US2434719A - Fibrous stock dyeing machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 20, 1948. A. ROBERTSON FIBROUS STOCK DYEING MACHINE Filed April` 3o, 1946 2 sheets-sheet 1 n l I l 1 Jan. 20, E948. A. ROBERTSON 2,434,719

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Patented Jan. 20, 1948 A 2,434,719 FIBRoUs sfroon DYEING MACHINE Alexander Robertson, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Venango Engineering Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 30, 1946, Serial No. 666,112 2 claims. l(c1. css- 187) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for dyeing and otherwise treating brous materials.

One object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the stated type having a carrier for the material embodying a central standpipe wherein novel means is provided to effect a fluidtight joint or seal between the standpipe and a fluid conductor of the vessel in which the material is treated.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character set forth having a carrier for the material comprising a support therefor together with compression means to overlie said material and novel means to retain said compression means firmly upon the material on said support.

A further` object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the stated character wherein the novel features set forth herein are of relatively simplified and inexpensive construction, and wholly efficient and foolproof in operation and use.

' These and other objects of the invention and the various features and details of the construction and operation thereof are hereinafter fully set forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view vertically through a dyeing machine embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a dyeing machine made according to the present invention comprises a vat or vessel I of generally cylindrical shape which may be mounted upon a suitable base or support structure 2. The vessel I is provided with an inte gral convex bottom portion 3 having an opening 4 therein which is reinforced by means of an annular ring or the like 5 which is tted therein and secured, for example, by welding to the adjacent interior wall surface of the vat bottom portion 3.

The top or upper end of the vat or vessel l is provided with a cover or closure 6 of generally dome shape which has secured thereto circurnn ierentially of its edge a laterally extending flange 1. A similar flange 8 is secured. circumferentially of the upper edge of the Vat, and a suitable gasket 9 is interposed between the facing surfaces of said flanges 1 and 8 to provide a fluid-tight joint between the vat I and its cover or closure The cover 6 is secured tightly upon the vat 'i by means of a plurality of bolts I0 pivoted to ears II on a band I2 which surrounds the vat l immediately beneath the laterally extending flange These bolts ID are swung upwardly on their pivots to engage between ears I3 on a cover band I4 and suitable nuts I5 are threaded on the bolts I9 to thereby clamp the cover 6 tightly upon the vat or vessel I in the relation shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Secured to the ring 5 at the underside of the vat i, for example, by means of bolts, is a fitting IS comprising an outer circular wall portion ll and an inner circular wall portion I8. These wall portions Il and I8 are constructed and arranged as shown to provide in said fitting I6 an inner fluid passage I9 and a concentric annular outer fluid passage 20, said passages having ports ZI and 22, respectively, opening thereto as illustrated. A pipe 23 is connected to the port 2I of the passage I9, and a similar pipe 24 is connected to the port 22 of the fitting passage 2i).

Secured upon the ring 5 internally of the Vat I, so as to overlie the opening therethrough and effectively screen or filter liquid entering, or eX- hausting from, the vat through the fitting passage 29 and pipe 24, is a screen 25 which is constructed as shown in the drawings and provided with an opening centrally therethrough.

A carrier for the material to be processed ccmprises a standpipe 26 which extends coaxially within the vat or vessel I and through the opening in the screen member 25. The standpipe 26 has its lower end in communication with the fluid conductor defined by the circular inner wall portion I8 of the fitting I6 and, in this connection, it is to be noted that the upper end portion of the fitting wall i8 is flared outwardly as indicated at 2l to receive therein the correspondingly tapered portion 28 of a sleeve member 29 that is fixed upon the lower end portion of said standpipe 26 in the relation shown in Fig. 1.

The standpipe 2E extends upwardly within the vat I and terminates substantially at the level of the upper edge thereof. The upper end of the standpipe 26 is closed by means of a cap 30 having an end portion 3| of generally conical 'configuration and a skirt portion 32 which is positioned interiorly of the standpipe 26. Suitable fluid openings 33 are provided in the standpipe 2G adjacent the upper end thereof, and these openings 33 are covered by screens 34 that are supported exteriorly about the* standpipe by means of clamp bars or the like 35. The cap Si) is retained within the standpipe 26 by means of a cross-pin 36 on the opposite ends of which is of the fitting wall I8 to provide a fluidtight joint therebetween, a screw member 38^is provided which has its inner end connected through a universal joint construction 39 to a generally conical shaped foot 49 that seats upon the conicalVA upper end 3l of the cap 39. 'Ihe'screwmemberv 38 is threaded in and carried by a bracket 4I secured in the cover 6 and arranged so that when the latter is closed upon the vat Iithe `screw 33 extends coaxially with respect to the standpipe 26. A suitable packing gland 42 is provided about the screw 38 to prevent fluid leakage outwardly between the latter and bracket 4I. The screw 38 is providedfwith a hand wheel or the like 43 exteriorly of the closure 5 for rotating the screw', and it will be apparent that when the said screw 38 is rotated to advance the same inwardly of the vessel, the conical foot 49 is forced against the cap 30 thereby in turn forcing the standpipe 26 downwardly so that the tapered portion 29 of the sleeve 29 is urged into rm seating engagement within the flared end portion 21 of the t ting wall I8 thus providing a fiuidetight therebetween.

Removably disposed within the vat or vessel I is a carrier for the material to be processed. This carrier comprises a lower support or spider 44 having a central hub portion 45 which slidably embraces the standpipe 26, and from which extend radial arms 46 that terminate in an outer circumferential wall portion 41 of such diameter that its lower edge engages the vessel bottom end 3 in the fully lowered position ofthe carrier to support the same above and clear of the screen 25 in the relation shown in Fig. 1 of' the drawings.

,Overlying the spider 44 is a perforated plate 48 which is secured in place by means of ratchet bars 49, 49 that extend vertically within the vessel and have lower end portions of reduced diameter which extend through said plate 48 and are secured, for example, by nuts or the vlike 59, in suitably formed bosses 5I in the arms 46 of the spider.

The material carrier may be divided into two halves by means of vertical partition plates 52, 52 extending diametrically of the standpipe 26 and fastened thereto Yby means of suitable 'clamps 53. overlying the material supported by the carrier are screen compression plates 54, 54 of semi-circular configuration conforming to the halves of the carrier defined by the vertical partition plates 52, 52 and having ribs 54a secured thereon to render said plates 54, 54 substantially rigid. The screen plates 54, 54 have openings 55 therein lpositioned to receive therethrough the 'plates both to give reinforcement thereto in the "areas in which the ratchet bars 49, 49 project A'upwardly through said plates and to provide mountings for` pawls 51, 51, respectively, which vareuconstructed and arranged to releasably engage the teeth of the ratchetbars 49, 49 and thereby secure the plates 54, 54 in compression jupon the material to be processed, it being ap- 'pa'rent thatv the 'construction and arrangement described enables the screen plates 54, 54 to be positioned at different elevations with respect to each other as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The screen plates 54, 54 may be removed from covering relation with respect to the material in the carrier merely by disengaging the pawls 51, 51 from the ratchet bars 49, 49 and then withdrawing said plates upwardly and out of the vat or vessel I.

` In operation and use of a machine made as herein described, the cover 6 is removed from the vessel I and the fibrous material to be treated is dumped onto the lower plate 48 and packed closely around the standpipe 26 to the desired depth. After the material has been packed into the carrier in this manner the screens 54, 54 are then passed downwardly upon the ratchet bars 49, 49 onto the material in the course of which the pawls 51, 51 merely ride over the ratchet teeth and ultimately secure the plates 54, 54 against upward displacement. The cover 6 is then lowered into place and clamped against the topof the vessel by means of the bolts Ill and nuts I5. The hand wheel 43 is then rotated to actuate the screw 38 downwardly causing the foot 49 to force the standpipe 26 downwardly thereby urging the tapered lower end portion 28 thereof into firm seating engagement within the flared portion 21 of the fluid conductor I8 to provide a fluid-tight joint therebetween.

Fluid'is then caused to ow through the pipe 23 and conductor I8 up into the standpipe 26 from which it is forced radially outwardly through the openings 33 to ow downwardly through the mass of material surrounding the standpipe.

It is to be particularly noted that the standpipe 26 has openings 33 near the top and that therefore the fluid will flow therefrom into the upper part of the vessel where it creates hydraulic pressure against the mass of material on the carrier. This pressure is exerted against the plates 54, 54 of the carrier to force the latter still further downwardly upon the ratchet bars 49, 49 in which position they are retained by the pawls 51, 51 thereby further compressing the underlying material The fluid circulated through `the system permeates the mass from the top drainingy down through the perforated bottom plate 48 into the bottom of th'e vessel, whence it is exhausted through the passage 2D and pipe 24. After the material has been treated in this manner for a predetermined period the uid flow may be reversed so that fluid is admitted through pipe 24 beneath the carrier to flow upwardly through the material and into the top of the standpipe 26 from which it is exhausted through the pipe 23. Fluid circulation in this manner creates hydraulic pressure beneath the carrier and by slidably mounting the spider 44 on the standpipe 26 the carrier may move upwardly within the vessel I under the infiuence of such pressure free of the standpipe 26 so that the fluid-tight connection thereof with the uid conductor I8 is not disturbed. n

After the treating process is completed the cover 6 is lifted off from the top of the vessel and the screen plates 54, 54 are removed from the top of the mass. A suitable tackle or chain hoist is then hooked into the shackle-eye 31 and the carrier is hoisted out from the vessel with the treated material contained thereon in a solid mass. After the carrier has been withdrawn from the vessel the mass of treated material surrounding the standpipe 26 may be readily removed.

From the foregoing description it will be aptween the standpipe and a fluid conductor of the` Vessel in which the material is treated. The invention also provides an apparatus of the character set forth having a carrier for the material comprising a support therefor together with compression means to overlie said material and novel means to retain said compression means firmly upon the material on said support. The invention further provides an apparatus of the character set forth which is of relatively simplified and inexpensive construction and wholly eicient and foolproof in operation and use.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure and changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for dyeing and otherwise treating fibrous material, a carrier for supporting the material comprising a vertical standpipe, a support on said standpipe adjacent the lower end thereof for material packed thereabout, a plurality of ratchet bars mounted on said support and extending parallel to said standpipe in laterally spaced relation thereto, a compression plate slidable vertically on each of said ratchet bars and adapted to overlie the material on said support, and means associated with each of said compression plates arranged to releasably engage the ratchet bars thereby to retain said plates individually in compression upon the material on said support.

2. In apparatus for dyeing and otherwise treating fibrous material, a carrier for supporting the material comprising a vertical standpipe, a support slidable on said standpipe adjacent the lower end thereof for material packed thereabout, a plurality of ratchet bars mounted on said support and extending parallel to said standpipe in laterally spaced relation thereto, a compression plate slidable vertically on each of said ratchet bars and adapted to overlie the material on said support, means associated with each of said compression plates arranged to releasably engage the ratchet bars thereby to retain said plates individually in compression upon the material on said support, and vertical partition means extending radially of the standpipe and subdividing the space thereabout into a plurality of compartments corresponding in number and area to the overlying compression plates.

ALEXANDER ROBERTSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 782,147 Leisel Feb. '7, 1905 976,830 Payne Nov. 22, 1910 1,148,377 Grandsire July 27, 1915 1,327,663 Dudley Jan. 13, 1920 1,813,784 Traver July 7, 1931 1,903,585 Annicq Apr. 11, 1933 1,960,183 Garey May 22, 1934 2,196,559 Jackson Apr. 9, 1940 2,207,889 Seymour July 16, 1940 2,322,743 Bell June 29, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 235,215 Great Britain June 5, 1925

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