US3493321A

US3493321A - Process and apparatus for dyeing a fabric

Info

Publication number: US3493321A
Application number: US670301A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mitsuji Inoue; Yasuhiro Matsumoto
Original assignee: Takeni Senka KK
Current assignee: Takeni Senka KK
Priority date: 1966-09-26
Filing date: 1967-09-25
Publication date: 1970-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-03
Also published as: DE1635089A1; GB1164389A

Description

1970 MITSUJ] .INOUE ETAL 3,493,321

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING A FABRIC 3 Sheets-Shget 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1967 FIG.

MITSUJI IMOUE nun YASU HIRO MATSUMOTO PM. DEW

Feb. 3, 1970 MITSUJI INOUE ETAL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING A FABRIC Filed Sept. 25, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MITSUJ I INOUE mo YASUHIRO MATSIIMOTD INVENTORS HMRL Mu. ML FM. MIMI? 1970 MITSUJI INOUE ETAL 3,493,321

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING A FABRIC Filed Sept. 25, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 MITSUJ' [MOI-15am YASlll-lmO MATSUMOTO INVENTORS United States Patent 6 3,493,321 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING A FABRIC Mitsuji Inoue, Yokohama, and Yasuhiro Matsumoto, Kyoto, Japan, assignors to Takeni Senka Kahushiki Kaisha, Yasu-machi, Yasu-gun, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, and Nihon Senshoku Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha, Oaza Kaniehonmachi, Kanie-cho, Ama-gun, Aichl Prefecture, Japan Filed Sept. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 670,301 Claims priority, application Japan, Sept. 26, 1966, 41/ 62,993 Int. Cl. D06c 1/00, 1/08 US. Cl. 8-151 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process and apparatus for dyeing a fabric which comprises passing a fabric in rope form or web form through a pipe for carrying out a dyeing treatment. The pipe has a cross-sectional area which varies in the direction of its length. At the same time a dye liquor is supplied to said pipe for shaking said fabric passing inside said pipe due to the turbulent flow brought about inside said pipe.

The present invention relates to a novel process and apparatus for dyeing a fabric with a dye liquor.

Heretofore, in order to achieve a dyeing effect rapidly when dyeing a fabric, there has been proposed a process which comprises forming a fabric into a rope, passing said fabric through a pipe for carrying out a dyeing treatment, the exit and entrance of the pipe being so formed that they are roughly in conformity with the configuration and dimension of said rope, at the same time, circulating a dye liquor inside said pipe for dyeing thereby dyeing said fabric rope while it is passing through said pipe. However, because creases are formed which are brought about by making the fabric into a rope and while the fabric is in rope form and is dyed while passing through and which creases are not eliminated there is a shortcoming that uneven dyeing of said fabric occurs.

The present invention seeks to overcome such shortcomings and is based on the fact that in order to correct said shortcomings it is most effective and suitable to eliminate or produce only temporary creases by shaking or rubbing the fabric inside a pipe for dyeing treatment.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a unique process and apparatus for efficiently dyeing a fabric while it is passed through a pipe for carrying out a dyeing treatment while a dye liquor is being fed into said pipe.

Another of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus which does not bring about uneven dyeing of a fabric inside said pipe for carrying out a dyeing treatment.

Still another of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a dyeing apparatus having a simple structure which will efiiciently eliminate or produce only temprorary creases in a fabric inside said pipe for carrying out the dyeing treatment to prevent occurrence of uneven dyeing.

In order to achieve each of said objects, the present invention is characterized in that there is provided a pipe for carrying out a dyeing treatment having an entrance and an exist constricted so as to roughly fit the cross sectional configuration of the rope of fabric to be dyed and having a cross sectional variation in the direction of its length such that a fluid flowing inside said pipe is made turbulent. The fabric in the form of a rope transferred from the entrance through the exit by a mechanical transfer device, while at the same time, a dye liquor is 3,493,321 Patented Feb. 3, 1970 fed into said pipe, and by a turbulent flow due to the dye liquor having passed through the portions where the cross sections are varied inside said pipe, a fabric shaking motion is positively brought about in the fabric passing through said pipe.

Because the present invention is constituted as mentioned above, when a rope of fabric passes through said pipe for dyeing from the entrance to the exit by a mechanical transfer device, it is dyed with a dye liquor fed into said pipe. However, because said pipe has portions of different cross sectional area so that the flow of the fluid flowing inside said pipe becomes turbulent, the flow of the dye liquor in said pipe is greatly accelerated and the pressure becomes lower while it passes through a constricted portion. However, downstream of the constricted portion where said dye liquor is gradually decelerated, because the pressure of said dye liquor cannot be recovered to an extent corresponding to the decrease of the speed, the flow of said dye liquor becomes turbulent and thus turbulent flow shakes the rope of fabric supported between the entrance and the exit inside said pipe with said constricted portions acting as supports, and said shaking is transmitted to the entrance side and the exit side of the fabric into and out of said pipe. As a result the rope of fabric is shaken and rubbed, said fabric is dyed while the positions at which creases are present are shifted with the result that uneven dyeing is eliminated. Also, due to the shaking and rubbing of the fabric, contact and immersion of the fabric with and in the dye liquor increases with the result that the dyeing effect is improved. By making the transfer speed of the fabric inside said pipe and the speed of the dye liquor through the pipe different, it is possible to further increase the contact of the fabric with the dye liquor to increase the dyeing effect, and at the same time, it is possible to shorten the treating period.

Because a part of the dye liquor fed into said pipe for dyeing treatment flows out through said constricted exit in the rope of fabric coming out of said exit, the phenomenon of ballooning is brought about whereby creases in said fabric are substantially eliminated and occurrence of uneven dyeing during a subsequent dyeing by immersion is prevented.

Other objects and novel features of the present invention will become clear from the description and examples of the present invention set forth below.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a still other embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a pipe 10 for dyeing treatment is provided at the upper part of a dye vessel 11 where dyeing by immersion is to be carried out. The pipe has an entrance opening 12 and an exit opening 13 for a fabric C in rope form to be dyed and located at the respective ends of said pipe. These openings are roughly the same in cross section as the cross sectional configuration of said fabric C. In the vicinity of the ends of said pipe are expanded

portions

14 and 15 having larger diameters than the remainder of the pipe, and in between the two enlarged portions is a constricted portion 16 having a dimension slightly greater than the entrance opening 12 and the exit opening 13. Said constricted portion 16 is so constituted that when the fabric rope C and the dye liquor pass through it, the dye liquor after it has passed through said constricted portion brings about a powerful turbulent flow.

Outside the exit opening 13 of the pipe for dyeing treatment and inside said dye vessel 11 is a pair of rollers 17, 13 driven by a proper driving device (not shown) to draw the fabric rope C, which has been formed into an endless rope, from the pipe 10 and to circulate said fabric C between the bottom of the dye vessel 11 and the pipe 10. A guide roller 19 for the fabric C is provided adjacent the entrance opening 12 and a perforated screen 20 is provided along the bottom of the dye vessel 11 to prevent the fabric C from contacting the bottom of the vessel.

At the expanded portions 14, in said pipe for dyeing treatment, a dye liquor outlet and a dye liquor inlet are provided, respectively. Dye liquor outlet and dye

liquor inlet conduits

23 and 24 have

valves

21 and 22 therein and are connected to an outlet and an inlet of a pump 25. Said

valves

21 and 22 are used for making maximum the eifect of the turbulent flow inside the pipe for dyeing treatment having a close relationship with the fabric shaking and rubbing motions to be described later in connection with the size and weight of the fabric to be treated and temperature of the dye liquor.

Between the inlet side of said pump 25 and the bottom of the dye vessel 11 is a dye liquor conduit 27 with a valve 26 therein. A dye liquor outlet pipe 29 having a valve 28 therein extends from the bottom of the dye vessel 11.

Said dye liquor conduit 23 is connected to a dye liquor conduit 31) communicating with the lower part of the dye vessel 11 via a branch pipe 31 having a valve 32 therein. As the occasion demands, the valve 21 can be closed and the valve 32 opened, and the pump 25 will feed dye liquor into the lower part of the dye vessel 11 through the conduit 30 from the conduits 23 and 31, and liquid pressure of the dye liquor on the fabric C presses it into the dye liquor in the bottom of the dye vessel 11 to prevent the fabric from surfacing.

A guide plate 33 extends upwardly from the end of said perforated screen to guide the fabric C drawn out of the pipe 10 by said pair of rollers 17 and 18 into the bottom of the dye vessel 11.

When dyeing of the fabric C is carried out by the illustrated apparatus, the dye vessel is filled with the necessary amount of a dye liquor, the fabric rope C is forwarded into the pipe for dyeing treatment from the entrance opening 12 and is drawn out the exit opening 13 by the pair of rollers 17 and 18. When the necessary amount of the fabric C is supplied to the bottom of the I dye vessel 11, its ends are connected to make the fabric an endless belt, which is circulated between the pipe 10 for dyeing treatment and the dye vessel 11. The pump is driven to draw the dye liquor from the bottom of the dye vessel 11 to the intake side of the pump 25 via the conduit 27, discharging the dye liquor from the discharging side of the pump 25 to the expanded portion 14 of the pipe for dyeing treatment via the conduit 23, and also drawing the dye liquor from the expanded portion 15 to the intake side of the pump 25 via the conduit 24 to circulate the dye liquor inside the pipe for dyeing treatment. The fabric C passing through the pipe for dyeing treatment by the action of said rollers 17 and 18 is dyed inside the pipe for dyeing treatment mainly between the expanded

portions

14 and 15. At this time, when the dye liquor discharged into the expanded portion 14 of said pipe for dyeing treatment flows through said intermediate constricted portion 16 which is symmetrical in transverse section, it is accelerated in proportion to the reciprocal number of the cross sectional area of the intermediate constricted portion 16, and the static pressure of said dye liquor decreases according to Bernoullies theorem. However, when the dye liquor reaches a point downstream of the minimum cross sectional area of said intermediate constricted portion and is decelerated,

the static pressure of said dye liquor is not completely recovered to the pressure upstream, and the flow of the dye liquor adjacent the side surfaces of the intermediate constricted portion 16 and the expanded portion 15 of said pipe 10 swirls away from the side surfaces of said intermediate constricted portion 16 and of said expanded portion 15 where it suddenly changes cross section, becoming a turbulent flow. On account of this turbulent flow, the fabric rope C is shaken by the turbulent flow between the intermediate constricted portion 16 and the exit 13 which act as supports, and said shaking spreads between the intermediate constricted portion 16 and the entrance 12 and the fabric rope C is shaken while moving through both the expanded

portions

14 and 15. By this fabric shaking motion, the fabric rope C is dyed while creases are being formed and then removed while others are formed elsewhere. Therefore, uneven dyeing is prevented, the shaking motion aiiords more opportunity for contact and permeation of the dey liquor and the dyeing effect is further advanced together with fabric rubbing motion.

During this time, by making the transfer speed of the fabric C and the speed of the dye liquor passing through the pipe different, it is possible to further increase the opportunity for contact of the fabric C with the dye liquor and shorten the treating period.

Most of the dye liquor is drawn through the conduit 24, but a part of it flows out through the exit opening 13 of the pipe for dyeing treatment in the fabric C drawn out through the constructed exit opening 13 of the pipe 10. The phenomenon of ballooning is thereby brought about for substantially removing the creases of said fabric and occurrence of uneven dyeing during the subsequent dyeing by immersion is prevented.

The fabric C drawn out of the pipe 10 is guided to the lower part of the dye vessel 11 by the guide plate 33, and is further immersed in and dyed by the dye liquor in said vessel, and is again introduced into the pipe 10 via the guide roller 19 and the dyeing treatment as described above is repeated the required number of times to carry out the required dyeing treatment.

The intermediate constricted portion 16 is provided at one place in this illustrated embodiment. However, a plurality of such portions may be provided and the mechanism may be so made that the dye liquor is charged through the expanded portion 15 and drawn out from the expanded portion 14.

Also, the valve 22 may be closed so that all of the dye liquor flows out through the entrance opening 12 and the exit opening 13 of the pipe 10.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, a pipe 40 for dyeing treatment extends through a reservoir 47 and expanded

portions

41 and 42 and an intermediate constricted portion 45 are within said reservoir. The con stricted portion has a cross sectional configuration roughly the same as the cross sectional configuration of a fabric rope C and slightly larger than an entrance 43 and an exit 44 and positioned between expanded

portions

41 and 42. Entrance 43 and exit 44 are removably mounted on the pipe 40. Reservoir 47 has a dye liquor inlet pipe 46 connected to a discharge side of a pump (not shown) Said expanded

portions

41 and 42 have a plurality of

perforations

41a and 42a therein communicating with the reservoir 47.

The downstream portion of said pipe 40 has another expanded portion 48 having a dye liquor conduit 49 opening out of it and connected to the intake side of the pump. In the drawing 50, 51 are outlet rollers for the fabric rope C and 52 is a guide roller for the fabric C.

Accordingly, a dye liquor fed to the reservoir 47 from the pump via the conduit 46 enters the expanded

portions

41 and 42 of the pipe 40 through the perforations 41a and 41b and from the expanded portion 48 and is returned to the intake side of the pump through the conduit 49, after having passed through the intermediate constricted portion 45. The fiow of the dye liquor brings about a turbulence inside the pipe, by which turbulent flow the fabric rope passing through said pipe together with the dye liquor is shaken to achieve dyeing thereof.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, a pipe 60 for carrying out dyeing passages through

reservoirs

65 and 66 and has expanded

portions

61 and 62 located inside the

dye liquor reservoirs

65 and 66. The

reservoirs

65 and 66 have

dye liquor conduits

63 and 64 opening out of them which are respectively connected to the discharge side and the intake side of a pump (not shown). Said expanded

portions

61 and 62 communicate with the

respective reservoirs

65 and 66 through slits 61a and 62a provided in said portions.

In between said expanded

portions

65 and 66 is provided an intermediate constricted portion 69 having a cross sectional configuration roughly the same shape as the cros ssectional configuration of a fabric rope C, and slightly larger than an entrance 67 and an exit 68. Entrance 67 and exit 68 are removably mounted on the pipe 60. Feed rollers 70 and 71 are provided for drawing the fabric C through the

pipe

60 and 72 is a guide roller for the fabric.

Accordingly, a dye liquor supplied to the reservoir 65 from the pump via conduit 63 enters the expanded portion 61 through the slit 61a, and after having passed through the intermediate constricted portion 69, enters the reservoir 66 from the expanded portion 62 through the slit 62a, and is returned to the intake side of the pump. The turbulent flow inside the pipe 60 causes the fabric rope C passing through said pipe together with the dye liquor to be shaken to achieve the dyeing thereof.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate embodiment of the present invention for dyeing of a fabric in the form of a web.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, a pipe 80 for carrying out the dyeing treatment has a width roughly same as that of a web of fabric so as to permit the web of fabric to pass therethrough, and has a cross sectional shape in the vertical plane substantially the same as that of FIG. 2. It has an entrance 81 and an exit 82 provided at the two ends which are constricted so as to permit the web of fabric to pass therethrough. A pair of expanded

portions

83 and 84 are provided in the pipe for dyeing treatment and an intermediate constricted portion 85 is located between them which is slightly larger in cross section than said entrance 81 and exit 82. The expanded portions are positioned in a dye liquor reservoir 87 having a dye liquor conduit 86 opening into it from the discharge side of a pump (not shown). Said expanded

portions

83 and 84 communicate with the reservoir 87 through a plurality of

perforations

83a and 84a.

Downstream in said pipe 80 is another expanded por tion 88, having a dye liquor conduit 89 extending therefrom to the intake side of the pump.

Accordingly, dye liquor discharged into the reservoir 87 from the pump through the conduit 86 flows into the expanded

portions

83 and 84 through the

perforations

83a and 84a to dye the fabric and is returned to the intake side of the pump from the expanded portion 88 of the pipe 80 through the conduit 89 after having passed through the intermediate constricted portion 85. During its flow through the constricted portion the dye liquor causes a turbulent flow inside the pipe 80, which turbulent flow shakes the web of fabric passing through said tube together with the dye liquor to carry out positive contact with the dye liquor and fabric rubbing motion to increase the dyeing effect.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, an entrance 91 and an exit 92 of a pipe 90 for carrying out a dyeing treatment are, as are those of the pipe 80 illustrated in FIG. 4, given a width sufiicient to accommodate a fiat web of fabric as it passes therethrough. The cross sectional shape is substantially the same as that of FIG. 3. Tubular expanded

portions

93 and 94 are provided in the pipe 90 within respective

dye liquor reservoirs

95 and 96. Said

reservoirs

95 and 96 have

dye liquor conduits

97 and 98 extending therefrom and connected to the discharge and intake sides, respectively, of a pump (not shown). A plurality of

perforations

95a and 96a are provided in the outer peripheries of the

reservoirs

95 and 96 opening into

conduits

97 and 98. Said respective expanded

portions

93 and 94 communicate with the

reservoirs

95 and 96 through slits 93a and 94a.

Between said expanded

portions

93 and 94 is provided an intermediate constricted portion 99 slightly larger in cross section than said entrance 91 and exit 92.

Accordingly, a dye liquor supplied to the reservoir 95 from the pump through the conduit 97 flows into the expanded portion 93 through the slit 93a and through the constricted portion 99 to the expanded portion 94 to dye the fabric. It enters the reservoir 96 through the slit 94a and is returned to the intake side of the pump through the conduit 98. By passing through the intermediate constricted portion 99, the dye liquor causes a turbulent fiow inside the pipe 90, which turbulent flow shakes the fabric passing through said pipe together with the dye liquor to carry out positive contact with the dye liquor and fabric rubbing motion to increase the dyeing effect.

Next, an Example of the present invention will be given.

A sealed-type dyeing apparatus was used wherein a pipe for carrying out a dyeing treatment had a pair of expanded portions therein having diameters of 15 cm. connected by a pipe having a diameter of 12 cm. The entrance and exit of said pipe had diameters of 7.5 cm. In between the expanded portions was a constricted portion having a diameter of 9 cm. Pressure inside said dyeing apparatus was atmospheric pressure and the temperature inside the dye vessel was 98 C. and the temperatuer inside the pipe for carrying out the dyeing treatment was raised to 107 C. The fabric to be dyed was a polyester-cotton-rayon mixed spun fabric. The dyestulf was a liquid-type dispersed dyestuff in a carrier agent. The amount of dye liquor circulated between the expanded portions of the pipe was controlled so as to be 10 liters/ sec. in order to produce a good fabric shaking effect. The feed speed of the fabric passing through said pipe was m./min. The fabric shaking motion was heightened at the expanded portions of said pipe by a turbulent flow of the dye liquor, and in about 1 hour 20 minutes dyeing having a predetermined dyeing fastness was completed and the amount of the dye liquor used was about one half that of a similar dyeing method wherein no turbulent flow was brought about.

What is claimed is:

1. A process for dyeing a fabric which comprises feeding the fabric through a pipe for carrying out the dyeing treatment, the pipe having an entrance and an exit constricted so as to roughly fit the cross sectional configuration of a fabric, at least two expanded portions having a dimension of about 15 cm. in a direction transverse to the movement of the fabric through the pipe, and an intermediate constricted portion between said expanded portions having a dimension of about 7.5 cm. in a direction transverse to the movement of the fabric through the pipe and slightly larger than said entrance and exit, the feeding of the fabric being at a speed of about 90 m./min., and at the same time, circulating a dye liquor inside said pipe through the constricted portion for positively shaking the fabric passing through said pipe by a turbulent flow due to the dye liquor passing through said intermediate constricted portion.

2. A process for dyeing a fabric according to claim 1 in which the speed of said dye liquor flowing through the pipe is different from the speed of said fabric passing through said pipe.

3. An apparatus for dyeing a fabric which comprises a dye vessel, a pipe for carrying out a dyeing treatment disposed inside the dye vessel, a mechanical transfer device operatively associated with said pipe for passing a fabric in rope form or extended state through said pipe, a dye liquor circulating device coupled to for passing a dye liquor through said pipe together with said fabric, said pipe having at its ends only an entrance and an exit having a cross sectional configuration roughly the same as the cross sectional configuration of said fabric, said pipe having expanded portions between said entrance and exit, and having between said expanded portions a constricted portion slightly larger than said entrance and exit for passing the dye liquor together with the fabric to be dyed and after the dye liquor has passed through said constricted portion causing a turbulent flow of the dye liquor and a shaking of the fabric.

4. An apparatus for dyeing a fabric as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a dye liquid reservoir around said expanded portions and coupled to the dye liquor outlet side of said circulating device, and a conduit coupled between said pipe downstream of said constriction and the intake side of said circulating device, and said expanded portions having perforations therein for communication with said reservoir.

5. An apparatus for dyeing a fabric as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a dye liquid reservoir around each of said expanded portions, the expanded portions having apertures therein opening into said dye liquid reservoirs, one of said reservoirs being coupled to the intake side of said circulating device and the other reservoir being coupled to the discharge side of said circulating device.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which said pipe has a width about the same as that of a web of fa brie to be dyed and the entrance and exit have fiat cross sectional configurations which roughly conform to the cross sectional shape of the web of fabric.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,978,291 4/1961 Fahringer 8l51 3,241,343 3/1966 Yazawa 6818l X 3,285,041 11/1966 Vails 6818l WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 68l 74, 184-