Patent GB-568946-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for treating textile articles with a fluid medium under pressure
IPC: D06B5/00
Filed: 1943-05-20
Abstract: Textile articles, such as hosiery, are treated with fluid medium under pressure in a chamber having on the back of the door thereof auxiliary track sections which can be moved with the door to and from closed position and a position in alignment with stationary track sections extending lengthwise on both sides of the chamber, so that two carriages, on which the articles to be treated are mounted, may be moved reversibly in succession to and from the chamber and the respective track section.  Treated articles may thus be removed from one carriage, which may then be reloaded, while articles on the other carriage are undergoing treatment in the chamber.  The goods, e.g. stockings, are conveniently positioned on, and removed from, formers mounted on collapsable <PICT:0568946/IV/1> <PICT:0568946/IV/2> carriages when these are in extended position, thus economizing in chamber space and treating medium.  In the form shown in Figs. 1, 4, the door 24 of the high and narrow treating chamber 20 carries auxiliary track sections which may be moved into alignment with stationary track sections 91, 93, on which carriages 94, 95 respectively may be moved, by projections 127, 128, respectively, on an endless chain 112 driven by a reversible electric motor 125. Each carriage comprises a number of profile shaping forms 96 on which the articles to be treated are placed, the forms being mounted on a lazy-tongs arrangement of pivoted levers so that the carriages 94, 95 may be collapsed by engagement of a projection 127, 128 respectively on the chain 112 with the endmost stems of the lazy-tong pivots, before the carriage is transferred to the track section on the door 24, the front stem of the carriage being held stationary by a wedge cam 133 until the carriage is collapsed.  Similarly, after a predetermined period of treatment in the chamber 20, and on reverse movement of the carriage to the stationary tracks, the carriages are expanded to facilitate removal of the treated articles.  Limit switches 144, 145, operated by lugs 147, 148 on the chain 112, automatically stop the motor 125 when the transfer elements 127, 128 reach the limits of movement in either direction.  Instead of an endless chain 112, a reciprocating toothed bar with projections thereon may be employed to effect reversible transfer of the carriages between the sections.  The door 24 of the chamber 20 is suspended from carriages 27 having rollers 28 which run between guide rods 29, 30 supported to extend forwardly from the top of the chamber and is opened and closed and latched in a fluid-tight manner by latches 34 and keepers 35 by a reversible electric motor 55 controlled by reversing limit switches 57, 58 on guide rods 29 and top of chamber 20.  The chamber 20 is provided with a steam supply pipe and double-acting inlet and outlet valve automatically operative by a timing device 151, upon lapse of predetermined interval of treatment, by means associated with the door opening and closing mechanism.  The apparatus may be adapted for the drying treatment of textile articles by arranging the door-operating mechanism to stop before the door 24 is fully closed, so that fresh air may be constantly circulated through the treating chamber 20, the steam supply being manually cut off.  A safety shield 90 of heat-insulating material protects the operator from contact with the door 24.  The chamber is provided with a thermostat for controlling the drying heater, a pressure-relief valve 84 and temperature and pressure gauges 85, 86.  Each cycle of operations of the apparatus is started by manual operation of the motor 125 by one or other button switches 152, 153 adjacent the carriage positions for operation after a carriage is loaded, the operations during the cycle then being automatically controlled.