US1663845A - Process for treating printed or dyed fabrics - Google Patents

Description

Marc 27, 1928.

R. W. JACOBY PROCESS FOR -TREATING PRINTED OR DYED FABRICS Filed May s. 1926 K aging apparatus as above referred to Patented Maf. 27, 192s.

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND w. moon, or roREsr HILLS, NEW YoRx, AssIaNoR To TRE Remax co.,

A CORPORATION F MASSAOHUSETT rRocEss RoR rRRarINe PRINTED oR mmm FABRICS.

Application mea nay s,

My invention relates to what is known as vat color printing or dyeing, or to discharge printing and particularly to aging or treating vat color prints or dyes or discharge prints or any other roduct where a reduction is necessar by suitable reagents, such as, with hydrosu phite.

On-e of the objects vof my invention is to produce an improved process applicable to apparatus through which the fabrics being aged may be passed durin the reducing action Without the usual disadvantages accompanying the methods and apparatus heretofore used for this purpose. As 1s Well-known, it is essential in such treatment of printed or. dye goods, that oxygen of the atmosphere should be kept away from the portions of the fabric undergoing chemical reactions. This is usually accomplished Heretofore the apparatus involving the usual or standard; construction has embodied` heating coils and a supply of live steam introduced into the box or ager which, at the point or points of entrance and exit of the fabric, is rovided with suction devices such as fan b owers to carry away the steam used during the process. In order to produce the'proper reduction I have .foundit necessar not only to have the proper degree of eat, but also suliicient moisture to prevent the vapor from becomingl dry. The chemical reactions which take place in the produce a considerableamount of heat which may cause the steam to reach a temperature of 224 F. or even more. This excess heat produces superheated steam which retards the action and also causes non-uniform ternperatures in different parts of the box. This causes uneven chemical reaction'and results in uneven effects in the goods.

In order to overcome such difliculties it has been proposed to have a slight amount of water retained in the bottom of the box so that the heat may be absorbed and the steam vapors kept at a proper degree of moisture but this has not been effective, as

i926. serial No. 106,394.'

the water is too Afar below the points in the apparatus where the heat-is generated; furthermore, the water is usually separated from the main portion of the box by a layer of shin les Vto prevents attering the oods an by a coverin of abrio such as urlap. Also the heate vapor tends to remain in the upper part of the boxas its temperatureis increased so that the heat will not descend and be absorbed' by the water at the bottom of the box.

Brieiy, my invention comprises a provision or means 1n the aging box or chamber for evenl controlling the temperature throughout `the interior thereof so that the fabric passing therethrough will be at all times in contact with the necessary degree of moisture contained in the water vapors so that the proper reduction will take place. Several ways of distributing moisture and for the following description constitutes one form of an apparatus which I at resent deem preferable4 for carrying out t is' invention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l indicates a vertical longitudinal s'ection of .my improved apparatus;

Fig. 2 isa plan view thereof` showing the top partly broken away; E

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the means for furnishing moisture to the interior of the box or vat;

Fi 4 is a detailed view of the means for supp ying moisture; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view thereof. v

Referring to the figures of the drawings with an opening-3 through which the cloth` may enter and emerge. The openingy 3 is provided with means to suck away the steam which would tend to be discharged through said opening, said means referably being a fan or blower 5 having a plpe 6 leading from the openingl 3,the inner end of which con-` nects with a horizontal chamber 4, which is also provided with a slot through which the fabric passes as indicated. A steam pipe 7 having a controlling valve -7 enters the box at a point adjacent the bottom and is provided with series of small openings 8 through which the steam is discharged inthe form of lOl " jets.- A pipe 9 forms a drain for the condensed steam which may run to the bottom of the box and is provided with a trap as indicated, to maintain the water at a definite level. The interior of the box is provided with two series of rolls and 11 over which the cloth 12, being treated, passes successively in parallel runs as indicated in Fig. 1. Between the steam pipe 7 and the lowermost roll-s 10, baffles 13,'usually known as shingles? are inserted in order to give an even distribution of the steam throughout the lower portion of the box and preventwater from spattering on goods. At the upper portion ofthe box between and below the rolls 11 4arel placed a series of troughs 14 and 14 which extend across the box from one side to the other and are supplied with water through main .supply conduits or troughs 15 and 15', having branches 16 and 16 provided with valves 17 and 17 and which pass through the walls of the box and are adapted to discharge into the troughs 14.

The height of the water in the troughs 15 and 15 is controlled by float valves 18 and 18 connected with the water supply pipe 19. If for any reason'these valves should become inactive to, shut o the water at the proper point, the water would overowthe edges of the trough 15 and '15 without raising its level in the troughs 14 and 14. Preferably this water should be approximately 212o F. in order not to produce too great a coolingy action in the chamber of the apparatus. The tops of the troughs 14 and 14 are provided with vents 2O which. prevent pressure accumulating in the troughs when they are supplied with water. The bottoms of the troughs 14 and 14 are provided with slots through which pass sheets of conductive material 21 so that the water contained within the troughs will be conducted downward through the action of gravity and capillary action thereby keeping said sheets moist, which moisture-may evaporate over their entiresurfaces and be absorbed b the steam with which the box is lilled. his sheet material may be an suit- 'able substance forming liquid con uctors such as absorbent material like fabric, felt, metallic screening or gauze to which the liqp uid will adhere. Other materials adapted to produce the same result will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Adjacent the lower end of the liquid conducting sheets 21 are a second series ofv transverse troughs 22 and 22'` which aresupported'between the ysides of the box and are adapted to receive any water that may drip from the sheets 21 thereby preventing said water from drippingon tothe rolls 10 located below the same. The troughs 22 and 22 are preferably provided w1th outlet pipes 23 and 23 adjacent one end so that the water may be discharged through the shingles 13 into the bottom of the box without Asplashing onto the fabric or rolls.

The top of the box is preferably provided with hollow heating plates 24, supplied with steam, through pipes 25, as is usual, to maintain' the properl temperature in the upper Aportion of the box. The box is also preferably covered on the sides and top with heat insulating material such as asbestos,'indi cated at 26.

From the above description it will be evident that as the cloth 12 proceeds through the aging box alternatelyv over therolls 10 and 11, it will be subjected to the vapor issuing from the surfaces of the conductive sheets 21. Thus the temperature within the box will always be maintained at a point to produce the necessary reactions and no injurious superheated steam will be formed. The degree of moisture within the aging box may be regulated by controlling the entrance yof the steam throughvthe valve 7, and also by controlling the inlet of the water through the valves 17 and 17. Obviously the suction blower 5 should not be run at a greater speed than is sufficient tol withdraw the excess steam and should not reduce the pressure within the box'substantially below atmospheric pressure unless it should be desired to produce the reaction under a pressure less than that of atmospheric pressure.

Having thus described this form of -my invention, what I .claim and'desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In the process of aging or reducing printed or dyed fabric, the step which comprises causing the excess heat of chemical reactions to be absorbed by supplying moisture in the immediate vicinity of the pointswhere said reactions take place, so that its evaporation will absorb the excess heat thereof and maintain the heat carrying medium as a saturated vapor.

2. In the process of aging or reducing printed or dyed fabric, the step which comprises causing the 'excess heat of chemical reactions to be absorbed by supplying water in the immediate vicinity of the points where said reactions take place, so that its evaporation will .absorb the excess heat thereof and maintain the heat carrying medium as saturated steam.

3. The process of agi'n or reducing printed or dyed fabric to e iminate the excess heat generated by chemical action, which comprises supplying heat to produce the desired reactions .and simultaneously maintaining saidfabric at all points in an atmosphere of hydrous vapor by supplying moisture to prevent superheating thereof.

4. The process of aging or reducing printed or dyed fabric to eliminate the heat generated by chemical action, which comprises supplying heat to produce'the desired reactions and simultaneously maintaining said fabric at all points in an atmosphere of satsired reactions, and simultaneously mainv urated steam by supplying water vapor to taining said fabric at all points in saturatedn prevent superheating thereof. water vapor at the required 'degree of `satu 10 5. The process of aging or reducing printration by regulating the supply of said heat 5 ed or dyed fabric to eliminate the excess and said water vapor.

heat generated by chemical action which Signed this 1st day of May 1926. comprlses, supplying heat to produce the de- RAYMOND W. J ACOBY.

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