EP0043414B1 - Method and apparatus for keeping a moving textile web stretched - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and an apparatus for performing this method.

Textile webs are often subjected to wet treatment (e.g. dyeing or rinsing) in strand form. Disadvantages here are the folds which arise from the strand shape and which impair the appearance of the finished material webs.

Methods and devices have therefore already been developed which enable wet treatment of a moving textile fabric web in the expanded state. However, many webs, in particular elastic and not dimensionally stable webs, have the tendency to form folds again in such a wet treatment or even to run together to form a strand. In order to counteract this tendency, it is known, in the discontinuous dyeing of carpets in dyeing runners, to guide the endlessly rotating web of material in the runner over spreader rollers. However, this requires considerable design effort and is also disadvantageous in terms of poor adaptability during operation.

There are further provided are methods for spreading a moving textile web during a wet treatment are known (DE-A-2,520,748 and 2,430,135), in which the top by means of a and a lower endlessly rotating perforated conveyor belt is kept mash _t through a liquid guided textile web, that the upper and lower broad sides of the web of fluid are supplied, which are each directed from the center of the web to the web edges.

Finally, the state of the art includes a method (FR-A-1 353600) in which the web passes through the fleet space through a plurality of rollers, the fleet being heated by injecting hot steam which is directed towards the web edges and should also have a certain spreading effect on the web. Since the web is kept wide by rolling in this known method, folds present in the web cannot be effectively spread.

The invention is based on the object of developing a method of the type required in the preamble of claim 1 in such a way that reliable web keeping even with different types of web and changing operating conditions is ensured with particularly simple means, and to provide an apparatus for carrying out this method.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the characterizing features of claims 1 and 3.

In the method according to the invention, the web is kept wide by means of the fluid streams in the approximately vertical movement section, in which the web runs from bottom to top from the treatment and storage zone to the deflection and return zone. Here the web arrives practically without tension, only loaded by its own weight, which ensures an optimal spreading effect.

Since the web of goods is no longer in the fleet area when the fluid streams causing the wide hold are applied, the risk of the goods floating away to the side is avoided, as is an energy loss which would be inevitable when the fluid streams were applied in the fleet.

By applying the fluid streams to the web just pulled out of the treatment and storage zone, there is a very desirable counterflow between the fluid and the goods, which leads to a good heat and material exchange and to a long contact time between the fluid and the web .

By scanning the web edges by means of sensors and controlling the fluid flows through these sensors, a very sensitive and rapid adjustment of the spreading effect to the prevailing conditions, in particular to different tendencies of the web towards creasing, lateral laying etc. is achieved.

The method according to the invention is also characterized by a particularly low outlay, especially since the signal supplied by the sensors can be used to supply the material web with fluid flows only to the extent that a spreading effect is actually required. Within the scope of the invention it is of course also possible to continuously supply the web with a certain basic quantity of fluid flows (for example a quantity of liquor and / or air which is to be supplied to the web at this point anyway for procedural reasons), while this is being done by the sensors The signal supplied is only used to control additional fluid streams used to keep the liquid.

• Fig. 1 eine Vertikal-Schnittansicht durch eine erste Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung, insbesondere einer zugehörigen Nassbehandlungskufe;
• Fig. 2 eine Querschnittansicht durch einen Teil der Kufe (entlang etwa der Linienführung 11-11 Fig. 1) zur Darstellung einer ersten Ausführungsform von Düseneinheiten zur Breithaltung der Warenbahn;
• Fig. 3 eine ähnliche Schnittansicht wie Fig. 2, jedoch zur Veranschaulichung einer zweiten Ausführungsmöglichkeit der Düseneinheiten;
• Fig. 4 eine Seitenansicht auf einen Düsenkasten einer weiteren Ausführungsvariante;
• Fig. 5 eine Querschnittansicht durch die Nassbehandlungskufe entlang der Linie V-V in Fig. 1 (zur Darstellung der Führung der einzelnen Fluidströme);
• Fig. 6 eine Vertikalschnittansicht durch eine gegenüber Fig. abgewandelte Kufenausführung;
• Fig. 7 eine Querschnittansicht (bei ähnlicher Schnittführung wie Fig.5) zur Darstellung einer weiteren Ausführungsvariante, mit der gleichzeitig mehrere Warenbahnen nebeneinander in ein und derselben Kufe behandelt werden können;
• Fig. 8 eine ähnliche Vertikal-Schnittansicht wie Fig. 1, jedoch zur Veranschaulichung eines Ausführungsbeispieles, bei dem gleichzeitig mehrere Warenbahnen übereinander behandelt werden können;
• Fig. 9 und 10 eine Schemadarstellung einer Ausführung mit schwenkbaren Düseneinheiten;
• Fig. 11 eine Schemadarstellung eines Ausführungsbeispieles mit konvex gekrümmter Abstützung.

Useful embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and are explained in connection with the following description of some exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing. Show it:

• Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a first embodiment of the device, in particular an associated wet treatment skid.
• 2 shows a cross-sectional view through part of the runner (along approximately the lines 11-11 FIG. 1) to illustrate a first embodiment of nozzle units for keeping the web wide;
• 3 shows a sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but to illustrate a second possible embodiment of the nozzle units;
• 4 shows a side view of a nozzle box of a further embodiment variant;
• 5 shows a cross-sectional view through the wet treatment skid along the line VV in FIG. 1 (to illustrate the guidance of the individual fluid streams);
• FIG. 6 shows a vertical sectional view through a runner version modified compared to FIG.
• 7 shows a cross-sectional view (with a similar cut as in FIG. 5) to show a further embodiment variant, with which a plurality of material webs can be treated simultaneously in one and the same runner;
• FIG. 8 shows a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but to illustrate an exemplary embodiment in which a plurality of material webs can be treated one above the other at the same time;
• 9 and 10 show a schematic representation of an embodiment with pivotable nozzle units;
• Fig. 11 is a schematic representation of an embodiment with a convex curved support.

With regard to the drawing figures 1 to 11, it should be pointed out from the outset that only the parts of the device which are necessary to explain the invention are illustrated in all the representations, while the other parts of the device which are usually still necessary have been omitted for reasons of clarity.

1 shows, above all, the wet treatment skid 1 of a wet treatment device, whose skid housing 2 can have the usual cross-sectional shape (as shown). In this wet treatment skid 1, an endlessly made textile web 3 is transported in the direction of the arrows 8 with the aid of deflection and transport rollers 4, 5, 6, 7. Of these rollers 4 to 7, at least one is driven in the usual way, while the others run loose as drag rollers; these rollers 4 to 7 are arranged in the upper part of the runner 1, specifically - in the conveying direction (arrow 8) - preferably in an inclined plane. The actual treatment room 9 with a goods store is located in the lower part of the runner. In the treatment room 9 there is a corresponding bath 10 with treatment liquid (depending on whether it is dyed, rinsed, bleached, washed, etc.) during the wet treatment of the web 3. During the wet treatment, the web 3 is transported in endless circulation several times - as is generally customary - through the treatment bath 10, it being stored in this treatment room 9 at the same time (as indicated in FIG. 1). The fabric web stored in the treatment room 9 is then pulled up out of the treatment bath 10 with the aid of the deflection and transport rollers 4 to 7, whereby it first runs through a vertical movement section 11 before it reaches the first deflection point, namely the - in the direction of transport (arrow 8 ) seen - first roller 4 arrives. The web 3 is deflected several times over the deflection and transport rollers 4, 5, 6 and 7, transported further and, after passing through the last, upper roller 7 (which could also be in the form of a reel), is returned to the beginning of the treatment room 9. In the area of this web return and in the lower part, the inside of the runner housing 2 - as is known per se - can be designed in the form of a smooth slide, as a result of which a favorable conveying effect into the treatment bath 10 can be achieved. In addition, a teflon grate 12, which particularly promotes the return of the web 3 to the treatment room 10, could also be arranged in the area mentioned - as indicated by dash-dotted lines.

In order to be able to treat the textile web 3 in a constantly wide form, a special device 13 for keeping the moving web 3 wide is arranged in the runner 1. In order to achieve a particularly effective width of the web 3, the holding device 13 is expediently arranged in a zone of low longitudinal web tension, for which purpose the zone of the vertical movement section 11 of the web 3, i.e. the approximately vertical zone between the web storage (in the treatment room 9) and the first deflecting roller 4 has proven to be particularly favorable. In this case, it will also be expedient to arrange the spreader device relatively shortly before the first deflection and transport roller, while 4 web edge sensors 14 (cf. also FIG. 5) are arranged in the area above or shortly behind this first roller. These edge sensors 14 control - as already mentioned above and as will be explained in more detail below - the spreading device 13.

The spreading device 13 contains — as can be seen in particular from FIG. 2 — for each broad side 3a or 3b of the web 3, two nozzle units which are acted upon independently of one another by fluid, namely the nozzle units 15, 16 for the front broad web 3a and the nozzle units 17 , 18 for the rear broadside 3b. In the example in FIG. 2, the nozzle units 15 to 18 are designed in the form of nozzle boxes with a multiplicity of individual fluid outflow nozzles 15a, 16a, 17a, 18a. Each nozzle box 15 to 18 is assigned on the corresponding broad side of the web 3 to a web half (ie a half of the corresponding web broadside). Each nozzle box is separately fed with a fluid flow via a feed pipe 19, 20, 21, 22, the nozzles 15a, 16a, 17a, 18a of the nozzle boxes 15 to 18 being designed and adjusted such that the fluid flows brought in via the feed pipes 19 to 22 are fed to the web 3 in each case aligned from the center of the web to the web edges, ie the fluid jets emerging from the nozzle boxes 15 to 18 are directed obliquely from the center of the web onto the web 3 and towards the side web edges.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and has already been mentioned, both the front and rear broad sides 3a and 3b of web 3 are each assigned two independent nozzle boxes 15, 16 and 17, 18, respectively, the nozzle boxes belonging to the same web half of both broad sides being exactly opposite in pairs in terms of their fluid exit jet directions and the opposite Associated pairs of nozzle boxes (ie the nozzle boxes 15 and 17 or 16 and 18) can be acted upon in the same way (ie in fluid quantity and pressure), for which purpose the corresponding feed pipes are each connected to a common feed line. In FIG. 2, the feed pipes 20, 22 for the nozzle boxes 15, 17 are thus connected to a common feed line 23 and the feed pipes 19, 21 for the nozzle boxes 16, 18 are connected to a feed line 24.

At this point, however, it should be mentioned that the nozzle units can also be arranged only on one broad side of the web, while at least one smooth support surface is then attached on the other broad side, which is exactly opposite the nozzle units. Thus, both in the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2 and in the last-mentioned one, reliable support of the material web 3 is always achieved in the area in which it is acted upon by the fluid streams for keeping it wide.

Another possible embodiment for the nozzle units is illustrated in FIG. 3. According to this, each nozzle unit can be formed by a nozzle tube 25, 26 (for the front wide side 3 a) and 27, 28 (for the rear wide side 3 b) provided with a number of nozzle openings for the fluid outlet. In this case, the nozzle openings of the nozzle tubes 25 to 28 can also be aligned in the desired fluid jet direction or can also contain separate fluid nozzles, which then receive the required fluid jet exit direction, as has already been described with reference to FIG. 2. These nozzle pipes 25 to 28 are arranged in pairs in the same way as in the embodiment according to FIG. 2 on opposite broad web sides and correspondingly on fluid supply lines 29 (for the nozzle pipes 26, 28) and 30 (for the nozzle pipes 25 and 27). connected, such an embodiment and invention of the nozzle tubes 25 to 28 with the associated feed lines 29, 30 being particularly easy to manufacture and install.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment variant of a nozzle unit in the form of a nozzle box 31. This nozzle box 31 has at least one outflow slot 31 for a fluid. As already described with reference to FIG. 2, a feed pipe 33 is in turn connected to the nozzle box 31, which distributes the fluid to be supplied over several branches along the length of the nozzle box 31. In order to be able to align a supplied fluid flow in the desired manner (from the center of the web to the edges of the web) with this slot nozzle box, a large number of steering elements are arranged in the nozzle box 31, which are simple steering plates, blinds or the like can act and which can be either fixed or - which is generally preferred - individually or collectively adjustable.

The outlet nozzles according to the examples in FIGS. 2 and 3 can also be either fixedly aligned or adjustable in size and / or direction.

Regardless of which embodiment of the nozzle units is chosen, care should be taken to ensure that there is a minimum effective level for the fluid flows on the web 3 in the area of the vertical movement section 11. It has proven to be advantageous to use this level of action, i.e. to keep the length of the movement section of the web of material acted upon by the fluid streams at least about half the width of the web, whereby, depending on the type of web to be treated, an action height of about 40-100 cm should be maintained.

As has already been mentioned above and as will be explained in the following with reference to FIG. 5, both gas, preferably air, and liquid, preferably treatment liquor, can be used as the fluid for forming the fluid streams used for holding out.

If the web 3 is to be kept wide with the aid of air flows which are supplied to it via the nozzle units explained above, then it has proven to be particularly advantageous if the nozzle units (for example 15 to 18 according to FIG. 2) of each web half with an air stream are applied, which is withdrawn from the upper part of the runner 1, for which purpose a fan 35 or 36 is arranged in the vicinity of each runner end face 2a, 2b on the runner housing 2, with the aid of which air is sucked out of the corresponding runner part and at a pressure of preferably about 0.2 bar - during normal spreading operation - is inflated via the nozzle units onto the web 3 in such a way that it can be kept wide in the manner already described. It can also be particularly advantageous here if the air drawn off with the aid of the fans 35, 36 is in each case fed to the web surface opposite the fan and its front face 2 a or 2 b of the runner, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 5 by the line routing, so that to a certain extent, a kind of cross-flow with a comparative treatment effect results. In the feed lines 23 and 24 leading from the fans 35, 36 to the nozzle units 25 to 17, fluid control valves 37, 38 (for the line 23) and 37a, 38a (for the line 24) are also expediently arranged, which are manual and / or allow automatic control of the fluid flows.

As further indicated in FIG. 5 by dash-dotted lines, instead of the previously described air supply from the upper part of the runner 1 to the nozzle sensor units 15 to 18 or in combinations with it, the nozzle units 15 to 18 of each web half are treated with treatment liquid from the treatment bath 10 in the lower part of the runner 1. The treatment liquid is pumped out of the liquor bath 10 with the aid of a liquor pump 39 - preferably with the interposition of a filter 40 (a lint filter that is usually necessary anyway) - and is pumped out via the feed lines 41, 42 indicated by dash-dotted lines in the same way (also by valves controlled) as in the air supply to the nozzle units 15 to 18. A liquid pressure of up to about 0.5 bar is generally sufficient to keep the web wide, although this pressure naturally also depends on the type of web to be treated.

The use of the edge sensors 14 for the web 3 can also be readily recognized from this FIG. 5. Since in this example the nozzle boxes 15, 17 and 16, 18 opposite each other on both broad web sides are combined in pairs with regard to their spreading function and form practically two independently operable nozzle systems, each of these nozzle systems is controlled by the edge sensor 14 of the corresponding web half or Web edge connected. If, for example, during the wet treatment of the web 3 in the runner 1, the right edge sensor 14 in FIG. 5 no longer touches the right web edge, then the associated nozzle system (i.e. the pair of nozzle boxes 16, 18) with fluid from the interior of the runner 1 applied so that the right half of the web is again completely spread out and stretched in the desired manner. After this state has been reached (by correspondingly scanning the associated edge sensor 14), the fluid supply to this nozzle system can be reduced accordingly or switched off entirely. In any case, the short connection of the holding device 13 and the edge sensor 14 in the area of the first deflecting roller 4 acts quickly on the material web 3 without significant delay if it should no longer be transported completely wide.

However, the spreading device, as has been explained in particular with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, does not necessarily have to be arranged in a wet treatment skid of the type shown in FIG. 1.

6 shows a flat, elongated embodiment of a wet treatment skid, in the lower part of which the actual treatment room 44 is located (optionally with a treatment bath), in which the endlessly rotating web 3 'is also stored for a short time. The web 3 ', which in turn rotates in the direction of the arrows 8, is in this case not only transported in the upper part of the runner 43 by deflection and transport rollers 45 to 48, but also in the lower part, that is to say in the treatment room 44, is still a transport member in the form a conveyor belt or screen belt 49 is provided, which ensures reliable transport of the circulating web 3 'from one end of the treatment room 44 to the other. However, the configuration and arrangement of the spreading device 13 'and the web edge sensor 14' can otherwise be carried out in the same way as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

It also makes sense that a wet treatment skid can also be designed s6, that only a single deflection and transport element (preferably in the form of a reel) can be arranged in its upper part.

While the treatment and spreading of only one material web in one skid has been explained on the basis of the preceding exemplary embodiments, there is also the possibility of treating several material webs simultaneously in one and the same wet treatment skid (or in another suitable device). In such a case, a fluid spreading device is used separately for each product web in one of the above-described embodiments, with these devices then of course being able to be supplied with fluid independently of one another.

5 shows an exemplary embodiment for the treatment of a plurality of material webs 50a, 50b, 60c simultaneously in one and the same wet treatment skid 51, the skid itself being largely similar to the skid 1 in FIG. 1 The webs 50a, 50b, 50c are treated in the manner shown in FIG. 7 at intervals next to one another and with the aid of the deflection and transport rollers 52 arranged in the upper runner part, continuously and discontinuously. Accordingly, the separate spreading devices 53a, 53b, 53c associated with each web 50a, 50b, 50c with their nozzle units and the associated web edge sensors 54a, 54b and 54c in the form indicated are arranged side by side in groups, the design, arrangement and Function of the fluid spreader and the edge sensor can correspond to those of Figures 1 to 5. For this reason, the supply of treatment liquid pumped out of the lower runner part to the individual nozzle units is also indicated only very schematically in FIG.

So that, in particular in the case of the embodiment and arrangement explained last (FIG. 7), the material webs to be treated do not blur in the lateral direction (as a result of which the spreading device in particular could be adversely affected), it is preferred to move between adjacent material webs (for example 50a and 50b and 50b and 50c ) to arrange partition walls 55a, 55b, which can also be adjusted according to the width of the webs to be treated.

In the case of the simultaneous treatment of a plurality of material webs, however, there is also the possibility of guiding the material webs 60a, 60b to be treated, in a manner illustrated in FIG. 1, the actual treatment room 62 with the goods store and a treatment bath 63 is located in the lower part, while in the upper part of the runner 61 there are again a number of deflection and transport rollers 64 to 69 is arranged for transporting the webs 60a, 60b in the direction of the arrows 8. While the material webs 60a, 60b are transported at least from the majority of the deflection and transport rollers 65 to 68 lying directly one above the other through the upper runner section, they run largely separately from one another (cf. right-hand illustration in FIG. 8) in the lower runner section, i.e. in the actual treatment room 62 are treated and stored there largely separately from one another, but if they are arranged one above the other in the treatment bath 63, before they are transported upwards in an approximately vertical movement section 70 on the one hand to the roller 64 and on the other hand to the roller 65. This gives the two webs 60a, 60b a sufficient distance from one another in the area of said movement section 70, so that in the area before their first deflection, a fluid spreading device 13 "a or 13" b can be arranged in the manner already described above . Furthermore, in this case too, web edge sensors 14 "a or 14" b are arranged on the one hand of the first deflection (roller 64) for the web 60a and on the other hand for the first deflection (roller 65) of the web 60b in order to control the fluid flows of the holding device 13 "a and 13 _" b to control accordingly.

The last-described embodiment offers the advantage that, with a relatively small space requirement, several material webs (even more than two) can be treated at the same time without the need for a particularly wide runner.

9 and 10 illustrate in schematic form an embodiment of a device in which two nozzle units 81, 82 and 83, 84 are provided on each side of a web 80. These nozzle units can be pivoted about pivot axes 85 to 88, which are arranged in the region of the center of the web, in the sense of the double arrows 89 to 92. In this way, the distance of the nozzles from the web and thus the spreading effect exerted by the fluid streams on the web can be adjusted.

If, for example, the web moves to the right (see FIG. 10), the nozzle units 81 and 83 are swiveled in the direction of one another, controlled by the sensors scanning the two lateral web edges, so that their nozzles approach the web 80. As a result, the effect of the fluid flows directed to the left (in the illustration according to FIG. 10) is increased and the web 80 is returned to its central position.

Instead of the pivoting movement of the nozzle units provided in the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 9 and 10, it is of course also possible to change the distance of the nozzles from the product web by linearly displacing the nozzle units (be it perpendicular or oblique to the product web).

11 finally illustrates in a very schematic form an exemplary embodiment in which two nozzle units 94, 95 are provided on one broad side of the web 93, which supply the stream of fluid with fluid streams directed towards the two web edges. On the other broad side of the web 93, a convex support 96 is provided, over which the web runs.

Claims (10)

1. A process for spreading a web (3) endlessly circulating in a vessel (2), said web slackly passing the lower part of said vessel forming a treatment and storage zone and said web being spread after being pulled out from said treatment and storage zone into the upper part of said vessel forming a guide and return zone, characterized in that said web is spread by means of two fluid streams directed from the middle of the edges of said web, that the two lateral edges of said web are detected by sensors (14) which control the fluid streams directed upon the corresponding web edges, and in that the fluid streams are projected onto said web in the substantially vertical path (11) of movement in which the web travels upwards from the treatment and storage zone to the guide and return zone.

2. A process according claim 1, characterized in that the two lateral edges of said web are detected in the region where the web (3) changes direction for the first time in the guide and return zone.

3. An apparatus for carrying out the process according claim 1, comprising

a) a vessel (2), the lower part of which forming a treatment and storage zone and the upper part of which forming a guide and return zone for the web (3),

b) guide and transport means and means for spreading the web (3), said means being provided in the guide and return zone, characterized by the following features:

c) for spreading the web (3) two nozzle units (17, 18) supplied with fluid stream independently of one another are provided on at least one side of said web (3), their nozzles (17a, 18a) being directed obliquely onto said web and towards the edges thereof,

d) said nozzle units (17, 18) are provided shortly before the first guide and transport unit (4) in the substantially vertical path (11) of movement in which the web travels upwards from the treatment and storage zone to the guide and return zone,

e) said nozzle units (17, 18) are preceded by controllable fluid valves (37, 37a, 38, 38a),

f) for laterally detecting the edges of said web sensors (14) are provided which control said fluid valves (37, 37a, 38, 38a).

4. An apparatus according claim 3, characterized in that the size and/or direction of said nozzles (17a, 18a) is adjustable.

5. An apparatus according claim 3, characterized in that two nozzle units (15, 16 and 17, 18) supplied with fluid streams independently of one another are provided on both wide sides (3a, 3b) of said web (3), the nozzle units (15, 17 or 16, 18) belonging to the same half of said web being connected to the same fluid stream supply pipe (23 or 24).

6. An apparatus according claim 3, characterized in that the sensors (14) detecting the edges of the web are arranged just behind the first guide and transport unit (4).

7. An apparatus according claim 3, characterized in that the nozzle units (for example 15 to 18) are designed to be connected either to a fan (35, 36) used to supply air from the upper part of said vessel (2) or to a pump (39) used for delivering treatment liquid from the lower part of said vessel.

8. An apparatus according claim 3, for simultaneously treating several webs, characterized in that separate nozzle units chargeable with fluid streams independently of one another and separate web edge sensors are provided for each web (for example 50a, 50b, 50c).

9. An apparatus according claim 8, characterized in that adjustable partitions (55a, 55b) are provided between webs (50a, 50b, 50c) extending parallel to one another.

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