US3397558A - Self-bailing beam - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 20, 1968 T. E. DAVIS SELF-BAILING BEAM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 12, 1966 INVENTOR 12 0/1745 I Z4146 'M ATTORNEYS BY Z Aug. 20, 1968 T. E. DAVIS SELF-BAILING BEAM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1966 v INVENTOR .Ziwwxa; Z7 .Zq/ns I. I H 2? ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,397,558 SELF-BAILING BEAM Thomas E. Davis, Burlington, N.C., assignor to Burlington Engineering Sales Company, Inc., Graham, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed July 12, 1966, Ser. No. 564,591 Claims. (Cl. 68-198) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A beam for supporting a textile fabric during the treatment of the fabric with a fluid and during operations for removing or extracting the fluid from the treated fabric wherein the beam is constructed of perforated cylindrical wrapper. At the interior of one end of the wrapper adjacent the axial outlet thereof at least one scoop member is provided which has discharge means communicating with the interior of the wrapper. The outlet of the discharge means opens adjacent the axial outlet of the beam so as to be in fluid communication therewith.

This invention relates to beams for supporting textile fabrics during the treatment thereof with fluids and during operations for removing or extracting fluids from the treated fabrics. More particularly the instant invention relates to means provided at least at one end of a beam of the type described for transporting liquids located at said end to a position whereat said liquids can be easily removed to a point remote from said beam.

Woven and knitted textile materials, particularly tricot fabrics, are commonly subjected to many treatments with liquids, vapors and gases for, the purposes of bleaching, dyeing, washing and the like, by winding the fabric on perforated hollow cores and causing dye liquids or other fluids to pass through the fabric roll in radial direction, from the inside of the core outwardly, and upon occasion in opposite flow, or outside-in flow, or a combination of both. An exemplary beam constructed to achieve uniformity of treatment to all parts of the material is disclosed in US. Patent 2,701,957, which beam provides thorough and even fluid penetration of the fabric roll. Subsequent to fluid treatments of material supported on a beam of the type referred to, generally the material while so supported is subjected to operations to remove or extract excess fluid from the material. conventionally, the beam supported textile material is placed in a vacuum extractor wherein the beam is positioned substantially horizontally so that one end thereof is disposed slightly above the other end, the said other end being in communication with a centrifugal exhaust means. The vacuum extractor is also provided with means for rotating the beam at any convenient rate so that on rotation the excess treating liquid is expelled from the material. Because the beam is slightly angularly disposed with respect to the horizontal axis of the extractor, excess fluid collects at the end of the beam disposed below the horizontal axis of the extractor. Because the ends of the beam are imperforate it is diflicult to remove any substantial amount of this collected liquid from the beam during the extraction cycle. The conventional plug drain means provided at said one end of the beam has not been found effective to remove the fluid collected in the vicinity thereof in amounts or at a rate considered desirable. Also, residual water or fluid can be held in a degree of suspension within the core of the beam, but cannot be lifted above the cavity of the sealing surface. When the exhausting means is re moved, or shut off for removal of the beam, and cloth from the extractor, this residual liquid is released from suspension and falls back into the fabric, making an unevenly distributed area of moisture.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved fabric supporting beam, adapted for fluid treatment of fabrics wound thereon and adapted for elflcient extraction or removal of excess fluid from the treated fabric.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a fabric supporting beam provided at least at one end thereof with means adapted to transport a fluid collected in the vicinity thereof during treatment of the fabric with a fluid to a position whereat it can easily be removed to a position remote from said beam.

Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a fabric supporting beam in which fabrics can be bleached, washed or dyed, said beam offering minimum resistance to fluid flow therethrough and adapted to en hance uniformity of fluid flow through all portions of its periphery adapted to be covered by fabric and being provided with means for enhancing substantially complete removal or extraction of fluid from the interior of said beam. Further objects will be in part evident and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention and the novel features thereof can best be made clear by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a fabric supporting beam in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of one end of the beam of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of means for transporting fluid collected in the vicinity of the lowered end of the beam to a position whereat said fluid is removed to a position remote from said beam;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the fluid transporting means of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the other end of the beam of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an outer cylindrical metal wrapper 10, which can be constructed, for example, of twelve-gauge stainless steel sheet. The wrapper can comprise imperforate end sections 12 and 14 and a perforated central section 16, the end sections being joined to the central section in any conventional manner, as by seam welding. The central section is perforated, preferably with a plurality of relatively small, closely spaced holes 18 to provide a substantial total open area, which can be as much as 50 percent or more of the total area of the perforated section.

At each end of the wrapper 10 is provided end support means which includes an annular, centrally apertured end plate 20 suitably joined adjacent the outer portion of imperforate end sections 12 and 14 as by welding. Adjacent the periphery of the central opening of each end plate 20 is fixedly secured beam head 22 disposed coaxially with the wrapper 10 and extending outwardly beyond the end thereof. The outer end 24 of beam head 22 provides a cylindrical seal ring 26 to provide fluid-tight contact with a source of treating fluid. Each beam head 22 is provided with a lifting element such as a lifting hook 28, the hooks at opposite ends of the beam being axially aligned.

The beam is of considerably extended axial length as compared to its diameter, usually ranging in length from five to ten times the diameter. Since the wrapper, generally, is relatively thin walled, the extended length of beam necessitates some form of interior reinforcement, to effect the requisite stiffness and resistance to bending moment. For this purpose, reinforcing members comprise spaced flanged brace rings 30 disposed inside the wrapper 10 in planes normal to the axis thereof, the outer peripheral edge 32 of each brace ring being suitably joined to the wrapper, preferably by welding. Each brace ring is provided with a continuous laterally extending flange portion 34 which is spaced from the outer peripheral edge 32. The flange portion can be unitary with the inner portion of the ring or it can be made integral therewith by welding to the inner edge of the brace ring. The flanged brace rings can be constructed of flat stainless steel stock and can be, by way of example, one-eighth inch thick and one inch in radial direction. The flanged portion when not unitary with the ring can also be constructed of suitably formed fiat stainless steel stock one-eighth inch by one inch. As is evident from the drawings, espeically FIGURE 2, the flanged brace rings constitute an L structure in cross section. If desired, flanges can extend from either side of the brace ring to constitute a T section. It has been found advantageous however, that the brace ring having an outer peripheral edge 32 of minimum thickness when joined to the wrapper over an area of minimum width provides minimum internal blocking of the peripheral area of the perforated section thereof. Accordingly, the fluidized brace rings, conveniently can be attached to the wrapper 10 between adjacent rows of perforations 18. Additional beam support is provided by axially extending stiffening members 36 and as will be evident, the stiffening members constitute a C structure in cross section. Each of the members 36 is fixedly secured, as by welding, to the flange portion 34 of the brace ring at the inner leg 38 thereof. Preferably, the members 36 are circumferentially spaced, about 90 from each other.

At that end of the beam adaptable to be disposed below the longitudinal axis of the vacuum extractor,-shown in phantom in FIGURE 2, there is provided scoop members 4t) as best seen, for instance in FIGURE 5. Any number of such scoops are employed. Since all the scoop members are substantially identical a detailed description of one will suflice. As can be seen, each scoop member 40 comprises a relatively narrow bottom wall 42, inner wall 44, outer wall 46 and front wall 48. The inner and outer walls 44 and 46, respectively, extend angularly from the bottom wall 42, preferably about 45. The outer wall 46 is attached at its upper edge 50 to the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper 10 and the head beam 22. A slot 52 is provided in the outer wall 46 to accommodate the annular, centrally apertured end plate 20. The outer wall can also be secured to the web portion 54. of the stiffening member 36, if desired. Intermediate the front Wall 48 and the end remote therefrom and attached to the bottom wall 42 and the outer wall 46 is dam means 55, the upper edge 57 of which can, advantageously be in contact with end section 12. In fluid communication with the interior of each scoop member 40 through front wall 48 is a tube member 56, the discharge end 58 of which is arcuately bent as best seen, for instance, in FIGURE 4. It is not absolutely necessary that tubes be bent. They may be left unbent and mounted to ring 60. However, by bending tube as shown, more fluid can be dammed and removed with each revolution of beam. The discharge ends of the tube members 56 are supported by tube ring 60 which, preferably, is securely attached to the tubes as by welding. The discharge end of each tube is so disposed as to deliver fluid discharged therefrom into the air stream provided by the vacuum extractor thereby removing the liquid to a point remote from the beam.

To provide additional strengthening means for the beam it has been found convenient to provide stiffening brackets 62 at the end opposite that provided with the scoop members 40. As best seen in FIGURE 6, there are provided four such brackets having an L-shape in cross section. The brackets 62 are substantially identical and so a description of one will suflice. Each bracket 62 has a wall 64, the upper edge of which is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the wrapper l0 and the head beam 22. A slot 66 is provided in the wall 64 to accommodate the annular, centrally apertured end plate 20. The wall can also be secured to the web portion 54 of the stiffening member 36, if desired. The other edge of wall 64 merges into flange member 68.

In use, fabric to be treated with fluid is wound upon the beam in the form of a roll, which may be of considerable thickness. As an example, in the case of a tricot, several thousand yards can be wound on a beam eighteen inches in diameter. The perforated central section of the beam will normally correspond substantially in length to the width of the fabric roll and may extend the entire length of the wrapper. Normally, the perforated central section of the wrapper will be slightly less than the width of the fabric roll, so that when wound thereon the fabric will extend slightly beyond the limits of the perforated section to preclude outward passage of fluid except through the fabric.

When a roll of fabric has been wound onto the beam, the beam can be engaged by its lifting hooks 28 and positioned thereby in a suitable dye vat or other fluid treatment apparatus. Fluid-tight contact may then be made with the outer edges of the seal rings 26 and treating fluid then pumped into the interior of the beam through one or both of the seal rings, in the well-known manner. When the beam is filled with fluid, the internal pressure is substantially equalized and fluid is then forced outwardly through the fabric roll in all directions. The central section of the beam being uniformly perforated, and the resistance to fluid passage of the fabric roll being substantially uniform, the fluid is distributed throughout the fabric roll and passes evenly and equally therethrough in all directions.

When the fluid treatment of the fabric has been completed the seal rings can be disengaged with the fluid treating apparatus and engaged with a vacuum extractor as shown in FIGURE 2. The beam is slowly rotated while the interior of the beam is subjected to a vacuum by means of a centrifugal exhauster (not shown) associated with the vacuum extractor to extract fluid from the wound material on the beam through the interior thereof. The end of the beam operatively connected to the vacuum extractor generally is disposed slightly below the other end thereof. It is at this lower end that the scoop means are provided. During the extraction cycle, because the beam is so tilted, usually about one half inch fluid collects at this end and is not effectively caused to be positioned in the air stream created by the centrigugal exhauster and thereby removed to a point remote from the beam. However, in the instant invention, the fluid collected at the beam head is scooped up by scoop members 40 from which it is discharged through tubes 56. The discharge end 58 of the tubes 56 is positioned so that the fluid emerging therefrom drops past the air stream and is transported to a point remote from the beam, generally to a separator tank (not shown) to remove the liquid from the air. By this means essentially all of the water standing or collected at the lower end of the beam during the extraction cycle is conveniently removed.

It will be understood that the above detailed description has been made for purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric treatment beam comprising a perforated cylindrical wrapper and at least one scoop member provided at one end of said beam at the interior thereof adjacent the axial outlet of said beam, said scoop member having discharge means communicating with the interior of said scoop member, the outlet of said discharge means opening adjacent the axial outlet of said beam so as to be in fluid communication therewith.

2. The beam of claim ll including a plurality of annularly spaced scoop members the discharge means of each fixedly attached to a common support means.

3. The beam of claim 2 wherein said support means the interior of said scoop means, the outlet of said discomprises a ring member co-axial with said beam outlet. charge tube opening adjacent the axial outlet of said beam 4. The beam of claim 1 wherein said scoop member so as to be in fluid communication therewith. is provided with darn means, one end of which is secured to said scoop member, the other end being secured to the 5 References Cited inner peripheral surface of said cylindrical Wrapper. UNI D AT PA S 5. A fabric treatment beam comprising perforated cy- 2,505,498 4/1950 Lang lmdncal wrapper havmg lmperforate end sections and a 2 701 957 2/1955 Newcomb et a1 68 198 plurality of annularly spaced scoop means provided at 2707383 5/1955 Newcomb 0t 68 189 one end of said beam at the interior thereof adjacent an 10 3:100:979 8/1963 Stanway X axial outlet of said beam, each of said scoop means provided with a discharge tube in fluid communication with WILLIAM I, PRICE, Primary Examiner.

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