METHOD OF PREPARING TREATING LIQUID IN CIRCULATING SYSTEM OF CLOTH TREATING MACHINE AND TREATING CLOTH WITH THE LIQUID, AND CLOTH TREATING MACHINE HAVING THE FUNCTION

Abstract: The present invention relates to the improvement of a cloth processing liquid supply system in respect of a cloth processing apparatus for dyeing, bleaching or scouring cloth by means of liquid circulation system, more in details, it especially relates to both a method whereby certain cloth processing powders such as dyes, pigments and surfactants are supplied into either a powder input and stir portion provided in the circulation system of said apparatus where there occurs larger fluid friction of a solvent or a region of said circulation system where there locally occurs larger fluid friction so as to not only prepare said processing liquid of a predetermined concentration by making effective use of said larger fluid friction, but also successively process said cloth with said liquid flowing in the circulation system of said apparatus and an apparatus used in the same method.

Description: Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of processing a cloth and a cloth processing apparatus which dyes, bleaches or scours cloth by means of cloth processing liquid circulation. In more detail, it especially relates to a method and apparatus in which a cloth processing liquid of a certain concentration is prepared through the dispersion and dissolution of cloth processing powder such as dyes, pigments and surfactants in a solvent by making effective use of a large fluid friction locally occurring in the cloth processing liquid circulation system of said apparatus as stirring force, and processing cloth successively with said cloth processing liquid flowing in said circulation system. Background of the Invention With a conventional cloth processing apparatus, it has been an unavoidable necessity to take preparatory steps such that a cloth processing liquid prepared either by dispersing and dissolving such cloth processing powder as dyes, pigments, surfactants and scouring agents, etc. in a solvent (normally, water or hot water) in a dissolution tank separately set up near said cloth processing apparatus, or by dispersing or dissolving those powders using a special stirrer, is supplied to the cloth processing apparatus. Therefore, there have been many problems encountered with this conventional cloth processing apparatus in respect of both the quality control and maintenance of an efficient working environment in the factory. For instance, a space exclusively used for the preparation and transfer of said cloth processing liquid was needed in the factory. Also, there was a cost increase as a result of the need to prepare and transfer the liquid as well as to cleanse the dissolution tank, and liquid control apparatus and carriage containers. There were also quality problems owing to liquid loss due to the transfer, color smear, liquid loss due to unavoidable splashing of said liquid under preparation, the pollution of said liquid with the residue of previously prepared cloth processing liquids, inconsistent concentration depending on each person in charge of the preparation of said processing liquid, and qualitative changes (particularly observed with reactive dyes and acidic substantive color dyes due to hydrolysis and the like) in said processing liquid owing to the long lapse of time between preparation and actual use. JP-A 7102466 discloses a method for the delivery of a powdery agent into a cloth processing apparatus which makes use of the fluid friction occurring in the system to dissolve said powdery agent. The powdery agent is introduced in the region of the intake of the circulation pump of a cloth circulation system as this region naturally has a larger fluid friction than other regions of the cloth circulatory system. GB A 1561988 discloses a process for the isothermal high temperature dyeing of hydrophobic fibres in a closed dyeing system using a water insoluble disperse dyestuff. In this process, the fibres are retained in a dying container through which dying liquor is circulated. The dyestuff is contained in a large capacity closed chamber and is dispersed by feeding bypass liquor into this chamber, via a baffle, to promote mixing in the closed chamber until the pressure in the chamber builds up sufficiently to open the non return valve so as to discharge the dispersed dyestuff via a nozzle into the liquor circulating through the dying container. JP A 3715434 discloses a method for the dyeing of a cloth in which the dyestuff is introduced into a dissolution tank and gradually dissolved by feeding a portion of the circulating dyeing liquid into said tank from overhead. The dissolved dyestuff is then passed to the suction side of a circulatory pump. PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED In view of the above-mentioned problems encountered in the prior art for supplying a cloth processing liquid into said cloth processing apparatus, the present invention provides both a means of efficiently preparing said liquid and of successively processing cloth as required with said liquid in the circulation system of said cloth processing apparatus. This overcomes the need for any special separate device for preparing said liquid, and also provides an apparatus used in the same method which is labor-economical as well as space-saving. Also, the present invention permits liquid quality control whereby not only cloth can be processed with a cloth processing liquid of an ideal concentration and without impurity due to the mixture of the residue of previously prepared processing liquids, but also liquid loss in the transfer can be greatly reduced in comparison with the prior art. Moreover, the present invention permits liquid quality control whereby cloth can be processed in a liquid of consistent quality because of the shorter elapse of time from its preparation until its actual use. MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of processing cloth using a cloth processing liquid in a cloth processing apparatus according to claim 1. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cloth processing apparatus according to claim 2. Preferably, a cloth processing apparatus wherein the cloth processing liquid circulation system includes a dyeing sink which is connected with the stirring tank through a connection pipe so that in use the liquid levels in the sink and the tank, can be maintained the same. Preferably also, a cloth processing apparatus wherein the auxiliary circulation system is provided with a separate pump to accelerate liquid flow in the auxiliary circulatory system. The cloth processing liquid may be used to perform a required cloth treatment or processing such as, for example, dyeing, scouring, bleaching and caustic reduction with the aim of physically and chemically improving the appearance and quality of cloth. The cloth processing circulatory system itself may be a conventionally well-known apparatus such as a jet dyeing machine, a beam dyeing machine, a jigger dyeing machine and a wince dyeing machine. All those dyeing machines can also perform a required processing on cloth by using the variety of cloth processing liquids (such as for scouring, bleaching and caustic reduction) besides dyeing. The cloth processing powder can be either directly fed as such into the above-mentioned stirring tank contained in a water-soluble sack or a permeable basket which is introduced into the tank. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig 1 is a schematic view of a cloth processing apparatus of a first embodiment of the present invention; and Fig 2 is a schematic view of a cloth processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to Fig 1 of the drawings, in said apparatus (T 2 ) endless cloth (W) is subjected to dipping, dehydrating, rubbing, squeezing and loosening conditions in a cloth processing circulatory system so as to be uniformly bathed in a cloth processing liquid (D) in such a repetitious process that (i) it is dipped in said liquid (D) which has collected in a dyeing sink (2) provided at the bottom of a processing tank (1) while slowly and serpentinely moving and being partly submerged in and drifting on said liquid; (ii) then, the cloth is lifted by a pull-up reel (3) and directed towards an injection supply passage (5) through a reel box (4); and (iii) then, the cloth (W) within said passage (5) is carried over at high speed into an inflow opening (5a) of said dyeing sink (2) by the force of said liquid (D) injected from a jet nozzle (6) and is released from that force just when it has emerged from said passage (5) so as to be directed again towards said reel (3) whilst being partly submerged in and partly floating on said liquid D in the sink. The circulation system of said cloth processing liquid (D) by means of the cloth processing apparatus (T 2 ) of the present embodiment is constituted not only by the cloth processing circulatory system but also by an auxiliary circulation system for preparing said liquid (D). Besides said jet nozzle (6), passage (5) and dyeing sink (2), cloth processing circulatory system also comprises an intake passage (8) connected to a liquid reserve portion (7) formed at the bottom of said dyeing sink (2), a circulation pump (9) the suction side of which is connected to said intake passage (8), a liquid supply passage (10) connected to an outlet of said circulation pump (9), a filter (11) connected to the end portion of said liquid supply passage (10), a multipipe heat exchanger (12) connected to an outlet of said filter (11), a heated liquid supply passage (13) connected to an outlet of said heat exchanger (12). In Fig 1, numeral (8a) indicates an electromagnetic valve provided on a branch passage of said intake passage (8) which is used for draining said liquid (D) from said apparatus (T 2 ) or polluted water generated when the internal circulation system of said apparatus (T 2 ) is cleansed. Turning to the auxiliary circulation system of said apparatus (T 2 ) in the present embodiment, it has a powder input and stir tank (17) which is connected to the bottom of said dyeing sink (2) through a connecting pipe (2a) and the liquid level of which is maintained at the same level as that of said dyeing sink (2). A pipe (20) connects the bottom of said tank (17) with said liquid supply passage (10). In this embodiment, said tank (17) is provided with an airtight cover (17a) easy to open and close, and the inside of said tank (17) becomes airtight by closing said cover (17a). The most characteristic feature of the apparatus (T 2 ) in the present embodiment is in that said powder input and stir tank (17) is included in said auxiliary circulation system wherein it is connected to the bottom of said dyeing sink (2) through said connecting pipe (2a) so that its liquid level is maintained at the same level as that of said dyeing sink (2). From the above it will be apparent that the regions constituted by the liquid reserve portion 7, the intake passage 8 and the pump 9 are common to the cloth processing circulatory system and the auxiliary circulation system. The method of preparing said cloth processing liquid (D) by means of the cloth processing apparatus (T 2 ) of the present embodiment is explained as follows by taking a dyeing liquid as an example. To begin with, water is supplied as a solvent to the cloth processing circulatory system by opening an electromagnetic water supply valve (8b) provided on said intake passage (8). Thereby, the quantity of water as required is reserved in said dyeing sink (2) and likewise the same level of water as kept in said sink (2) is reserved in said powder input and stir tank (17) via said connecting pipe (2a). When the quantity of water in said tank (17) has reached a predetermined level, said cover (17a) is closed after a water-soluble sack containing a certain quantity of a dyeing powder (P) is supplied into said tank (17), and then an electromagnetic valve (21) provided on said pipe (20) is opened. Thereby, the liquid reserved in said tank (17) is powerfully led by the suction pressure of said circulation pump (9) into said liquid reserve portion (7) as well as intake passage (8) through said engaging pipe (2a) and successively carried over to said liquid supply passage (10) via the outlet of said circulation pump (9). At this time, the inside of said tank (17) closed with said airtight cover (17a) tends to become negatively pressurized, but since part of the liquid flowing in said liquid supply passage (10) returns into said tank (17) through said pipe (20), the internal pressure of said apparatus (T 2 ) returns to a normal condition. Then, because there occurs three-way conflict inside said tank (17) among the suction pressure of said pump (9) causing the processing liquid to outflow from the tank (17) via said connecting pipe (2a) and the discharge pressure of said pump (9) causing the liquid to flow into said tank (17) through said pipe (20) as well as the natural propensity to maintain the balance between the liquid level in said dyeing sink (2) and that in said tank (17), large fluid friction occurs inside said tank (17) causing complex and powerful liquid movement so as to stir the sack containing said dyeing powder (P) and disperse as well as dissolve it in a very short period of time. After a certain elapse of time, the concentration of the dyeing liquid flowing in the whole circulation system of said apparatus (T 2 ) becomes uniform, and the dyeing treatment of the cloth (W) completes in a process where the cloth (W) repetitiously moves between said dyeing sink (2) and passage (5) in contact with said dyeing liquid (D). This structure of the cloth processing apparatus (T 2 ) of the first embodiment is simple so that it can be manufactured inexpensively and is advantageous in saving equipment & plant cost. Referring now to Fig 2 of the drawings, basically there is no difference between the present embodiment and the first one in the structure of the processing tank (1), the dyeing sink (2), the pull-up reel (3), the reel box (4), the injection supply passage (5), the jet nozzle (6), the liquid reserve portion (7), the intake passage (8), the circulation pump (9), the liquid supply passage (10), the filter (11), the multipipe heat exchanger (12) and the heated liquid supply passage (13) as well as in the cloth processing method. It is in the structure of the auxiliary circulation system that the cloth processing apparatus (T 3 ) of the present embodiment differs from that (T 2 ) of the first embodiment. Indeed, the powder input and stir tank (17) in the auxiliary circulation mechanism of the apparatus (T 3 ) is also structured in the same manner as that of the apparatus of the first embodiment where it is connected to the bottom of a dyeing sink (2) through a connecting pipe (2a) so that its liquid level can be maintained at the same level of said dyeing sink (2), but the tank (17) of the present embodiment is characterised in that it is connected to a liquid reserve portion (7) formed at the bottom of said dyeing sink (2) through pipes (22a) and (22b) between which an auxiliary circulation pump (23) is interposed to accelerate liquid flow. Namely, said auxiliary circulation pump (23) provided between said pipes (22a) and (22b) in the auxiliary circulation mechanism of the cloth processing apparatus (T 3 ) causes very large fluid friction inside said tank (17) so as to stir said powder (P) as well as to disperse and dissolve it more effectively. However, there is no big difference in operational steps to be taken between the cloth processing liquid preparation method by means of the cloth processing apparatus (T 3 ) of the present embodiment and that by means of the apparatus (T 2 ) of the first embodiment. The sole difference between them lies in that liquid flow in the former is enforced to be directed into said tank (17) through said pipes (22a) and (22b) from the liquid reserve portion (7) by means of the powerful suction pressure of said auxiliary circulation pump (23). Accordingly, an explanation of the cloth processing liquid preparation method by means of the cloth processing apparatus (T 3 ) of the present embodiment is omitted to avoid redundancy. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As mentioned above, the cloth processing apparatus embodied in the present invention, allows efficient preparation of a required cloth processing liquid. This is achieved simply by feeding a cloth processing powder into the circulation system of said apparatus. It therefore becomes unnecessary not only to separately install a powder dissolution tank or a liquid control apparatus in the factory, but also to do such preparatory work as carrying a cloth processing liquid prepared in said tank or apparatus over to the cloth processing apparatus for supply. The cloth processing apparatus of the present invention does not require any extra space for a device to prepare a cloth processing liquid or for the carriage of a prepared liquid as was previously required. Because of this, not only the fixed expenses accruing from the maintenance of equipment and plant in the cloth processing industry are reduced so as to improve the balance of profit and loss, but also other more useful production facilities can be installed instead in the extra space created by the streamlining of the factory. This structural streamlining also greatly contributes to the improvement of productivity of the factory on the whole. In addition, the adoption of the cloth processing method and the apparatus embodied in the present invention allows the preparation of a cloth processing liquid of a required concentration, and the successive performance of cloth processing with said liquid. This alleviates problems related to quality control, as well as maintenance of an efficient working environment in the factory by avoiding loss of cloth processing liquid caused by spilling, splashing and color smearing during transfer of the liquid. The problems of contamination of the liquid due to the mixing with residues of the previously prepared liquids, the inconsistent concentration of the liquid depending on the person in charge of the preparation of the liquid, and qualitative changes of said liquid due to the long lapse of time from its preparation till its actual use, are also overcome. Moreover, since the cloth processing apparatus embodied in the present invention is provided just with a powder input and stir tank in its circulation system, its structure becomes simplified and it can be manufactured inexpensively so that it is very economical to use from a labour stand point as well as being cost-saving. As mentioned above, the cloth processing apparatus embodied in the present invention can greatly contribute to the streamlining of the cloth processing factory so that its industrial applicability is extremely high.

Claims: A method of processing cloth using a cloth processing liquid in a cloth processing apparatus comprising, a circulation system (1,2,2a,5,7-13,17,20) having a cloth processing circulation system (2,7-13) through which cloth processing liquid is circulated, said circulation system (1,2,2a,5,7-13,17,20) including a receptacle (17) having a closable opening, said method of processing cloth comprising the steps of: (a) feeding cloth processing powder (P) into the receptacle (17) and closing the opening; (b) causing solvent to flow through the receptacle (17) to dissolve said cloth processing powder (P) in the solvent so as to provide the cloth processing liquid; and (c) circulating the cloth processing liquid in the cloth processing circulation system (2,7-13) so as to successively process circulating cloth (W) with the cloth processing liquid in the circulation system (1,2,2a,5,7-13,17,20); characterised in that : (i) the circulation system (1,2,2a,5,7-13,17,20) also includes an auxiliary circulation system (2a,7,8,9,17,20) having regions (7,8,9) in common with the cloth processing circulation system (2,7-13) and in which auxiliary circulation system (2a,7,8,9,17,20) the receptacle (17) is provided, (ii) the receptacle (17) is a sealable stirring tank; (iii) in step (a), the opening of the stirring tank (17) is closed in an airtight manner so as to cause a large fluid friction in the closed stirring tank (17) in step (b); (iv) in step (b), the cloth processing powder (P) is dissolved by circulation of the solvent in the auxiliary circulation system (2a,7,8,9,17,20); and (v) the solvent containing the cloth processing powder (P) in the auxiliary circulation system (2a,7,8,9,17,20) is mixed with the solvent in the cloth processing circulation system in said common regions (7,8,9) so as to provide a cloth processing liquid of a certain concentration in which the cloth (W) is successively processed in step (c). A cloth processing apparatus comprising a circulation system (1,2,2a,5,7-13,17,20) having a cloth processing circulation system (2,7-13) through which cloth processing liquid is circulated in use, said circulation system having a receptacle (17) with a closable opening arranged to receive cloth processing powder (P) to be dissolved in a solvent to produce the cloth processing liquid, and means for circulating cloth (W) to be processed in the circulation system (1,2,2a,5,7-13,17,20) so that the cloth (W) is successively processed therein; characterised in that : (i) the circulation system (1,2,2a,5,7-13,17,20) also includes an auxiliary circulation system (2a,7,8,9,17,20) having regions (7,8,9) in common with the cloth processing circulation system (2,7-13) and in which auxiliary circulation system (2a,7,8,9,17,20) the receptacle (17) is provided; and (ii) the receptacle (17) is a sealable stirring tank (17) whose opening is closable in an airtight manner so as to cause a large fluid friction in the closed stirring tank (17) when solvent is circulated in the auxiliary circulation system (2a,7,8,9,17,20), whereby in use the solvent containing the dissolved processing powder in the auxiliary circulation system is caused to mix with solvent in the cloth processing circulation system (2,7-13) in the common regions (7,8 and 9) so as to provide a cloth processing liquid of a certain concentration in which the cloth (W) is successively processed. A cloth processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cloth processing liquid circulation system (2,7-13) includes a dyeing sink (2) which is connected with the stirring tank (17) through a connection pipe (2a) so that in use the liquid levels in the sink (2) and the stirring tank (17) can be maintained the same. A cloth processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the auxiliary circulation system (2a,7,8,9,17,20) is provided with a separate pump (23) to accelerate liquid flow in the auxiliary circulation system.

Inventors: HAMADA KENICHI, SAKAI YOSHIKAZU, YAMADA KAZUO, HAMADA, KENICHI, SAKAI, YOSHIKAZU, YAMADA, KAZUO
Applicants: NISSEN CO LTD, SAKAI ELCOM CO LTD, NISSEN CO., LTD., SAKAI ELCOM CO., LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: D06B3
IPC codes: D06B23, D06B3