GB2274660A

GB2274660A - Dyeing vessels

Info

Publication number: GB2274660A
Application number: GB9301448A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Tak Ming Tsui
Original assignee: Falmer Investments Ltd
Current assignee: Falmer Investments Ltd
Priority date: 1993-01-26
Filing date: 1993-01-26
Publication date: 1994-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 2013-01-26
Also published as: GB9301448D0; CN1049711C; CN1090350A; HK64996A; GB2274660B

Abstract

A dyeing vessel 1 has an annular bottom wall 5 the aperture in which leads to a chamber in communication with the interior of the vessel 1, a vertical shaft 8 mounts an elbow 12 in the chamber and also a support 13 for a package to be dyed, the free end of a horizontal portion of the elbow 12 can communicate either with a port 19 which leads to a discharge port of a pump or with a port 21 connected to a suction port of the pump, thus, by rotating the shaft 8 through 90 DEG the direction of flow of dye liquor through the package on the support 13 can be reversed. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO DYEING VESSELS This invention relates to dyeing vessels.

It has previously been proposed to provide dyeing machines with a dyeing vessel having a dye liquor flow reversing valve at the bottom thereof. A support on which a package to be dyed can be mounted is provided in the bottom of the vessel and the dye liquor reversing valve is provided concentrically within the support and comprises a piece of pipe bent through a right angle to form an elbow so as to have a vertical portion which is centred in the support and a horizontal portion the end of which can be brought into alignment with a pump suction port or a pump discharge port, the two ports being so disposed that rotation of the elbow through 90" about a vertical axis centred on the vertical portion changes over the horizontal end of the elbow from one port to the other port.A bearing is provided in the support which centres the vertical portion of the pipe and provides a mounting for the package. When the end of the horizontal portion is in alignment with the pump discharge port liquor flows from the pump upwardly through the elbow radially outwardly through the package and down around the outside of the support to flow back to the pump suction port. Upon changeover of the reversing valve so that the end of the horizontal portion of the elbow is in alignment with the pump suction port, fluid flowing from the pump passes through the pump discharge port upwardly around the outside of the support, radially inwardly through the package and down through the centre to the elbow and thus to the pump suction port.

Movement of the elbow from one position to the other is normally effected by a shaft which extends downwardly from the elbow through seals and a bearing to a motor which is capable of rotating the shaft through 900 and back again.

In addition to difficulties in machining the bottom of the vessel for the support and properly securing the support in position, difficulties arise both with removing and replacing the bearing for maintenance and also with necessary supporting members for the support securing the support to the bottom of the vessel interfering with the flow of liquor around the support.

According to the invention a dye liquor reversing valve and a support for a package to be dyed provided in the bottom of a dyeing vessel of a dyeing machine are supported only by a shaft which can be rotated to cause changeover of the dye liquor reversing valve.

Thus the support for mounting a package to be dyed is provided at the upper end of the dye liquor reversing valve and rotates with the dye liquor reversing valve upon movement thereof. The supporting shaft is stiffened compared with previously used supporting shafts and is provided with a mounting bearing which is long enough and strong enough to mount the dye liquor reversing valve, the support and the package with the required rigidity. Since the support for the package is mounted solely on the shaft with the dye liquor reversing valve, support members to mount the support on the dyeing vessel are no longer required and a full 3600 free annular passageway is provided for flow of the dye liquor around the support.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through a dyeing vessel of a dyeing machine incorporating the invention; and Figures 2a and 2b are schematic part sectional elevations showing respectively the positions of the machine for outside-in flow and inside-out flow.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figure 1, a dyeing vessel generally indicated at 1 has a cylindrical kier 2, an open upper end closed by a lid 3 which is pivoted about a pivot pin 4 and an annular bottom wall 5 with an open top cylindrical housing 6 concentrically formed thereon so as to form a chamber 7 having a cylindrical portion 7a and an outwardly flared portion 7k in communication with the interior of the vessel 1.

A shaft 8 is mounted in an elongate bearing 9 in a downward extension 10 of the housing 6 and at its lower end is connected to a motor 11 which can rotate the shaft 8 through 90" and back again.

The shaft 8 projects into the chamber 7 and, in the chamber 7, mounts an elbow 12, that is to say a piece of pipe bent through 900 and having a vertical portion 125b and a horizontal portion 12k. Also mounted on the shaft above the elbow 12 is a support 13 for a package 14 to be dyed, the upper end of the vertical portion 12a of the elbow 12 communicating with a pipe 15 with an outlet aperture 16 therein and the pipe 15 being surrounded by a perforated cone 17 on which the package 14 is engaged before securing it by a locking nut 18.

The free end of the horizontal portion 12k of the elbow 12 can communicate either with a port 19 which leads to a length of pipe 20 connected to a discharge port of a pump (not shown) or with a port 21, shown only in Figures 2a and 2h, connected by a length of pipe 22 to the suction port of the pump.Thus, with reference to Figure 2a, with the shaft 8 rotated to a fully clockwise position when viewed from above, the portion 12k of the elbow 12 is in communication with the suction port of the pump so that the pump discharge is connected to the pipe 20 and causes dye liquor to flow through the pipe 20, into the chamber 7, up through the annular gap formed between the flared portion 7h and the support 13, radially inwardly through the package 14 to the aperture 16, down the bore of the pipe 15 and downwardly through the elbow 12 to the suction port 21 and the pipe 22 leading to the pump suction.Upon energisation of the motor 11 to turn the shaft through 900 anti-clockwise as viewed from above, the elbow 12 is changed over so that its free end moves out of engagement with the discharge port 19 and into engagement with the suction port 21. Flow of dye liquor is then as indicated in Figure 2, that is to say in an opposite direction through the package to that indicated in Figure 2a.

Omitting a fixed support in the vessel 1 to mount the package, omitting supporting members which previously connected the support to the bottom wall 5 of the vessel, omitting a bearing in the support and relying instead on the elongate bearing 9 to support the shaft 8 and the package 14 mounted thereon removes such previously provided bearing from within the dye liquor, facilitates formation of the vessel 1 and support 13, facilitates maintenance operations and removes obstructions to flow in the annular gap between the flared portion 7k and the support 13 such that such annular gap is open for the full 3600 rather than being partially obstructed by the support members.

Claims

1. A dyeing vessel having a dye liquor reversing valve and a support for a package to be dyed provided in the bottom of the dyeing vessel, in which the dye liquor reversing valve and the support for a package to be dyed are supported only by a shaft which can be rotated to cause changeover of the dye liquor reversing valve.

2. A dyeing vessel according to claim 1, in which the support for a package to be dyed is provided at the upper end of the dye liquor reversing valve and rotates with the dye liquor reversing valve upon movement thereof.

3. A dyeing vessel according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the shaft is stiffened compared with previously used supporting shafts and is provided with a mounting bearing which is long enough and strong enough to mount the dye liquor reversing valve, the support and the package with the required rigidity.

4. A dyeing vessel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a full 360" free annular passageway is provided for flow of the dye liquor around the support.

5. A dyeing vessel substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.