Apparatus for treating webs of textile goods with hot air or steam

An apparatus for treating in a continuous manner webs of textile goods in a sealed container, especially in a suspended loop damper or steam box with a fresh air or fresh steam supply and with a supply of circulated air or steam. The old air or old steam supply and the fresh air or fresh steam supply together lead into an injector-like slot nozzle which extends nearly over the entire length and width of the container and is located in the upper section of the container. In the injector-like slot nozzle the fresh air or steam is intermixed with old air or steam and passed over the webs of textile goods passed through the container.

The present invention relates to a device for treating webs of textile 
goods with hot air or steam in a sealed container, especially suspended 
loop damper, with a fresh air or steam supply and a supply of circulated 
air or steam. In particular, with suspended loop dampers with which the 
web of textile material suspended in loops is fixed, it must be assured 
that over the container cross section there will prevail a uniform 
temperature drop from the upper section of the container downwardly, which 
means to the lower container section. Furthermore, the air or the steam 
must circulate in the device. 
With a device of the above mentioned type, it is also necessary to maintain 
a substantially uniform temperature drop from the upper to the lower 
section of the container and over the entire cross section of the 
container. 
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device as set 
forth in the preceding paragraph which will bring about that with 
circulating air or steam in the container, a uniform air or steam 
temperature and velocity in the entrance region of the air or steam will 
prevail regardless of whether old air or old steam, or fresh air or fresh 
steam is involved. 
It is still another object of this invention to provide a device as 
outlined in the two preceding paragraphs, in which a uniform degree of 
moisture or uniform steps of mixture of the air or steam will be assured 
in the container.

The device according to the present invention is characterized primarily in 
that the old air or old steam supply and the fresh air or fresh steam 
supply to the treatment container together lead into an injection-like 
nozzle which extends approximately over the length and width of the 
container in the upper section thereof. 
According to a further development of the invention, the fresh air or fresh 
steam enters the slot nozzle preferably at a higher speed than the old air 
or old steam. 
The invention is based on the finding that a uniform air or steam 
atmosphere in the container will prevail when the media to be introduced 
into the container, during their entry into the container are subjected to 
a thorough intermixing operation so that a uniform medium enters the 
interior of the container. 
According to a still further development of the invention, the old air or 
old steam passes through transverse flow blowers and flat conduits 
provided in an accumulating or distributing chamber into the container 
which chambers merge with the slot nozzle and extend over the length or 
width or nearly over the length or width of said container. 
Advantageously, provided in a parallel arrangement with regard to the 
accumulating and distributing chamber for the circulated old air or old 
steam, there is provided an accumulating and distributing chamber for the 
fresh air or fresh steam, said accumulating and distributing chamber 
leading into the slot nozzle. 
According to the specific design of the slot nozzle as shown in the 
drawing, the slot nozzle comprises two parallel outer walls and a central 
wall between the two accumulating and distributing chambers for the 
circulated old medium and the introduced fresh medium, said central wall 
merging with the partition of the injector-shaped slot nozzle. 
In order to increase the degree of intermixing of the old circulated air or 
of the old circulated steam on one hand and the fresh air or fresh steam 
to be introduced on the other hand, it is suggested according to a further 
development of the present invention to provide the outer walls of the 
slot nozzle at their inner side in the flow direction of the fresh air or 
at the level of the free edge of the partition with turbulences or with 
protrusions bringing about an intermixing of the fresh and old air and 
fresh and old steam. These protrusions may be such that the two parallel 
streams of the media cross each other in the slot nozzle and at least 
partially are subjected to turbulences and change into a partially 
turbulent flow. 
According to a still further development of the invention, the partition in 
the slot nozzle may be adjustable. In this connection, the partition 
extending over the length of the slot nozzle may by means of a linkage 
system extending through the container wall be adjustable from the outside 
of the container while the partition is pivotally arranged on the 
intermediate wall between the two accumulating and distributing chambers. 
Referring now to the drawings in detail, the container B of the device 
according to the invention comprises longitudinal walls 1 and 2, end walls 
3 and 4, the bottom 5, and the ceiling 6. The ceiling 6 forms a chamber 
and in its interior has arranged a ceiling heating system known per se. If 
desired, a medium giving off heat is introduced into the chamber forming 
ceiling 6. 
A plurality of rectilinear suction boxes 7 which are spaced from each other 
extend through the lower section of the two longitudinal walls 1 and 2. 
The length of said suction boxes 7 totals approximately the length of the 
container B. These suction boxes lead with their section 7a into a 
plurality of transverse flow blowers 8. The distance of the boxes 
corresponds to the distance between the transverse flow blowers 8 in the 
longitudinal direction of the container B. 
Between the transverse flow blowers 8 which are arranged on the outside of 
the container B, there are provided driving means in the form of a shaft 
and a roller 9, a transmission means 10 which cooperates with a further 
roller 11 on the shaft of a motor 12. The individual motors 12 are adapted 
to operate individually but they can also be employed so as to work 
together. Conduits 13 having a flat rectilinear cross section extend from 
the transverse flow blowers 8 to the upper section of the container B. 
These conduits lead through a bent pipe section 14 to an accumulating and 
distributing chamber 15 which extends approximately over the length of the 
container B. 
Arranged parallelly below said accumulating and distributing chamber 15 
there is a further accumulating and distributing chamber 16 which has the 
same length as the accumulating and distributing chamber 15. The pipe 
sections 17 lead from fresh air or fresh steam feeding conduits into the 
said accumulating chamber. 
The intermediate wall 18 between the two chambers 15, 16 ends in a 
partition 19 which is located between the wall 20, forming a partoof the 
ceiling 6 and a wall 21. The wall 21 ends in the confining wall 23 of the 
accumulating and distributing chamber 16. The two walls 20 and 21 form a 
slot nozzle 24 which extends over the length of the two chambers 15, 16 
into which the slot nozzle of partition 19 extends in such a way that an 
injector-like slot nozzle is formed from which the media conveyed to the 
two chambers 15, 16 pass in the direction of the arrow K into the interior 
chamber of the container B where they are able to act upon the web of 
goods W which in a manner known per se is passed in loops through the 
container. 
After the two media mixed in the slot nozzle have passed from the chambers 
15, 16 through the container B from above in downward direction, the mixed 
media pass in the direction of the arrows S into the suction boxes 7 and 
from here are by means of the transverse blowers 8 conveyed into the 
chamber 15 as old air or old steam. A portion of the media passing in the 
direction of the arrows K into the container can be withdrawn through 
outlets (not illustrated). Fresh air or fresh steam passes through the 
connections 17 into the chamber 16 and together with the old air or old 
steam are conveyed through the slot nozzles 24 into the container B. 
Preferably, the speed of the fresh air or fresh steam is greater than the 
speed of the old air or old steam in chamber 15 so that the fresh air or 
the fresh steam represents the driving medium and aids the work of the 
transverse blowers which have a relatively low .DELTA. P. 
Through the connection 17, fresh air or fresh steam having sufficient 
moisture is passed in order to prevent the web of goods from drying out. 
In order to be able to meet the requirements outlined above, a 
substantially uniform medium (due to the intermixing of the media in and 
shortly behind the slot nozzle) is introduced into the inner chamber of 
container B through the slot nozzle 24 which extends approximately over 
the length of the device. 
According to the embodiment of FIG. 3, the inner sides of the walls 20, 21 
are in the direction of the media flowing through the slot nozzle 24 
(arrows 25, 26) behind the partition 19 provided with ribs 27, 29. These 
ribs extend over the length of the slot nozzle, and the introduced media 
impact upon the section 29 of said slot nozzle in such a way and are 
deflected so that in the section 30 of the nozzle or therebehind, a 
turbulence is created and thus an at least partially turbulent flow which 
aids the intermixing of the media. 
According to the embodiment of FIG. 4, the partition 31 is designed as an 
angled element which has one of its edges 32 pivotally arranged so that 
the partition in addition to being movable into the position shown in 
solid lines is also movable into the position 31' and 31". As a result 
thereof, the exit openings 35, 36 of the two media from the chambers 15, 
16 can be varied whereby the ratio of the two media is variable in a 
simple manner. The pivotable partition 31 can by means of a linkage system 
24 be adjusted from the outside of the container. 
It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no 
means, limited to the specific showing in the drawings, but also comprises 
any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.