EP2145037A1

EP2145037A1 - Machine for continuous open-width treatment of bolts of sheet material, in particular knitted fabrics and/or non-woven fabrics

Info

Publication number: EP2145037A1
Application number: EP08737351A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Valter Pizzato
Original assignee: Cimi SpA
Current assignee: Cimi SpA
Priority date: 2007-03-30
Filing date: 2008-03-28
Publication date: 2010-01-20
Also published as: CN101688345A; WO2008120073A1; ITTO20070234A1

Abstract

A machine (1) for the treatment of bolts of a sheet material formed in a web (2), including: at least one treatment chamber (4), means (10) for moving the web along a pre-set path within the treatment chamber; and means (11) for controlling the means for moving the web; wherein the means for moving include at least one motor-driven assembly (12), which in turn includes at least one first conveying member (14) and one second conveying member (15), which are mobile along a closed path at least in part parallel to at least one stretch of the pre-set path of the web (2), the first and second conveying members being provided with a plurality of cross members (30), oriented perpendicular to a plane containing the closed path and set at intervals apart from one another with a pre-set pitch (P), which is relatively small with respect to the length of the closed path; the first and second conveying members (14, 15) being arranged so that, in use, along the pre-set path of the web, at least one cross member (30) of the first conveying member (14) always co-operates in contact with a first face (31) of the web, and, simultaneously, at least one cross member (30) of the second conveying member (15) always co-operates in contact with a second face (32) of the web, opposite to the first.

Description

"MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUS OPEN-WIDTH TREATMENT OF BOLTS OF SHEET MATERIAL, IN PARTICULAR KNITTED FABRICS AND/OR NON-WOVEN FABRICS"

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a machine for continuous open-width treatment of bolts of a sheet material, in particular bolts of any fabric, specifically a delicate fabric such as knitted or bi-elastic fabric, or a non-woven fabric, which are made, for example by sewing in sequence, to form a web of pre-set length.

BACKGROUND ART

Known to the art are both open-width treatment and (more rarely) cord treatment of bolts of fabric in machines purposely designed for carrying out specific processes thereon, for example, chemical treatments (such as deposition of reagents, dressings, etc.) or physical treatments (for example, using steam) , or dyeing, or simply washing with water and/or detergents.

In the case of delicate fabrics, such as knitted fabrics or non-woven fabrics, i.e., ones made of any sheet material that is very liable even to considerable lengthening or stretching, especially when it is in the moist and heated state, open- width treatment machines currently in use, for example like the one known from the document No. GB-A-1181689 , present levels of performance that are not altogether satisfactory, in particular either in terms of speed of treatment, which is strictly connected with the maximum possible speed of advance of the web of bolts of fabric through the machine without producing any unacceptable lengthening of the fabric itself

(not greater than 20 m/min) , or in terms of amount of fabric that can be housed in the machine, which is limited by the need to support the web of bolts by means of rolls or drums, equipped with a permeable surface, for example constituted by a wire mesh, so that the treatment machines or in any case the plants connected thereto come to have large overall dimensions in plan view.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the known art by providing a machine for continuous open- width treatment of bolts of a sheet material, in particular bolts of a delicate fabric, such as knitted or bi-elastic fabric, or of a non-woven fabric, which are made, for example by being sewn in sequence, to form a web.

According to the invention, a machine for continuous open- width treatment of bolts of a sheet material formed in a web is hence provided, as defined in Claim 1.

In particular, the treatment machine according to the invention comprises at least one treatment chamber, means for moving the web through the treatment chamber and along a pre- set path within the treatment chamber, and means for controlling the means for moving the web.

According to one aspect of the invention, the means for moving comprise at least one motor-driven assembly, which in turn comprises at least one first conveying member and one second conveying member, each of which is mobile along a respective closed path at least in part parallel to at least one stretch of the pre-set path of the web, the first and second conveying members each being provided with a plurality of cross members oriented perpendicular to a plane containing the closed path and being set at intervals apart from one another with a preset and relatively small pitch as compared to the length of the closed path. In addition, the first and second conveying members are arranged so that, along the pre-set path of the web, at least one cross member of the first conveying member always co-operates, in use, in contact with a first face of the web, and so that, simultaneously, at least one cross member of the second conveying member always co-operates, in use, in contact with a second face of the web, opposite to the first.

Preferably, the first and second conveying members are shaped so that, in use, the at least one cross member of the second conveying member always co-operates in contact with the second face of the web in a longitudinal position of the web adjacent to, but different from, that of co-operation of the at least one cross member of the first conveying member with the first face of the web.

In this way, quite a good support is obtained but in locations close to one another and substantially all along the pre-set path of the web in the machine on both faces of the web, a fact that enables ease of support of even delicate fabrics in the presence also of high speeds of feed of the web, more than twice those corresponding to the state of the art.

According to a further aspect of the invention, moreover, the control means comprise: means for detecting the tension of the web based upon load cells, arranged immediately downstream, with respect to a direction of advance of the web, of at least one motor member or, preferably, of each motor member of the means for moving; and at least one electronic control unit for feedback control of the speed of actuation of the motor members by sending control signals thereto.

In this way, the speed of advance of the web in the machine can be further increased.

Finally, the treatment machine according to the invention comprises more than one motor-driven assembly, set within one and the same treatment chamber and, preferably, more than one treatment chamber, the treatment chambers being arranged in series, in sequence, in a direction of advance of the web. Likewise, each motor-driven assembly preferably comprises a plurality of first and second conveying members set in pairs, each pair being formed by a first conveying member and by a second conveying member, the pairs of conveying members being arranged aligned vertically on top of one another in each treatment chamber .

In this way, it is possible to get the web of bolts of fabric to follow a pre-set path through the treatment chamber (or multiplicity of treatment chambers) including a plurality of

S-shaped curves set at 180° with respect to one another, stacked in height, upward and then downward and/or vice versa, always maintaining an absolute control of the tension of the web. There is thus a marked increase in the quantity of web that can be contained in the machine and can be treated simultaneously, with a drastic reduction in the overall dimensions in plan view of the treatment machine according to the invention as compared to the known art and consequently the overall dimensions of the entire plant of which the machine forms part .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further aims and advantages of the invention will appear clearly from the ensuing description of a non-limiting embodiment thereof, provided purely by way of example and with reference to the figures of the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal view in elevation, with parts removed, of a machine for open-width treatment of webs of bolts of fabric built according to the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates at an enlarged scale a first detail, taken from the left side, of the machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 illustrates at an enlarged scale a second detail, taken from the right side, of the machine of Figure 1; - Figure 4 illustrates at an even more enlarged scale a constructional detail of a main assembly of the machine of Figure 1 ; and

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a possible variant embodiment of the assembly of Figure 4 and, respectively, a detail at an enlarged scale of the assembly of Figure 5.

BEST MODE FOR CARYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to Figures 1 to 4, designated as a whole by 1 is a machine for continuous open-width treatment of bolts of a sheet material, in particular bolts of a delicate fabric, such as knitted or bi-elastic fabric, or of a non-woven fabric, made in a known way, for example by being sewn in sequence, to form a web 2 of pre-set length, which, in a known continuous way, can be put together starting from the single bolts and taken apart to form said single bolts at the opposite ends 3 and 4 of the machine 1, between which the web 2 is made to translate in a guided and controlled way in a direction of advance A (Figure 1) parallel to its longitudinal development, indicated by the arrows in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The treatment machine 1 comprises at least one treatment chamber 4, in the example illustrated a plurality of treatment chambers 4a, 4b, 4c, arranged in series, in sequence, in the direction of advance A of the web 2, each of which is delimited within a substantially fluid-tight casing 5, of a type well known to the person skilled in the art and equipped with inspection windows 6. The chamber 4c is delimited within a casing 5b, whilst the chambers 4a, 4b are delimited within one and the same casing 5a, which in turn is divided internally, by means of at least one partition wall 7, equipped with a passage 8 for transit of the web 2, into two or more pairs of treatment chambers, in the case in point illustrated, into the two chambers 4a, 4b.

The treatment machine 1 further comprises: means 10 for moving the web 2 through the treatment chambers 4a, 4b and 4c and along a pre-set path within the treatment chambers 4a, 4b, 4c, in the case in point, a tortuous path, illustrated in the figures of the annexed drawings; and means 11 (Figures 2 and 3) for controlling the means 10 for moving the web 2.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the means 10 for moving the web comprise at least one motor-driven assembly 12 (in the case in point, as will be seen, a plurality of motor- driven assemblies 12) comprising, in turn, at least one first conveying member 14 and one second conveying member 15 (Figure 4), each mobile along a respective closed path, in the case in point illustrated, shaped like an elongated loop, at least in part parallel to at least one stretch of the pre-set path that the web 2 has to describe.

In the non-limiting example illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the first and second conveying members 14 and 15, respectively, both consist of at least one flexible continuous transmission element, such as, for example, a belt or chain, stretching between at least one pair of wheels or pulleys 16 (illustrated only schematically in the annexed figures) , one of which is motor-driven in so far as it is connected, via a transmission 18, to a motor M. In this way, each continuous flexible member 14, 15 defines, about a pair of pulleys 16, between which it is stretched, one of the aforesaid closed paths, which has, in the case in point, at least two rectilinear branches 20, 21

(Figure 4) , at least one of which (both in the case in point) is parallel to a stretch of the pre-set path of the web 2.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the first conveying member 14 and the second conveying member 15 of each assembly 12 are moreover each provided with a plurality of cross members 30 oriented perpendicular to a plane containing the closed path defined by each of the members 14, 15 (in the case in point, the plane of the sheet in Figure 4) and set at intervals apart from one another with a pre-set pitch P (Figure 4) , which is preferably constant (but may even not be) , in any case relatively small as compared to the length of the closed path defined by the members 14, 15, hence as compared to the length of the members 14, 15 themselves. In particular, the pitch P is of the order of centimetres (for example, 3 cm, a measurement which, from the experimental tests conducted by the present applicant, has proven optimal for supporting webs 2 made up of bolts of knitted or bi- elastic fabric), whilst the length of the members 14, 15 and, hence, of the aforesaid closed path defined thereby and, in particular, of the branches 20, 21, is of the order of metres.

In addition, the conveying members 14, 15 are mutually arranged so that, along the aforesaid pre-set path of the web 2, at least one cross member 30 of the conveying member 14 always co-operates, in use, in contact with a first face 31 of the web 2 (Figure 4) , and so that, simultaneously, at least one cross member 30 of the conveying member 15 always cooperates, in use, in contact with a second face 32 of the web 2, opposite to the face 31.

In the case in point illustrated, the conveying members 14, 15 are arranged with the respective branches 20, 21 facing each other, and the corresponding pulleys 16, about which the members 14, 15 are wound, respectively each to cover an angle of at least 180°, on the side of one and the same end 3 or 4 of the machine 1, are arranged one underneath another and have between them a pre-set distance between centres I. The measurement of said distance between centres I and that of a height H of each cross member 30, measured in a radial direction, are moreover chosen, according to a further aspect of the invention, so that the free ends of the cross members 30, both of the ones carried by the member 14 and of the ones carried by the member 15, mate up in use with the web 2 that is guided between each facing pair of branches 20, 21 after being partially wound about the axis of one of the pulleys 16, with a slight interference, as illustrated in Figure 4, so that the web 2 is forced to bend at the free end of each cross member 30 co-operating therewith. In other words, the following relation applies:

I < 2Η i.e., the distance between centres I is chosen smaller than the sum of the heights H (which, on the other hand, are identical to one another) of the cross members 30 of the members 14 and 15, respectively.

Obviously, to prevent interference between the motion of the members 14, 15 and between the corresponding cross members 30 driven by them, the first and second conveying members 14 and 15 of each assembly 12 are shaped so that, in use, the at least one cross member 30 of the second conveying member 15 always co-operates in contact with the second face 32 of the web 2 in a longitudinal position of the web 2 adjacent to, but different from, that of co-operation of the at least one cross member 30 of the first conveying member 14 with the first face 31 of the web 2, as illustrated in Figure 4. In this way, the web 2 is forced to assume a zigzag configuration throughout the stretch of its pre-set path delimited between the branches 20 and 21, which makes it possible, on the one hand, to obtain an optimal support of the web 2 and, on the other, to facilitate drawing thereof in the direction A in particular along the branches 20, 21 at high speeds.

According to the non-limiting example illustrated, each motor- driven assembly 12 of the machine 1 comprises a plurality of conveying members 14, 15 set in pairs, each formed by a first member 14 and by a second conveying member 15, the pairs of members 14, 15 being arranged aligned vertically on top of one another in each treatment chamber 4a, 4b, 4c, so as to guide the web 2 in a tortuous path that includes a plurality of curves at 180°, upwards or downwards.

In particular, the web 2 is fed in at the bottom, at the base of the chamber 4a, and follows a path upwards in the chamber 4a guided by the pairs of members 14, 15 of the first assembly 12 present in said chamber 4a. It then passes into the chamber 4b through the opening 8, made at the top of the partition wall 7 and then follows a downward path into the chamber 4b, engaging the pairs of members 14, 15 of the assembly 12 present in said chamber 4b so as to come out of the latter at the base thereof.

The conveying members 14, 15 of each pair or pairs of the assemblies 12 present in the chambers 4a, 4b are actuated by independent motors M, one for each pair of members 14, 15, as illustrated schematically in Figure 2. Housed, instead, in the chamber 4c is more than one motor-driven assembly 12, in the case in point, two assemblies 12 are housed, arranged within the same treatment chamber 4c in sequence in the direction of advance A of the web 2, and the conveying members 14, 15 of all the pairs of each of said two assemblies 12 present in the chamber 4c are actuated by one and the same motor M, as illustrated schematically in Figure 3 (left side) .

In this way, whilst the assemblies 12 of the chambers 4a, 4b are each served by a plurality of motors M, the assemblies 12 of the chamber 4c, which is located downstream of the chambers 4a, 4b, with respect to the direction A, are each served by a single motor M.

With reference to Figures 5 and 6, where the items that are similar to or the same as the ones already described are designated for reasons of simplicity by the same numbers, one or more assemblies 12 described previously can be replaced by a single assembly (or a number of assemblies) 120, in which the first conveying member consists of a motor-driven wheel 140 (i.e., coupled angularly fixed with respect to a motor M), rotatably mounted about an axis facing in a direction transverse to the direction of advance A of the web 2 and defining with its own outer radial edge 141 the aforesaid closed path of the first member 14.

In combination with the presence of the wheel 140, the second conveying member 15 consists, as in the case of the assemblies 12 already described, of at least one flexible continuous transmission element, such as for example a belt or chain, stretched between a plurality of wheels or pulleys 160 (in the case in point, four), one of which (160a) is motor-driven in so far as it is angularly coupled to a motor M, to define the closed path of the second member 15, which in this case is shaped so as to surround at least in part the outer peripheral radial edge 141 of the conveying member 14, i.e., of the wheel 140.

Furthermore, also in this case, as in the case of the assemblies 12, a plurality of cross members 30 are constrained, throughout the length of the members 14, 15 and on each of them, so as to be drawn by the latter to move along the closed paths followed by the conveying members 14, 15 and defined thereby. In simple terms, in the case of the assembly 120, the cross members 30 of the member 14 are fixedly carried, mounted radially on the edge 141 of the wheel 140, throughout the length of its circumference, with constant (or possibly not constant) pitch P, following in any case the same precautions already previously described for the members 14, 15 of the assemblies 12.

Consequently (Figures 5 and 6), the axes of the pulleys 160 will be arranged, with respect to the axis of the wheel 140, with distances between centres such that (and the radial height of the cross members 30 will be chosen in such a way that) also in this case there is interference, in use, between the cross members 30 and the web 2 by both of the faces 31, 32 thereof, so that the web 2 also assumes in this case a zigzag configuration (Figure 6) whilst it is guided between common branches (tangential to one another) of the closed paths defined by the members 14 and 15, which, in the case in point, correspond to a bottom angular portion (or top angular portion - if the position of the pulleys 160 is reversed) of the wheel 140 greater than 180°. For reasons of overall dimensions, according to said embodiment, at least part of the closed path defined by the member 15 remains on the outside of the treatment chamber 4, for example, with a gap 170 of the casing 5 surrounding the chamber 4.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the means 10 for moving the web 2 do not comprise only the assemblies 12 (or 120), but moreover comprise at least one pair of motor- driven squeezing cylinders 60, arranged inside or outside the treatment chambers 4. In the case in point, the means 10 for moving the web 2 comprise three pairs of motor-driven squeezing cylinders 60, arranged, the first between the chambers 4b and 4c, externally thereto, the second at the top of the chamber 4c, internally thereto, between the two assemblies 12, and the third downstream of the chamber4c, basically at output from the machine 1, at the end 4. Furthermore, the means 10 also comprise a motor-driven cylinder 61 set at the end 3 of the machine 1, at input thereto, outside the chamber 4a. Upstream or downstream (with respect to the direction A of feed of the web 2) of each motor member constituted by a cylinder 60 or 61, the latter is moreover coupled to respective spiralled widening cylinders 62 of a type in themselves known, which are mounted idle and are consequently made to turn by the friction exerted on them by the passage of the web 2. In particular, the widening cylinders 62 are arranged immediately upstream of the squeezing cylinders 60 with respect to the direction of advance A of the web 2 , and immediately downstream of the motor-driven cylinder 61, i.e., at input to the machine 1.

According to another aspect of the invention, the means 11 for controlling the means 10 for moving the web 2 comprise means 70 for detection the tension of the web 2, arranged, according to the invention, immediately downstream, with respect to the direction A of advance of the web 2, of at least one motor member or, preferably, of each motor member (i.e., of all the motor members) of the means 10 for moving the web; in other words, means 70 for detection of the tension of the web 2 are provided downstream of the cylinder 61, of the cylinders 60 (except, possibly, the ones set at the end 4 of the machine 1) , downstream of each motor-driven assembly 12 of the chamber 4c and downstream of each pair of members 14, 15 motor-driven (independently of the other pairs) of the assemblies 12 housed in the chambers 4a, 4b (likewise means 70 for detection of the tension of the web 2 would be installed also downstream of the assembly 120, in the case where this were to be present on the machine 1) . In practice, detection means 70 are basically provided for each motor M present in the machine 1.

The control means 11 moreover comprise at least one electronic control unit T for feedback control of the speed of actuation of the aforesaid motor members present in the machine 1, in practice of each motor M, by sending control signals 71 thereto. In practice, the means 70 for detection of the tension of the web 2 comprise at least one idle cylinder co- operating with one of the faces 30, 31 of the web 2 (preferably a pair of idle cylinders co-operating on either side opposite against both of the faces 30, 31), said at least one idle cylinder being carried, in a way that is obvious for a person skilled in the art, by a mobile support up against a load cell C connected to the electronic control unit T and to which the load cell C is designed to issue an input signal 72. In this way, it is possible, according to the invention, to correct, practically in real time, the tension of the web 2 at each motor member forming part of the means 10 for moving the web, i.e., above all of each assembly 12 or pair of members 14, 15 of an assembly 12 with multiple motor drive, thus enabling neutralization of any onset of undesired lengthening of the web 2.

Finally, according to a last aspect of the invention, the machine 1 comprises means 80 (Figure 1) for supply and recirculation of at least one treatment or washing fluid inside the treatment chambers 4. The means 80 in practice comprise at least one collection tank 81 set on the bottom of each treatment chamber 4, at least one respective pipe 82 for conveying the treatment or washing fluid, which takes at least part of the fluid already used present in the tanks 81 and recirculates it, with a possible integration coming from an external source, of a known type and not illustrated for reasons of simplicity, and a plurality of nozzles 83, arranged within the chambers 4 and preferably constituted by parts of the pipe 82 perforated laterally and arranged in a direction transverse to the direction A of advance of the web 2, preferably in a position corresponding to the assemblies 12 for spraying the treatment or washing fluid on at least one face 31 or 32 (preferably on both) of the web 2.

According to the invention, the conveying pipe 82 is prearranged so as to supply the treatment or washing fluid to the nozzles 83 according to a pre-set sequence such as to define, also together with part of the treatment or washing fluid fed into the chambers 4 and on the web 2 and that traverses the web 2 by permeability forming trickles 84 of fluid (Figure 4) that fall as a rain towards the tanks 81, a flow of treatment or washing fluid in counter-flow with respect to the direction A of advance of the web 2 through the treatment chambers 4. In practice, the pipe 82 is pre-arranged so as to supply the "fresh" treatment or washing fluid integrated therein from the aforesaid external source starting from the end 4 of the machine 1 and from the bottom nozzles 83, and then progressively passes to supplying the nozzles 83 with the fluid taken from the tanks 81, starting from the fluid in the tanks that are closest to the end 4. The more spent treatment or washing fluid will consequently be supplied to the nozzles 83 situated at the bottom in the chamber 4a, i.e., the ones that are closest to the end 3 of the machine 1.

Claims

1. A machine (1) for continuous open-width treatment of bolts of a sheet material formed in a web (2), in particular bolts of a delicate fabric, such as knitted or bi-elastic fabric, or a non-woven fabric, the treatment machine comprising: at least one treatment chamber (4) ; means (10) for moving the web through the treatment chamber and along a preset path within the treatment chamber; and means (11) for controlling the means for moving the web; said machine being characterized in that said means (10) for moving the web comprise at least one motor-driven assembly (12; 120), which, in turn, comprises at least one first conveying member (14) and one second conveying member (15) , each of which is mobile along a respective closed path at least in part parallel to at least one stretch of said pre-set path of the web (2), the first and second conveying members (14, 15) each being provided with a plurality of cross members (30) oriented perpendicular to a plane containing said closed path and set at intervals apart from one another with a pre-set pitch (P) that is relatively small with respect to the length of said closed path; said first and second conveying members (14, 15) being arranged so that, along said pre-set path of the web

(2), at least one cross member (30) of said first conveying member (14) always co-operates, in use, in contact with a first face (31) of the web, and so that, simultaneously, at least one cross member (30) of said second conveying member (15) always co-operates, in use, in contact with a second face (32) of the web, opposite to the first.

2. The treatment machine (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that said first and second conveying members (14, 15) are shaped so that, in use, said at least one cross member (30) of said second conveying member (15) always co- operates in contact with said second face (32) of the web in a longitudinal position of the web adjacent to, but different from, that of co-operation of said at least one cross member

(30) of the first conveying member (14) with said first face

(31) of the web.

3. The treatment machine (1) according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that said first and second conveying members (14, 15) both consist of at least one flexible continuous transmission element, such as for example a belt or chain, stretching between at least one pair of wheels or pulleys (16), one of which is motor-driven, to define one said closed path having at least two rectilinear branches (20, 21) , at least one of which is parallel to one said stretch of said pre-set path of the web.

4. The treatment machine (1) according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that said first conveying member (14) consists of a motor-driven wheel (140) , rotatably mounted about an axis defining with another peripheral radial edge thereof (141) said closed path of the first member (14) ; and in that said second conveying member consists, in combination, of at least one flexible continuous transmission element (15) , such as for example a belt or chain, stretching between a plurality of wheels or pulleys (160), one of which is motor- driven, to define said closed path of the second member (15), which surrounds at least in part said outer peripheral radial edge (141) of said first conveying member (14) .

5. The treatment machine (1) according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, characterized in that a plurality of said cross members (30) are constrained, throughout the length thereof, on each of said first and second conveying members (14, 15) so as to be drawn by the latter to move along the closed paths followed by the conveying members .

6. The treatment machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one motor-driven assembly (12) comprises a plurality of first and second conveying members (14, 15) set in pairs, each pair being formed by one said first conveying member and by one said second conveying member; said pairs of conveying members (14, 15) being arranged aligned vertically on top of one another in said treatment chamber (4) .

7. The treatment machine (1) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the conveying members (14, 15) of each pair are actuated by independent motors (M) , one for each pair.

8. The treatment machine (1) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the conveying members (14, 15) of all the pairs are actuated by one and the same motor (M) .

9. The treatment machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises more than one of said at least one motor-driven assembly (12) set with one and the same said treatment chamber (4) .

10. The treatment machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises more than one said treatment chamber (4) ; the treatment chambers (4a, 4b, 4c) being arranged in series, in sequence, in a direction (A) of advance of the web (2), and each of said treatment chambers (4a, 4b, 4c) being delimited within a substantially fluid-tight casing (5a, 5b), possibly divided internally by at least one partition wall (7), equipped with a passage (8) for transit of the web (2), into two or more pairs of treatment chambers (4a, 4b) .

11. The treatment machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (10) for moving the web moreover comprise at least one pair of motor- driven squeezing cylinders (60), arranged inside or outside said at least one treatment chamber (4) ; and respective idle, spiralled, widening cylinders (62), arranged immediately upstream of the squeezing cylinders (60) with respect to a direction of advance of the web.

12. The treatment machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control means

(11) comprise: means (70) for detection of the tension of the web arranged immediately downstream, with respect to a direction (A) of advance of the web (2), of at least one motor member (12; 14, 15; 120; 60; 62) or, preferably, of each motor member (12; 14, 15; 120; 60; 62) of said means (10) for moving the web; and at least one electronic control unit (T) for feedback control of the speed of actuation of said motor members by sending control signals (71) thereto.

13. The treatment machine (1) according to Claim 12, characterized in that said means (70) for detection of the tension of the web comprise at least one idle cylinder, which co-operates against one of said first and second faces of the web and is carried by a mobile support up against a load cell (C) connected to said electronic control unit (T) and to which the load cell is designed to issue an input signal (72) .

14. The treatment machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means

(80) for supply and recirculation of at least one treatment or washing fluid, comprising at least one collection tank (81) set on the bottom of said at least one treatment chamber (4), at least one respective pipe (82) for conveying the treatment or washing fluid, and a plurality of nozzles (83) for spraying said treatment or washing fluid on at least one face (31, 32) of the web (2); said at least one conveying pipe (82) being pre-arranged so as to supply said treatment or washing fluid to said nozzles (83) according to a pre-set sequence such as to define, also together with part (84) of said treatment or washing fluid that traverses said web (2) and rains down towards said at least one collection tank (81) , a flow of treatment or washing fluid in counter-flow with respect to a direction (A) of advance of said web (2) through said at least one treatment chamber (4 ) .