Patent GB-1053944-A (GB)
IPC: D06B5/00
Abstract: 1,053,944. Textile treating apparatus. AMERICAN THREAD CO. July 1, 1963 [Jan. 7, 1963], No. 25979/63. Heading D1L. Apparatus adapted to apply a plurality of predetermined dyeing cycles to goods, the apparatus having a kier for the goods, a tank for the treating liquid and a plurality of control elements for conditioning the flow and the state of the dye, is provided with a controller consisting of a plurality of means for operating each of the plurality of control elements of the dyeing apparatus and means for actuating this plurality of operating means in accordance with a predetermined cycle of operations. In one embodiment a master controller provides a timed programme to operate the dyeing machine through all the operations of a dyeing process and the said controller includes a plurality of cams each of which controls one or more elements of the machine. The plurality of cams is preferably in drum form and there may be a particular formation of said cams for each different predetermined dyeing process. The master controller may be adapted to be interrupted in order to introduce manual control at the discretion of a human operator. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the various elements which go to make up a dyeing machine include expansion tank 150 which serves for introducing the treating material into the dye machine, a kier 151 containing packages of yarn 152, and a plurality of pipes, valves and other fluid devices for directing the treating liquid therethrough. Pipe 156 and hot water valve 206 feed hot water to tank 150; pipe 157 and valve 207 control cold water to tank 150; and drug room 160 includes means for delivering treating materials to the expansion tank via pipe 161. The latter can be done either by human operator or automatically from a pre-loaded hopper. Steam can also be admitted to the expansion tank via valve 205. Further, hot or cold water may be admitted to the expansion tank under the control of a temperature responsive device in the tank to produce the required temperature therein at various stages of the dyeing cycle. Treatment material flows from the expansion tank via pipe 162 and cut-off valve 211a to heat exchanger 163. One branch of the latter is connected by pipe 164 to pump 165 controlled by pump switch 201. The discharge side of pump 165 is connected by pipe 166 to reversing valve 202 by means of which, the treatment liquid can be fed either to the keir via pipe 155 and out by pipe 154 or 'vice versa'. The remaining connection 167 to the reversing valve is connected to special wash valve 210 which can direct flow from pipe 167 to the heat exchange via pipe 168, to the latter and to drain via valve 203, or to the latter alone. Flow from pipe 168 passes through the heat exchanger and returns to the inlet side of pump 165, The heat exchanger 163 has steam and cold water connections under the control of temperature controller 217 via valves 217a and 217b The temperture controller 217 which is responsive to the temperature of the fluid discharged from the heat exchanger is programmed to a predetermined temperature and any variation is corrected to maintain a predetermined temperature of the discharge fluid. The various elements of the system can be drained by means of drain line 171. For dyeing at a temperature above boiling point the system may be 'closed' from the open expansion tank 150 by closing recirculation valve 209a and cut-off valve 211a Also the valve 209a can be adjusted to by-pass a portion only of the flow back to the expansion tank. The various elements of the system are controlled according to a predetermined programme by a master controller 350 (Fig. 3) which consists of a plurality of cams 1-17 mounted on a drum 351 driven by a clockmotor 368. The cams actuate electric switches which through related circuitry operate the various elements of the dyeing system. Some of the cams are also used to operate various warning lights and other indicators on a control panel. In operation a particular cam drum 351 which has been prepared to programme the dyeing machine for applying a specific shade to a particular yarn is installed, temperature controller 217 is adapted to give the required temperature programme for all portions of the dyeing cycle and the expansion tank temperature controller (not shown) and the cool-back temperature controller 394 are adjusted to the required set conditions. The cam drum is set to the starting position and the main power switch is closed to start the cycle of operations. At any point in the cycle the machine operator can stop the machine and apply manual control and after a period of manual control, automatic control can be restored.