GB2397308A

GB2397308A - Fibre treatment and conveyor apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2397308A
Application number: GB0330006A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Albert Chippendale
Original assignee: SPECIALITY PROCESSORS
Current assignee: SPECIALITY PROCESSORS
Priority date: 2003-01-14
Filing date: 2003-12-23
Publication date: 2004-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 2023-12-23
Also published as: GB0330006D0; GB0300750D0; GB2397308B

Abstract

Apparatus for treating fibre material such as wool fibres or sliver comprises upper and lower conveyors 20,12 between which the fibres are conveyed trough a tank of treating liquid. The liquid may be circulated through the conveyors and fibre material by means of a perforated drum 26 and a pump. Similar apparatus may be provided at a sequence of baths, e.g. sodium metabisulphate, neutralising solution, rinsing agents, resin and softening agent. Fig 6 shows apparatus for limiting sideways movement of a conveyor, such movement being detected by sensors 56,58 and corrected by a fluid pressure device 74 which pivots a conveyor guide roller about one end 30.

Description

1 2397308

FIBRE TREATMENT AND CONVEYOR APPARATUS

The present invention relates to apparatus for treating fibres, a method of treating fibres, conveyor apparatus and a method of restricting sideways movement of a conveyor.

In a machine for treating coarse wool fibres, the fibres are carried along a conveyor and have, at various locations along the conveyor, different liquids sprayed at them. This is inefficient as the sprays do not tend to exert a good action on all of the fibres. To try and improve the effect of the chemical liquids on the fibres the machine is run extremely slowly.

In a different machine for treating slivers, the slivers are manually fed around rollers in and out of a succession of tanks. Loading the slivers up is time consuming and requires an operator to feed the sliver through the tanks.

This can be dangerous for the person feeding the sliver as the chemicals can be toxic or harmful to the skin. In addition, the liquids do not tend to penetrate the slivers very effectively. With such machines that rely upon the strength in the sliver to provide the feed only relatively large fibres of more than 55 mm can be used as the fibres must have sufficient cohesion to take the tension exerted on the sliver.

Furthermore, it is necessary to provide two machines, one for raw wool and one for slivers. This is expensive.

In machines, where a conveyor is required to move at a constant speed and where the conveyor is free to move towards oneside or the other, problems occur if the conveyor moves to the limit at a side. Such problems can result in abrasion of the conveyor at the side and the contents on the conveyor falling off.

It is an object of the present invention to attempt to overcome at least one of the above or other problems.

According to one aspect of the present invention apparatus for treating fibres comprises at least one tank including fibrous treatment liquid, a first continuous conveyor on which fibrous material is arranged to be located and a second continuous conveyor arranged to retain the material between the conveyors, the first and second conveyors being arranged, in use, to cause the material to move through the liquid in the tank and out of the liquid.

At least one conveyor, and preferably both conveyors are porous and may comprise fabric material.

The first conveyor may be arranged to have material located on it prior to the second conveyor retaining material between the conveyors. The second conveyor may be arranged to travel in a direction towards the first conveyor prior to retaining material between the conveyors.

The second conveyor may be arranged to depart from the first conveyor after material has commenced to move through the liquid, such as after material has left the liquid or after the material has left the tank. The second conveyor may be caused to depart from the first conveyor, for instance by travelling away from the first I) 3 conveyor. When the second conveyor departs from the first conveyor, the first conveyor may be arranged to have material supported on it.

The conveyors may be arranged to be urged towards each other during at least part of their travel through the tank.

At least one conveyor may be arranged to pass around a member arranged to alter the course of at least one, and preferably both conveyors and at least one conveyor may be arranged to contact that member, whilst the conveyors are in the liquid. The member may be rotatable and may be driven. The member may include means for enabling liquid transfer through at least one and preferably both conveyors. The member may be arranged to pass liquid through its surface, for instance along at least the coextent of the conveyors and members. The member may include a plurality of openings. Liquid may be arranged to flow from the tank into the member, for instance through an outer wall of the member. The member may be hollow.

Means may be provided for enabling liquid transfer through the member which may include fluid drive means, which may be arranged to cause liquid to be removed from the main volume of liquid in the tank and transferred back into the main volume of liquid in the tank, for instance by being transferred back into the main body of the liquid from above the level of liquid in the tank. The fluid drive means may comprise a pump which may, for instance, be mounted at a side region of the member which side region may be outside of the tank. ! 4

The first and second conveyors may be driven at substantially the same speed.

The material may be selected from one of two different types of material. One material may comprise wool such as raw wool. The other material may comprise slivers. The apparatus may include supply means of different types of material either of which may be selected to move through the treatment liquid in the tank. The first supply means may be arranged to travel to the tank from a greater elevation than the second supply means. One of these supply means of material may be located further upstream than the other supply means of material.

The apparatus may include a plurality of tanks each including liquid through which the material is arranged to be caused to move through. At least some of the apparatus for the tanks may be as herein referred to. The material may be arranged to travel through at least two adjacent tanks with material being conveyed through the first tank with a first pair of first and second conveyors and material being arranged to travel through the second adjacent tank by a second pair of first and second conveyors. The first conveyor of the first pair of conveyors may be arranged to transfer material to a first conveyor of the second pair of conveyors such as by directly transferring the material from the first conveyor of the first pair to the first conveyor of the second pair. Prior to the material leaving the first conveyor, the first conveyor and material located thereon may be arranged to pass through pinch means such as pinch rollers, at least one of which rollers may be driven. s

The liquid in the tank or tanks may include sodium metabisulphate, neutralizer, rinse, resin or softening liquid or any combination thereof in any sequence thereof.

There may be a plurality of tanks including the same liquid which tanks may be adjacent to each other.

According to another aspect of the present invention a method of treating fibres comprises retaining the fibres between two conveyors with the conveyors travailing through treatment liquid.

The method may comprise the conveyors exerting a squeeze force on the material during at least part of the time that the material passes through the treatment liquid.

The method may comprise the conveyors having treatment liquid passed through them and also the material during at least part of the time that the material passes through the treatment liquid. The passage of treatment liquid through the conveyors and material may be arranged to be effected by a pump.

The method may comprise squeezing some of the liquid from at least one of the conveyors and the material after the material has left the liquid.

The method may comprise passing the material through a plurality of tanks through which the material may be arranged to be sequentially passed.

The method may comprise treating the material with one or more of the following liquids: sodium metabisulphate, neutralizer, rinse, resin or softening liquid. The method may comprise passing the material through a sequence of the above referred to liquids and the method may comprise passing the materials through all of the above described liquids. The method may comprise sequentially passing the material through two liquids which are the same.

The method may comprise selecting the material from one of two possible material sources. One of those material sources may comprise slivers. The other material source may comprise raw wool. When the material comprises slivers, it may be supplied to the liquid from an elevation greater than the other material or from a location downstream of the other material or both.

When the material comprises slivers, the slivers may be less than 55 mm in length or less than 50 mm in length or less than 45 mm in length or in the region of 40 mm in length.

The present invention includes a method of treating material with apparatus as herein referred to.

According to a further aspect of the present invention conveyor apparatus includes a continuous conveyor and drive means arranged to cause the conveyor to move in a first, forwards direction, the conveyor being liable to move in a second, sideways direction, transverse to the first direction, the apparatus including sensing means arranged to sense when the conveyor has moved in at least one sideways direction and control means arranged to restrict the movement of the conveyor in at least one sideways direction.

The restriction may comprise correction.

The sensing means may comprise a switch arranged to be actuated when the conveyor moves to at least one side.

The switch may be an electrical switch. The switch may include a flexible member that is moved out of its normal position by the conveyor moving to at least one side.

The control means may be arranged to effect a correction on the sideways movement of the conveyor and may be arranged to move the conveyor in the opposite direction of sideways movement.

The sensing means may be arranged to sense when the conveyor has moved a predetermined distance in at least one sideways direction.

The sensing means may be arranged to sense when the conveyor has moved towards one side or the other in which case the sensing means may include at least two switches, one associated with each direction of sideways movement.

The control means may be arranged to delay effecting correction of the sideways movement until a predetermined duration of sideways movement is detected.

The control means may be arranged to effect correction of sideways movement and may be arranged to effect a further correction of sideways movement if the initial correction is insufficient.

The conveyor may be arranged to pass around a movable member. The movable member may extend in a direction transverse to the first direction. The member may be movable to alter a line of contact which it makes with the conveyor and the angle of that line with respect to the first direction. That angle may be caused to be altered by pivoting the member, for instance about one end. One end of the member may be arranged to have its position adjustable relative to the conveyor, for instance in the forwards or rearwards direction or both. The restriction or correction effected by the control means may be effected by altering the angle of the member, for instance by pivotal movement. When the conveyor moves to one side the correction may be by means of increasing the angle and alternatively or additionally, when it moves to the other side, the alteration may be made by means of decreasing the angle.

The movable member may be rotatable or alternatively or additionally, driven.

The conveyor correction apparatus may be arranged to be used in apparatus for treating fibres as herein referred to or in a method of treating fibres as herein referred to.

The apparatus may include two conveyors arranged to trap material between them, each of which may have the conveyor control means apparatus as herein referred to.

According to another aspect of the present invention a method of restricting sideways movement of a conveyor which is transverse to the intended direction of movement of the conveyor comprises monitoring the sideways movement of the conveyor and causing the conveyor to have that sideways movement limited.

The method may comprise monitoring the sideways movement and limiting the sideways movement by effecting a correction of the sideways movement of the conveyor, which may include causing the conveyor to move back towards the other side.

The method may comprise monitoring the sideways movement and then effecting the correctional movement after the conveyor has been monitored for a predetermined time in a position of undesired sideways movement. The method may comprise effecting a correction movement or signal and then monitoring the sideways position of the conveyor and, if necessary, effecting a further correction signal. The method may comprise effecting a correction movement or signal and monitoring the sideways position of the conveyor for a predetermined time before effecting the further correction signal.

The method may comprise altering the position of a member around which the conveyor extends in order to alter the sideways position of the conveyor. The method may comprise causing pivotal movement of the member.

The method may comprise using compressed air and selecting the application of the pressure exerted by that compressed air in order to effect the limitation of the sideways movement. The method may comprise causing the pressure of the compressed air to move at least one piston to alter the sideways movement of the conveyor. The piston may be arranged to act on hydraulic fluid and the pressure of the hydraulic fluid may be arranged to cause the limitation of the sideways movement. The member may be adjustable in the direction of forward to rearwards movement of the conveyor, for instance at at least one side of the member and that adjustment may be arranged to be effected either manually or electronically, for instance by causing rotation of a threaded portion with the translational movement exerted by that rotational movement causing the movement of the member.

The present invention also includes a method of correcting the position of the conveyor with conveyor correction apparatus as herein referred to.

According to another aspect of the present invention apparatus for treating fibres includes a liquid treatment region and first conveyor means for conveying a first type of fibrous material towards the liquid treatment region and second conveyor means for conveying a second type of fibrous material towards the liquid treatment region.

The fibrous material may be arranged to be passed through the liquid treatment region, which may comprise a tank of liquid, by a conveyor.

The first conveyor means may be arranged to be at a greater elevation than the second conveyor means over at least part of the extent of the first conveyor means.

The first conveyor means may be arranged to extend rearwardly of the second conveyor means. (A 11

The first conveyor means may include a series of rollers arranged, in use, to support slivers of fibrous material.

The second type of fibrous material may comprise raw wool.

The liquid treatment region may include at least one tank including fibrous treatment liquid.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of treating fibres comprises selecting one of at least two types of fibre and passing the related fibre through a common liquid treatment region.

The method may comprise the two or more types of fibre being present prior to making the selection.

The method may comprise selecting a first type of fibre, and passing the first type of fibres over a region where a second type of fibres can be located.

The method may comprise supplying a first type of fibre from a location rearwards of the region where a second type of fibres can be located.

The first type of fibres may comprise slivers. The second type of fibres may comprise raw wool.

This aspect of the invention may be combined with any other aspects of the invention referred to in the

specification.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of treating the fibres comprises selecting either a first or a second type of fibrous material and passing the selected fibrous material through a common apparatus including a liquid treatment region.

The method may comprise passing, when selected, the first type of fibrous material over the supply of second fibrous material over at least part of the extent of the supply of the second fibrous material. The method may comprise passing the first fibrous material, which may comprise slivers, from a region rearwardly of the second supply of fibrous material.

The method may comprise selecting the second fibrous material which comprises raw wool.

This method may be combined with any other aspect of the present invention referred to in the specification.

The present invention includes any combination of the herein referred to features or limitations.

The present invention can be carried into practice in various ways but one embodiment will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a machine washing line 10 including a plurality of processing tanks 12; Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view showing in detail one processing tank 12; Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view of the tank 12 showing details of the liquid circulation, and Figure 6 is a schematic view of a process controller used in the line 10.

Coarse wool fibre or slivers material 14 are passed, first of all through a Kroy machine 16 which comprises a chlorine bath on a conveyor (not shown). The material 14 is caused to pass onto the upper surface of a lower conveyor 18A which conveys the material towards a downwardly facing converging surface of an upper conveyor 20A to trap the material between the conveyors as they pass around a roller 22A.

The conveyors 18A and 20A then travel downwardly in to the liquid 24A around a drum roller 26A and then up, out of the liquid 24A and around a roller 28A. At the roller 28A the upper conveyor parts from the lower conveyor. The lower conveyor with the material 14 on it then travels up towards and around a pair of pinch rollers 30A. The material 14 then leaves the conveyor 18A and is transferred onto the next lower conveyor 18B. Conveyor 18B then takes the material through the liquid 24B as described in relation to the liquid 24A before, in turn, handing on the material to the next lower conveyor 18C and so on.

The liquid 24A is sodium metabisulphate, the liquid 24B is a neutralizing solution, the liquids 24C and 24D are rinsing solutions. The final two liquids 24E and 24F are resins and softening agents respectively. After leaving the tanks the material is dried and is then ready to use.

The conveyors can be used to treat coarse wool fibres or slivers. The coarse wool fibres can be passed to the machine 16 from a wool hopper that beats up the fibres and then deposits them on a conveyor. The slivers can be fed through the machine 14. Alternatively or additionally they can be fed over the wool hopper and straight on to the conveyor 18A. The movement of the conveyors 18A to 18F then loads the sliver without it having to be fed manually around a series of rollers. With this method of processing the slivers, fibres can have a length of 40 mm as it is not necessary for the cohesion between the fibres to be as great as when manual feed is required.

Figure 5 shows in detail how the liquids are caused to act on the material. Initially the material becomes wetted in the liquid as the conveyors and material enter the tank.

The conveyors are porous and, as they pass around the drum or rollers 26, a circulation pump 32 draws liquid through the conveyors and the material, in through openings 24 in the drum 26 and then back into the tank via channels 36.

In this way an extremely efficient action is effected on the material as the conveyors initially squeeze liquid into the material and then liquid is forced through the material.

Figures 3 and 4 show in more detail the mounting of the conveyors in the various tanks.

The upper conveyor is guided by the rollers 28, roller 26 and roller 22. At its upper region it passes around two end rollers 38 and 40 and a central roller 42.

The lower conveyor is guided by the rollers 30, 22, 26 and 28. It then passes around rollers 44, 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54.

The rollers 38 and 48 of the respective upper and lower conveyors may be driven by an extension of those rollers having a cog with which a common chain driven by a motor passes around. This ensures that the conveyors travel at almost exactly the same speed. However, the wool fibres or the slivers may come in varying degrees of thickness (for instance as a result of the beaten wool or slivers binding up periodically). Furthermore, it is impossible to get the speed of the conveyors 100% the same.

Consequently the conveyors will tend to move off to one side of the machine or the other.

With the exception of the upper roller 42 and the lower roller 52, each of the remaining rollers are constrained to rotate about fixed axes. The rollers 42 and 50 though are able to have their axes of rotation moved as detailed below.

Each conveyor has an alignment limit switch 56 and 58 mounted to either side, as seen in Figure 4. These switches allow a limited amount of movement of the conveyor from side to side. However, if the conveyor moves more than a certain amount to one side then the switch at that side is actuated. The switches may be optically triggered, such as a light path being interrupted by the belt, or electrically triggered, such as by deflecting a flexible member to cause a contact to be made or broken or may comprise any suitable switch.

Figure 6 illustrates the control mechanism. When the left hand switch 56 is triggered a timer delay 60 waits for a short period of time such as 5 or 10 seconds and then checks again to determine if the switch is still triggered. This avoids accidental correction or correction when the belt has just nudged the switch and then moved back.

After the delay, a signal is sent through line 62 to actuate a control valve 64 to cause compressed air from a source 66 to exert pressure on a piston 68 in cylinder 70 to cause the piston to move downwardly and to cause a further piston 72 in a cylinder 74 to move to the right, when viewed in the drawing. A shaft 78 attached to the piston 72 also moves to the right. The end of the shaft 78 is fast with an axial projection of the roller 52 and movement of the shaft 78 to the right causes that end of the roller to move in a horizontal direction to the right with that movement being guided by spaced plates 80. The roller thus pivots about its axial rotational mounting 82 at the other end of the roller.

In an alternative embodiment, each time a switch is triggered, compressed air is supplied immediately to the relevant cylinder 68 or 84. However, valves 90 and 92 remain closed for a predetermined period of time, for instance 5 seconds, before being opened to cause the pressure to be applied to the piston 72. The valves are then closed again shortly after opening when the switch is mounted again. If the switch remains activated after a further period, the valves 90 and 92 are opened again.

The timer 60 supplies the "open" and "closed" signals to the valves 90 and 92.

The timer 60 then waits for a further period of 5 or 10 seconds, for instance, to determine whether the left hand switch is still being triggered. If it is then the pressure of air acting on the piston 68 is further increased to cause further pivotal movement of the roller to the right.

Whilst the control valve is increasing the pressure on the piston 68 it is decreasing the pressure on a piston 84 in an adjacent cylinder 86. This allows the piston 84 to move upwardly as the piston 68 moves downwardly as a result of the hydraulic pressure exerted in the cylinder 74 to the right of the piston 72 with the cylinder communication with the cylinder 86 being connected to the cylinder 74 by a line 88.

If the rights hand switch is triggered then the roller can move to the left in a reversal of the above described sequence.

The end 82 of the roller can also be adjusted in the same to and fro direction as the opposite end. The end 82 is in a linear guide and can be moved in either direction by any suitable manner such as a manually adjusted screw being attached to the end with the translational movement caused by rotating the screw to effect the linear movement.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features

disclosed in this specification (including any

accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating fibres comprising at least one tank including fibrous treatment liquid, a first continuous conveyor on which fibrous material is arranged to be located and a second continuous conveyor arranged to retain the material between the conveyors, the first and second conveyors being arranged, in use, to cause the material to move through the liquid in the tank and out of the liquid.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which at least one conveyor IS porous.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 in which at least one conveyor comprises fabric material.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the first conveyor is arranged to have material located on it prior to the second conveyor retaining material between the conveyors.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 in which the second conveyor is arranged to travel in a direction towards the first conveyor prior to retaining material between the conveyors.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the second conveyor is arranged to depart from the first conveyor after the material has commenced to move through the liquid.

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 in which the second conveyor is arranged to depart from the first conveyor after material has left the liquid.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 in which the second conveyor is arranged to depart form the first conveyor after the material has left the tank.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 6 to 8 in which, when the second conveyor departs from the first conveyor, the first conveyor is arranged to have materials supported on it.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the conveyors are arranged to be urged towards each other during at least part of their travel through the tank.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which at least one conveyor is arranged to pass around a member arranged to alter the course of at least one conveyor.

12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11 in which both conveyors are arranged to pass around a member arranged to alter the course of those conveyors.

13. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11 or 12 in which at least one conveyor is arranged to contact the member whilst the conveyors are in the liquid.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 13 in which the member is rotatable. .

15. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 14 in which the member is driven.

16. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 15 in which the member includes means for enabling liquid to transfer through at least one conveyor.

17. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 16 in which the member includes means for enabling liquid to transfer through both conveyors.

18. Apparatus as claimed in Claims 16 or 17 in which the member is arranged to pass liquid through its surface.

19. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 18 in which the member is arranged to pass liquid through its surface along at least the co-extent of the conveyors and the members.

20. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 16 to 19 including a plurality of openings.

21. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 16 to 20 in which liquid is arranged to flow from the tank into the member.

22. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 16 to 21 in which liquid is arranged to flow through an outer wall of the member.

23. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 14 to 22 in which the member is hollow.

24. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 23 including means for enabling liquid transfer through the member.

25. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 24 in which the means include fluid drive means.

26. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 25 in which the fluid drive means is arranged to cause liquid to be removed from the main volume of liquid in the tank and transferred back into the main volume of liquid in the tank.

27. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 26 in which the fluid drive means is arranged to transfer fluid back into the main body of the liquid from above the level of liquid in the tank.

28. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 25 to 27 in which the fluid drive means comprises a pump.

29. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the first and second conveyors are arranged to be driven at substantially the same speed.

30. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the material is arranged to be selected from one of two different types of material.

31. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 30 in which, of the two different types of material, one comprises wool and the other comprises slivers.

32. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 30 or 31 in which the apparatus includes supply means of different types of material either of which may be selected to move through the treatment liquid in the tank.

33. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 32 in which the first supply means is arranged to travel to the tank from a greater elevation than the second supply means.

34. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 32 or 33 in which one of the supply means of material is located further upstream than the other supply means of material.

35. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including a plurality of tanks each including liquid through which the material is arranged to be caused to move through.

36. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 35 in which at least some of the tanks are as herein referred to.

37. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 35 or 36 in which the material is arranged to travel through at least two adjacent tanks with material being conveyed through the first tank with a first pair of first and second conveyors and the material being arranged to travel through the second adjacent tank by a second pair of first and second conveyors.

38. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 37 in which the first conveyor of the first pair of conveyors is arranged to transfer material to a first conveyor of a second pair of conveyors.

39. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 38 in which the transfer is arranged to be by direct transfer of the material from the first conveyor of the first pair to the first conveyor of the second pair.

40. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 38 or 39 in which, prior to the material leaving the first conveyor, the first conveyor and material located thereon are arranged to pass through pinch means.

41. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which there are a plurality of tanks each of which are arranged to include the same liquid.

42. Apparatus for treating fibres substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

43. A method of treating fibres comprises retaining the fibres between two conveyors with the conveyors travailing through treatment liquid.

44. A method as claimed in Claim 43 comprising the conveyors exerting a squeeze force on the material during at least part of the time that the material passes through the treatment liquid.

45. A method as claimed in Claim 43 or 44 comprising the conveyors having treatment liquid passed through them and also the material during at least part of the time that the material passes through the treatment liquid.

46. A method as claimed in Claim 45 in which the passage of treatment liquid through the conveyors and material is arranged to be effected by a pump.

47. A method as claimed in any of Claims 43 to 46 comprising squeezing some of the liquid from at least one of the conveyors and the material after the material has left the liquid.

48. A method as claimed in any of Claims 43 to 47 comprising passing the material through a plurality of tanks through which the material may be arranged to be sequentially passed.

49. A method as claimed in any of Claims 43 to 48 comprising selecting the material from one of two possible material sources.

50. A method as claimed in any of Claims 43 to 49 when using apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 42.

51. A method of treating fibres substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

52. Conveyor apparatus including a continuous conveyor and drive means arranged to cause the conveyor to move in a first, forwards direction, the conveyor being liable to move in a second, sideways direction, transverse to the first direction, the apparatus including sensing means arranged to sense when the conveyor has moved in at least one sideways direction and control means arranged to restrict the movement of the conveyor in at least one sideways direction.

53. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 52 in which the sensing means comprises a switch arranged to be actuated when the conveyor moves to at least one side.

54. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 53 in which the switch comprises an electrical switch.

55. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 53 or 54 in which the switch includes a flexible member that is arranged to be moved out of its normal position by the conveyor moving to at least one side.

56. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 52 to 55 in which the control means is arranged to effect a correction on the sideways movement of the conveyor.

57. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 57 in which the control means is arranged to move the conveyor in the opposite direction of sideways movement.

58. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 52 to 57 in which the sensing means is arranged to sense when the conveyor has moved a predetermined distance in at least one sideways direction.

59. Apparatus as claims in any of Claims 52 to 58 in which the sensing means are arranged to sense when the conveyor has moved towards either side. ,)

60. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 52 to 59 in I which the control means is arranged to delay effecting correction of the sideways movement until a predetermined duration of sideways movement is detected.

61. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 52 to 60 in which the control means is arranged to effect correction of sideways movement.

62. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 61 in which the control means is arranged to effect correction of sideways movement and is also arranged to effect a further correction of sideways movement if the initial correction i is insufficient.

63. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 52 to 62 in which the conveyor is arranged to pass around a movable member.

64. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 63 in which the member is movable whereby the line of contact which it makes with the conveyor and the angle of that line with respect to the first direction is altered.

65. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 64 in which the angle is arranged to be caused to be altered by pivoting the member.

66. Apparatus as claimed in either of Claims 64 or 65 in which one end of the member is arranged to have its position adjustable relative to the conveyor.

67. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 66 in which one end of the member is arranged to have its position adjusted in the forwards or rearwards direction.

68. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 52 to 67 including two conveyors arranged to trap material between them, each of which is arranged to have the control means arranged to restrict the movement of the conveyor in at least one sideways direction.

69. A method of restricting sideways movement of a conveyor which is transverse to the intended direction of movement of the conveyor comprising monitoring the sideways movement of the conveyor and causing the conveyor to have that sideways movement limited.

70. A method as claimed in Claim 70 comprising monitoring the sideways movement and limiting the sideways movement by effecting a correction of the sideways movement of the conveyor.

71. A method as claimed in Claim 70 in which the correction includes causing the conveyor to move back towards the other side.

72. A method as claimed in any of Claims 70 to 71 comprising monitoring the sideways movement and then effecting the correctional movement after the conveyor has been monitored for a predetermined time in a position of undesired sideways movement.

73. A method as claimed in Claim 69 to 72 comprising effecting a correction signal and then monitoring the sideways position of the conveyor and, if necessary, effecting a further correction signal.

74. A method as claimed in Claim 73 comprising effecting a correction signal and monitoring the sideways position of the conveyor for a predetermined time before effecting a further correction signal.

75. A method as claimed in any of Claims 69 to 74 comprising altering the position of a member around which the conveyor extends in order to alter the sideways position of the conveyor.

76. A method as claimed in Claim 75 comprising causing pivotal movement of the member.

77. A method of restricting sideways movement of the conveyor as claimed in any of Claims 69 to 76 when using apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 52 to 68.

78. Apparatus for treating fibres including a liquid treatment region and a first conveyor means for conveying a first type of fibrous material towards the liquid treatment region and second conveyor means for conveying a second type of fibrous material towards the liquid treatment region.

79. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 78 in which the fibrous material is arranged to be passed through the liquid treatment region.

80. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 78 or 79 in which the first conveyor means is arranged to be at a greater (a: 30 elevation than the second conveyor means over at least part of the extent of the first conveyor means.

81. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 78 to 80 in which the first conveyor means is arranged to extend rearwardly of the second conveyor means.

82. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 78 to 81 in which the first conveyor means includes a series of rollers arranged, in use, to support slivers of fibrous material.

83. A method of treating fibres comprising selecting one of at least two types of fibre and passing the related fibre through a common liquid treatment region.

84. A method as claimed in Claim 83 when using apparatus for treating fibres as claimed in any of Claims 78 to 83.