Patent ID: 7398660

Claim:
A dyeing apparatus for continuous dyeing of a fabric article with dye, the apparatus comprising: (a) a dyeing vessel having a volume including at least a first generally U-shaped region and a second generally U-shaped region, said regions connected by a third generally U-shaped region, inverted with respect to said first and second regions, to allow fluid communication therebetween; (b) a heating mechanism, surrounding and adjacent to the U-shaped regions of said dyeing vessel, said heating mechanism adapted to heat a zone within said vessel; (c) a continuous transport mechanism adapted to continuously transport the fabric article, through a dye impregnation chamber, and through said zone of said dyeing vessel, and (d) a dye-dispensing mechanism adapted to deliver a dye liquor within said dye impregnation chamber, to impregnate with the dye, the fabric article passing through said chamber, wherein said dyeing vessel is equipped with a pressure release valve, associated with said inverted U-shaped region, to control a pressure within said inverted U-shaped region.