material rope inlet, a storage section accommodating the folded rope pile. As a rule, the storage section comprises a gliding bottom for the material rope pile at a distance from the container wall located below, in which case—between the gliding bottom and the transport section—folding means for the material rope may also be arranged, as has been described in the aforementioned DE 10 2007 036 408 B3. The gliding bottom that comes into contact with the upper side of the material rope pile and is preferably configured so as to be friction-minimizing is inclined obliquely downward—at least in sections—from the folding means on the materials rope inlet side toward the material rope outlet side of the storage section in order to achieve a force of gravitation promoting the transport of the folded material rope.

However, in the course of a treatment the coefficient of friction of a textile material and thus of a material rope pile experiences changes that are caused, e.g., by the temperature, the material velocity and by different dyes, chemicals and auxiliary agents in the treatment bath. Thus, a decreasing coefficient of friction frequently causes the material pile compression toward the other end of the sliding bottom acting as the material pile slide to become increasingly greater and to finally be potentially up to 30%. As of a certain compression the material pile pressure can become so great that the textile material escapes upward in the direction out of the material rope pile and is pushed up. This behavior results in unfavorable draw-off properties at the draw-off point upstream of the material rope transport system. In order to remedy this, the sliding bottom was already configured in a concavely arcuate manner—at least in some regions—in longitudinal direction of the gliding bottom, in which case different profile forms have become known that, however, as a rule, are more or less well-suitable for only one specific type of material. Certain textile materials that contain, for example, cotton, polyamide, nylon, etc., have—depending on type of make, material composition and the like—coefficients of friction that may be within an entire band width with the result that also the material rope movement through the storage section of the machine may become problematic. It may occur that material rope loops are folded over and that material rope twists or material rope knots may form. Also, the packing density on the gliding bottom in the event of articles with increased inclination may lead to disadvantageous results due to temperature-related fold or crease formation.

It is the object of the invention to remedy this and provide a long storage machine that is uniformly suitable for the treatment of textile materials, i.e., substrates exhibiting different coefficients of friction and, consequently, make possible their use in a broad spectrum of applications of various textile material articles.

In order to achieve this object, the long storage machine according to the invention exhibits the features of patent claim1.

The new long storage machine comprises means for changing the inclination of the gliding bottom from its material rope inlet side toward its material rope outlet side. This may be accomplished in such a manner that the gliding bottom inside the treatment container can be adjusted regarding its inclination. However, in a preferred embodiment the arrangement is such that the treatment container is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation and that it is allocated adjustment means by means of which said container can be locked in the respective angular position.

As a result of this, the inclination of the gliding bottom is no longer fixed at a defined value due to design specifications in the storage section of the treatment container but is adjustable, thus allowing easy consideration of the coefficients of friction of different textile materials.

The adjustment range of inclination of the gliding bottom and thus the height of the gliding angle specified for the material rope pile placed on the gliding bottom is—as a rule—between 6 to 14 degrees; however, larger angular ranges are also conceivable.

In order to facilitate passage of the material rope through the storage section of the treatment container and to increase the options of use of the machine, it is expedient for the gliding bottom to be configured in the manner of an elongated tub whose bottom is concavely curved—at least in some regions. In so doing, the bottom may be curved—at least in some regions—in the form of a circular arc or of a catenary line.

During the treatment of certain, highly sensitive textile materials the compressive pressure occurring in the material rope pile at the lower end, i.e., at the material rope outlet of the inclined gliding bottom, may already be too high with an otherwise common inclination of the gliding bottom so that folds, creases or other surface impairments occur. Considering this group of materials, the inclination of the gliding bottom may be reduced to such an extend that the tub formed by the gliding bottom is oriented essentially in horizontal direction. If at least the part of the tub over which the material rope glides is filled with treatment fluid, the textile material is treated in a floating manner; in other words, the treatment is performed as in a trough or tub in which the material floats in the fluid.

The new long storage machine works without reel, so that a very small draw-off height results for the material rope on the path from the material rope outlet of the storage section to the venturi transport nozzle array. This distance may be less than 0.5 meters and less which, in conjunction with a low fluid load of the material rope, results in low tensile stress on the material rope when it is being drawn off out of the storage section and thus results in an extremely gentle treatment of the textile material. This low tensile stress on the textile material results in a reduced elongation and thus in improved shrinkage values. An inward rolling of the material edges as occasionally occurs in elastane-containing articles is largely avoided.

The long storage machine shown inFIGS. 1 to 3is disposed for the treatment of strand-shaped textile material in the form of a continuous material rope that is circulated at least during part of the treatment.

The machine comprises an elongated, substantially tubular treatment container1that consists of a longer cylindrical tubular section2and a shorter, likewise cylindrical, tubular section3having the same diameter, these being connected to each other via a wedge-shaped intermediate tubular piece4and being closed on the end sides with bottoms, for example torispherical ends or basket elbow ends5,6. The removably mounted basket elbow end6is provided with a loading door7leading into the interior of the container. The axes of the two tubular sections2,3include between them an oblique angle of 165 degrees. On its front end, the treatment container1is supported by two feet8mounted to opposite sides on the tubular section3, said feet being supported by stationary bearing brackets10so that it can be pivoted about a horizontal axis of rotation9.

On the back end of the treatment container1, there is provided lifting device that is schematically represented at11and is in contact with the outside of the longer tubular section2, said lifting device working with a not specifically illustrated lifting spindle or with likewise not illustrated lifting cylinders and forming adjustment means for the treatment container1. By means of the lifting device11, it is possible to pivot the treatment container1about its axis of rotation9, so that the inclination of the treatment container is changed relative to the horizontal, for example, between the position as inFIG. 1in which the short tubular section3is oriented approximately parallel to the horizontal and the position as inFIG. 2in which the substantially straight center part2aof the longer tubular section adjoining the intermediate tubular piece4is either oriented exactly parallel or at a smaller residual inclination relative to the horizontal. As can be inferred fromFIGS. 1, 2, an end part of the longer tubular section2bof the longer tubular section2bearing the torispherical end5is pivoted upward relative to the adjoining tubular section2aabout a small axial angle of approximately 10 degrees, so that—in the lowered position of the treatment container as inFIG. 2—fluid contained in said treatment container gathers on the container bottom at a lowest point12in the region of the intermediate tubular piece4and can be removed from this lowest point.

As a rule, the inclination of the treatment container1is adjustable by appropriate pivoting about the axis of rotation9within a range of 6 degrees to 14 degrees; however, in the event of special cases of use, other, in particular larger, adjustment ranges are also conceivable. In its respectively set position of inclination, the treatment container1can be locked by adjustment means of the lifting device11as is indicated by catches13. The adjustment of the inclination of the treatment container1may also be done in a continuous manner.

In the treatment container1, as is particularly obvious fromFIG. 3, there are arranged a transport nozzle array14, an adjoining transport section15and a trough-shaped or tub-shaped, elongated gliding bottom16, these allowing that a continuous material rope schematically indicated at17inFIGS. 4, 5can be put into circulation. The material rope sucked up by the transport nozzle array14moves through the transport section15to the material rope inlet side18(FIG. 4) of a storage section210of the treatment container1accommodating a folded material rope pile as indicated at19, in which treatment container extends—from the material rope inlet side18to a material rope outlet side20(FIG. 5)—the gliding bottom16receiving the folded material rope pile19.

The gliding bottom16extends in the treatment container1at a distance above the container wall21located below and is firmly supported by holders22mounted to the container wall. If the inclination of the treatment container is changed by being pivoted about the axis of rotation9, consequently also the inclination of the gliding bottom16is correspondingly changed relative to the horizontal. Alternatively, other embodiments are also conceivable, wherein also the gliding bottom16in the treatment container1is supported by holders22that are height-adjustable and thus allow a changing of the inclination of the gliding bottom16relative to the container wall21, while the treatment container1itself maintains its once-set inclination.

The tub-shaped gliding bottom16, which is provided on its inside walls facing the passing-through material rope pile19and displays a low coefficient of friction relative to the material rope pile and is coated—for example with Teflon—or provided with special gliding elements or rollers, is made of two walls with a fluid-impermeable outside wall23and—at a distance therefrom—an inside wall24that is perforated in a section24aextending from the material rope inlet side18and in a section24bleading to the material rope outlet side20and is fluid-impermeable in a wall section24clocated in between. The perforated sections24a,24bare highlighted in black inFIG. 3. On their ends, there are provided fluid discharge openings25(FIGS. 4, 5) that are closed by closure caps26which can be selectively opened in order to be able to drain treatment fluid passing through the perforated inside wall sections24a,24binto the treatment container1.

A filling pipe260terminates in the tub-shaped gliding bottom16and allows filling of the gliding bottom in the course of a treatment container adjustment as inFIG. 2with treatment fluid, in which case the gliding bottom is oriented essentially in horizontal direction and the closure caps26are closed. Filled treatment fluid can ultimately be drained through a discharge opening27into the interior of the container. The fluid passage through the discharge opening27is controlled by a closure member28in such a manner that it can be actuated by an actuator29that can be controlled from the outside.

The gliding bottom16is curved concavely along is length that accommodates the material rope pile19, preferably consistent with an arc of a circle having a large radius (for example 20 meters) or consistent with a catenary line. In so doing, the discharge opening27is arranged at the lowest point of the gliding bottom16with the gliding bottom being oriented horizontally. Adjoining this concavely curved section, the gliding bottom16is highly arched on the material rope inlet side18and on the material rope outlet side20at16aand16b, respectively, in which case the high arch16aextends into the region of the center axis of the treatment container. The adjoining bordering edge of the lateral wall of the tub-shaped gliding bottom16is indicated at30.

The transport section15above the gliding bottom16in the treatment container1comprises a transport tube31, the details of which can be seen inFIGS. 6, 7, in particular. Starting at a short, straight tubular section31ahaving a constant square diameter and being connected to the transport nozzle array31, the transport tube31has, in a long section31b, a conical expansion of the flow channel formed by the transport tube, with the cross-sectional form of said channel thus becoming increasingly rectangular. On the end of the transport tube section31bfacing the transport nozzle array14, there follows a material rope outlet elbow32having a rectangular cross-section, the details of said elbow being obvious fromFIG. 8. The material stand outlet elbow32extends over approximately 90 degrees and is provided with a perforation33in the region of its lateral walls and in at least its radial outside wall. It terminates in the manner that can be inferred fromFIG. 4in the gliding bottom16on the material rope inlet side18of said gliding bottom. Below the perforated material rope outlet elbow32there is, in the gliding bottom16, a material rope depositing zone330(FIG. 4) having a width corresponding approximately to the width of the gliding bottom16and having a depth that is only 150 mm to 200 mm. This depositing zone330is delimited toward the inside of the treatment container by a boundary wall34(FIG. 4) that is arcuate, extends over the width of the gliding bottom16and extends downward toward the inside wall24aof the gliding bottom16up to a specified distance. The material rope depositing zone330is thus delimited on all four sides by walls, in which case the highly arched section16aextends in lateral direction relatively closely to the material rope outlet elbow32. The tube section31acould also be configured so as to have a constant rectangular of polygonal cross-section.

Feeding of the material rope on the back side of the material rope depositing zone330over the height of approximately 150 mm to 200 mm—together with the boundary wall34—imparts a pulse to the material rope17moving into the gliding bottom16, said pulse causing the material rope to be deposited at the beginning of the storage section in super-imposed layered folds in such a manner that the material rope17on the material rope outlet side20is always drawn off the uppermost layer17aof the material rope pile as is illustrated inFIG. 5. As indicated inFIGS. 4, 5, the material rope pile19is constructed on the material rope inlet side18in such a manner that later deposited textile material comes to lie under the fold of the previously deposited textile material, i.e., the folds of the rope in the material rope pile19are arranged so as to be inclined toward the material rope inlet side18and remain in this basic position when passing through the storage section. In this manner an excellent material rope movement is achieved while—when the material rope is being drawn off on the material rope outlet side20—there is no risk that undesirable material rope loops, etc., are forming.

On entering the material rope depositing zone330the material rope17is folded across the width of the tub-shaped gliding bottom16such that the material rope outlet elbow32is imparted with an oscillating uniform movement via the transport tube31. For this purpose, the transport tube is supported so that it can be pivoted together with the transport nozzle array14about an axis of rotation340(FIGS. 5, 9) extending through a straight tube connecting piece35of the treatment agent supply line470to the transport nozzle array14. The tube connecting piece35is rotatably supported in a sealed manner at36in a rotating bearing mounted to the treatment container1. The pivot range of the transport tube31can be inferred fromFIG. 9, where, on the side with the transport tube31in a center position, the two end positions of the transport tube31located on both sides of this center position are illustrated, while the pivot range is indicated by an arrow37.

Due to the relatively great length of the transport tube31, the material rope outlet elbow32leads to a uniform, almost linear movement across the width of the depositing zone330during the material rope depositing process. As a result of this, a very gentle deposition of the material rope in the depositing zone330is achieved, which is of advantage with highly sensitive textile materials, in particular. This is in contrast with such known embodiments of folding arrangements wherein a material rope outlet elbow is imparted with a rotary movement about the axis of the transport tube that causes a corresponding twisting of the material rope that passes through, thus potentially resulting in difficulties affecting a variety of sensitive textile materials.

The oscillating pivoting motion is applied to the transport tube31by a drive motor38(FIG. 3) attached to the treatment container1, said motor being connected via a link mechanism39in such a manner that the transport tube31is moved back and forth at uniform speed over its pivot range37.

As a result of the fact that the entire transport section15is arranged together with the transport nozzle array14inside the treatment container1, there results the advantage that the transport tube31does not need to be pressure-resistant and thus can be manufactured in a relatively simple and cost-effective manner. As can be learned fromFIG. 3, the transport section15and the transport nozzle array14may be configured with height dimensions that are so minimal that these can be removed and inserted again through the opened loading opening at7.

With its tubular section31ahaving a constant square cross-section along its length, the transport section15is connected to a transport nozzle40of the transport nozzle array15, the precise design of which can be inferred fromFIGS. 10 through 13, in particular:

Attached to the tubular section31ais a cylindrical housing panel41that is peripherally shiftable in an axially delimited manner and is moved sealed in a fluid-tight manner by gaskets42in a housing ring flange43of a nozzle housing44. The ring flange43has an inlet opening45for the treatment fluid that can flow via a tubular elbow460of the treatment fluid supply line470(FIG. 5) into the nozzle housing44. Extending into the nozzle housing44is the tubular section31ahaving a square cross-section, said section31abeing provided—at an axial distance from the housing panel41—on the edge side—with four straight nozzle elements46(FIGS. 11, 13). Each of the nozzle elements46is substantially bent in a semi-cylindrical form and extends over the length of the lateral wall of the tubular section31a, in which case the four nozzle elements46are connected to each other at the ends in a manner obvious fromFIG. 13so as to abut against each other. Thus results a nozzle opening47that is delimited in a straight line on all sides by cylindrical surfaces. In alignment with this nozzle inlet opening47is the outlet part48of a funnel-shaped material rope inlet elbow49leading into the nozzle housing44and being connected therewith in a fluid-tight manner, said outlet part being appropriately adapted in view of its dimensions and having a square cross-section. The material rope inlet elbow49has an essentially rectangular material rope inlet opening50that is also delimited by essentially semi-cylindrically bent guide surfaces51, as can be seen inFIGS. 10, 11.

Between the nozzle elements46having the semi-cylindrical cross-section and surrounding the nozzle inlet opening47and the outlet part48, there is delimited a nozzle gap52via which the treatment fluid fed through the treatment fluid supply line enters into the tubular section31aof the transport tube31. Due to the cylindrical form of the nozzle elements46and the configuration of the material rope outlet opening of the outlet part47adapted so said form, an essentially eddy-free introduction of the treatment fluid through the conical nozzle gap52into the nozzle inlet opening47is achieved. In contrast with the conditions of a design of the nozzle gap delimited by more or less parallel surfaces or the abrupt embodiment of the nozzle gap, in this case largely laminar flow conditions are achieved that—even at high treatment temperatures—avoid cavitations or similar phenomena that are detrimental to the transport of the material rope.

The opening width of the nozzle gap52can be adjusted in that, in the embodiment as inFIG. 11, the entire transport section15is axially adjusted in the direction of the arrow53. For this purpose, an adjustment mechanism54(FIG. 10) is provided on the transport nozzle40, said adjustment mechanism comprising an L-shaped adjustment lever56having a ring flange43a pivotally supported at55, the respectively selected angular position of said adjustment lever being lockable in place by means of catches57. The adjustment lever56is connected, via a clip58forming a part of the adjustment mechanism in a hinged manner, to the tube section31ain such a manner that a pivoting movement of the adjustment lever56about the pivot axis at55is effected by an axial oscillation of the tube section31aas indicated by the arrow53, and thus the entire transport tube31.

The adjustment lever56may be manually actuated or via a not specifically illustrated actuator of a control device. It allows the selective changing of the nozzle gap52that tapers conically toward the outlet opening from the nozzle housing44. In this manner, it is possible to change the intensity of the treatment of the passing material rope with the treatment fluid between a more intensive treatment (narrow nozzle gap) and a more gentle treatment (large nozzle gap).

In an alternative embodiment illustrated byFIG. 12, the nozzle housing44can be adjusted back and forth in tube axis direction consistent with the arrow53afor the adjustment of the nozzle gap52relative to the transport tube31—and thus its tube piece31a—that cannot be adjusted back and forth in axial direction. The corresponding adjustment mechanism is not specifically illustrated inFIG. 12. Basically, its design is similar to that shown byFIG. 10. Other than that, parts that are the same as or similar to those inFIG. 11have the same reference signs, so that—to this extent—it is not necessary to explain them again. In this case, the inlet opening45is arranged in the housing panel41. The embodiment ofFIG. 11, as well as that ofFIG. 12, is provided with an anti-twist protection between the housing panel41and the ring flange43so that a twisting between the parts48and46,31adelimiting the nozzle gap52may not occur.

The long storage machine described so far operates as follows:

In the known long storage machines, most textile materials are treated at a relatively long bath ratio of, e.g., 1:8 to 1:15, which necessitates great expenses and effort in view of energy, chemicals and reactive dyes.

As opposed to this, the hydraulically operating long storage machine is designed for the smallest possible bath ratios that are on the order of 1:3 for synthetic materials and of 1:4 for cotton materials.

The material rope17to be treated is introduced in a customary manner—with the treatment door7open—into the treatment container that is designed as a pressure-resistant vat and, in so doing, said material rope is sucked through the materials rope inlet elbow49by the transport nozzle array14. The transport nozzle array14is loaded with treatment fluid that, among other things, is optionally evacuated by a pump60via a drain line59(FIG. 3) originating at12from the treatment container, which container has a rotary feedthrough90having an axis of rotation9arranged in one of the two feet8. The pump60conveys the treatment fluid over a heat exchanger61and a lint filter62of the bath supply line470to the transport nozzle array14. The tube connection between the supply line470and the pressure side of the pump60occurs via a rotary feedthrough having an axis of rotation9arranged in one of the feet8, which is not specifically illustrated in the drawing (FIG. 3), while the drain line59is connected to the suction side of the pump60via the rotary feedthrough90. The treatment agent addition vessels and arrangements are not specifically illustrated.

After the ends of the rope have been sewn to each other and after closing the loading door7, the material rope17may be treated in the—optionally pressurized—treatment container1with the treatment fluid that has been brought to the required temperature. In so doing, the long storage machine allows the operation—depending on the requirements of the textile material—in wet mode, in semidry mode or in dry mode.

The material rope is circulated by the transport nozzle array14, transported through the transport section to the material rope inlet side18into the treatment container1and introduced there into the tub-shaped gliding bottom16via the material rope outlet elbow32in the depositing zone330, where said material rope is stored in the storage section in the form of the material rope pile19and conveyed to the material rope outlet side20. Here, it is again sucked into the transport nozzle array14after having passed through the so-called draw-off height.

Downstream of the transport nozzle40of the transport nozzle array14, the material rope first moves through the tube piece31ahaving a constant cross-section and a length approximately five to ten times the width of the nozzle inlet opening47. In this zone, the pulse of the treatment agent jet is applied at a high degree of efficiency to the textile material of the material pile. The pulling forces generated by the jet of the treatment fluid act on the passing material pile over a length of approximately 600 to 1000 mm with the result that a highly gentle treatment of the textile material with low pulling forces can be achieved.

Adjoining this intensive zone in the tube piece31a, the transport tube31widens conically in its tube section31b. In this tube section, the remaining flow energy of the treatment medium is transmitted to the material rope. At the same time, the textile material is opened through the conical expansion to the outlet width of the transport channel. The intensive zone in the tube section31aand the conical expansion in the tube section31bresult in a very good pulling effect of the material rope transport system to act on the material rope. The low speed of the treatment fluid at the end of the transport section prevents impairments of the conveyed textile material, to which also contributes the circumstance that the pulling forces are transmitted to the material rope over a relatively long path of the transport section. The transport of the textile material in the transport tube31occurs in a floating manner. The transport section15is provided with an incline in order to bring the textile material to the upper position of the gliding bottom16and to the material slide created thereby. The cross-section of the transport tube31is rectangular which, compared with a cylindrical tube, provides the advantage that the textile material is not compressed on the tube bottom where it is supported, as is true of a cylindrical tube.

After passing through the transport tube31, the textile rope enters the upper end of the perforated rectangular material rope outlet elbow32arranged on the upper end of the transport tube31. Due to the centrifugal force and due to the residual pressure of the treatment agent, a large portion of the treatment agent carried along by the material rope is separated from the material rope and enters the back part of the treatment container1. As the material rope velocity increases, a disproportionately large amount of the treatment agent is separated from the material rope. The released treatment agent splashes from the treatment outlet elbow32against the adjacent walls in the back part of the treatment container1and causes the cleaning of these walls in this manner. As a rule, the percentage of the thusly separated treatment fluid is at approximately 30 to 70%.

Below the perforated material rope outlet elbow32, the material rope17enters the material rope depositing zone330. This is relatively narrow and causes, in the already described manner, a controlled deposition of the material rope. Due to the special configuration of the walls and the boundary wall34, the material rope is turned in such a manner while it is being deposited that, as already mentioned, the material rope is drawn off the uppermost fold17alocated at the lower end of the gliding bottom16on the material rope outlet side20.

Treatment fluid that is still carried along is removed from the material rope pile19pushed forward on the gliding bottom16is discharged through the perforation in the gliding bottom sections24a,24band allowed to flow off into the treatment container1with the flaps26open.

Combined with the short draw-off height of the material rope on the material rope outlet side20, this low treatment fluid load of the material rope also results in a minimal pulling strength stress on the material rope on the way between the gliding bottom and the transport nozzle array14. Inasmuch as the transport nozzle array14is not arranged in the ascending part of the material rope circulation path, i.e., adjoining the gliding bottom16and downstream of the material rope inlet elbow49, but in the continuation of the straight tube section31aof the transport section14, highly favorable circulation conditions result for the material rope that is treated in a particularly gentle manner.

The textile material layer, i.e., the height of the material rope pile19on the gliding bottom16, as a rule, ranges between 10 and 15 cm. In this manner, the compressive pressure acting at the lower end of the inclined gliding bottom16on the lowermost material rope fold is relatively low. As a result of the already described option of letting the free treatment fluid drop off, there is only the treatment fluid remaining in the loops or fabric interstices due to capillary action and adhesive forces. Therefore, the largest group of textile materials by far can be treated in the treatment container in the elevated position as inFIG. 1, in which the gliding bottom16is inclined accordingly. As a result of the uniformly curved shape of the gliding bottom16, the density of the material rope pile—as has also already been explained—remains relatively low on the entire transport path through the storage section and this, in particular, also in the lower-lying region in the vicinity of the material rope outlet side20.

Referring to a particular group of textile materials (e.g., acetate) the compression of the material rope pile on the gliding bottom16is already too high when the treatment container is adjusted as inFIG. 1, so that folds and creases or other surface detriments may occur. Considering this group of articles, the inclination of the treatment container1can be reduced into the position as inFIG. 2, so that the tub-shaped gliding bottom16is filled with treatment agent and the textile material is treated therein in a floating manner. The space under the gliding bottom16remains loaded with a gas/air vapor mixture below the perforated wall24a, bbecause of the wall23that acts as a bath collector. Consequently, the bath ratio in this operating mode is considerably smaller than in conventional plants. Other than that, the inclination of the treatment container1can be selected consistent with the different coefficients of friction of various textile materials. If the tub-shaped gliding bottom16according toFIG. 2is set approximately horizontally, the treatment agent discharge in this treatment is closed by the flaps26and by the drain valve27. The amount of treatment fluid flowing through the material rope outlet elbow32into the gliding bottom16flows with the material rope pile to the material rope outlet side20, where said fluid overflows over the raised edge16bof the gliding bottom16in the treatment container.

Of course, all the functions of the new long storage machines, including the adjustment of the nozzle gap52, can be automatically controlled by a control device. This is advantageous in commission dyeing and allows the new long storage machine to treat almost all virtually occurring groups and areas of different textile materials within a large spectrum.

As a rule, the nominal loading weights for a long storage machine are not reached with light-weight textile materials. In order to reach the nominal treatment weight and keep the material rope circulation time within acceptable limits the machine may be equipped with several transport tubes31. in this case, a transport tube31as described hereinabove is equipped with a transport nozzle40having an adjustable nozzle gap52, whereas the other transport tubes31can be dimensioned—optionally without adjustment—for lighter-weight textile materials; however, this is not absolutely necessary.FIG. 14shows an exemplary embodiment of this type. Considering the embodiment that has been previously described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 4, the same parts are identified with the same reference signs and need not be explained again.

The new long storage machine was described hereinabove as a hydraulic machine, wherein the transport of the material rope17is performed solely by the treatment fluid, and wherein the associate transport nozzle array is configured accordingly. Basically however, it is also possible to apply the principle of the machine to long storage machines that operate pneumatically and/or mixed pneumatically/hydraulically. In these cases, the transport nozzle array14comprises transport nozzle means that can be charged either with a transport gas and/or with a transport gas as well as with a transport fluid, in which case treatment agents in a suitable form, for example atomized, may be added to the transport gas, as has been known per se.

An apparatus for the treatment of strand-like textile material in the form of a continuous rope which is circulated during at least part of its treatment comprises an elongated substantially tubular treatment container1having a storage section which holds a folded rope pile19. The storage section. contains a gliding bottom16and means11for changing the incline of the gliding bottom16from its rope inlet side18to its rope outlet side.