Patent GB-1193725-A (GB)
Title: Process and Apparatus for Continuously Steaming Textile Fibre Material
IPC: D06B19/00
Filed: 1968-08-01
Abstract: 1,193,725. Treating textile webs. ILMA INDUSTRIA LAVORAZIONI MATALLI ANTIACIDI S.A.S. and J. R. GEIGY A.G. 1 Aug., 1968 [12 Aug., 1967; 26 Sept., 1967], No. 36879/68. Heading D1L. In the continuous steaming of textile fibre material impregnated with a treatment liquid, eg. a dyestuff, the impregnated material is fed into a convergent entry zone of a steaming passage during which the material is increasingly compressed, the material then being passed through a central zone of restricted but constant cross-sectional area in which its maximum compression is maintained substantially constant and wherein steam is introduced under a pressure above ambient, and finally the material is decomposed by passing through a divergent exit zone. In a preferred embodiment dyed material is fed through a folding device 47 onto a first conveyor 50. The folded material is then transferred to a second conveyor 51 whereby those folds previously in contact with conveyor 50 are not in contact with conveyor 51 and such that each succeeding fold lies above, not below, the preceding one on entering 'the steaming chamber. The steaming apparatus, comprises a rotating drum 32 having a plurality of projections 44 extending from its surface for contacting the material to be steamed. A tubshaped device 35 partially surrounds the drum and has one lip 37 at a higher level than the other lip 37a. The drum and tub are so located that an entry zone A 1  is formed which is convergent and leading to a main zone B 1  over which the cross-sectional area between the drum and tub is constant, and finally an exit zone C 1  in which the drum and tub are divergent. To complete the chamber formation end plates 40 form side-walls which in zones A 1  and C 1  respectively are convergent and divergent. Steam under pressure is admitted to zone B 1  through a perforated grid 39a in the chamber forming surface of the tub 35. Both the drum 32 and tub 35 are internally heated with steam. The folded material fed into entry zone A 1  is advanced by the projections 44 on the drum and is compressed into the reduced cross-sectional area of the steaming zone B 1 . After being steam for a desired period, determined by the dimension of the zone B 1 , drum 32 and speed of rotation thereof, the material is withdrawn through exit zone C 1 . In a alternative embodiment the apparatus comprises upper and lower conveyor belts which over part of their runs pass over upper and lower guide boxes shaped such that a convergent entry zone is formed leading to central zone of constant but reduced cross-sectioned area and then to a divergent exit zone. Similarly shaped side walls complete the chamber, steam being admitted through a perforated opening in the lower surface of the upper box. If the lower conveyor is dispensed with the contact surface of the lower box may be coated with polytetrafluoroethy lene to reduce friction. The process may be used for polyester, nylon or polyacrylonitirile fibre material for heating times of 10 to 60 minutes at temperatures of 105 to 140‹C. The steam may be at 0.3 to 3.6 atmospheres absolute. Various examples are given illustrating the application to dyeing.