US3498088A

US3498088A - Apparatus for the wet-treatment of loose fibrous stock

Info

Publication number: US3498088A
Application number: US712733A
Authority: US
Inventors: Heinz Fleissner
Original assignee: Vepa AG
Current assignee: Vepa AG
Priority date: 1967-04-26
Filing date: 1968-03-13
Publication date: 1970-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 1987-03-03
Also published as: DE1685520A1; GB1164586A; FR1560937A

Description

March 3, 1970 H. FLEISSNER 3,498,088

APPARATUS FOR THE WET-TREATMENT OF LOOSE FIBROUS STOCK Filed March 13, 1968 Fig./

lnrenlar: hemz He/ssner Affome s United States Patent 3 498 088 APPARATUS FOR THE WET-TREATMENT 0F LOOSE FlBROUS STOCK Heinz Fleissner, Egelsbach, near Frankfurt am Main, Ger-' many, assignor to VEPA A.G., Basel, Switzerland Filed Mar. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 712,733 Claims priority, application Geirmany, Apr. 26, 1967,

Int. Cl. D061 59/02, 17/02 US. CI. 6822 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE viding a surface for conveying the fibrous stock from the,

first treatment bowl to the second treatment bowl thereby changing the direction of material passage.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for the wet-treatment of loose fibrous stock, and particularly to an apparatus for scouring raw wool. The apparatus of the present invention comprises several bowls through which the fibrous material is continuously passed and a perforated conveying element rotatably disposed at the end of said bowls which provides a surface for conveying the fibrous stock from one bowl to another bowl thereby changing the direction of material passage.

The well known raw wool scouring devices generally comprise about four to five treatment bowls. The first bowl serves for wetting the wool and generally contains only sodium carbonate or other wetting agents, but no detergent. The following two or three bowls serve for scouring the wool. In these bowls the dirt is detached from the wool and in addition the wool is degreased. The last bowl is used for rinsing. Between the individual bowls, squeezers are arranged. Instead of squeezers, vacuum extraction devices may also be employed to dehydrate the wool when it is passed from one bowl to the next bowl.

In the well known raw wool scouring machines, the individual bowls are arranged in one line one behind the other, and the wool is generally transported through the bowl by means of rakes or harrows. Since one bowl is about five to seven meters long and since a hopper feeder is generally set up in front of the bowls and a drier behind the bowls, such a plant requires a substantial amount of space. In many cases it is difficult to install such a scouring machine because of its length.

It has also been suggested and attempted to use shorter bowls. However, it has been found that the scouring elfect was not as good and that the top-to-noil ratio increased considerably because the reaction time was correspondingly shortened as well as the time during which the dirt could detach from the wool.

Summary of the invention An object of the present invention is to avoid the prior art disadvantages in the wet-treatment of loose fibrous stock.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the wet-treatment of loose fibrous stock, particularly for scouring raw wool wherein effective use can 'be made of shorter treatment bowls.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved scouring apparatus which has a considerably shorter over-all length when compared to the prior art treatment devices.

Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Pursuant to the present invention, it has been found that the above-mentioned disadvantages may be eliminated and a much improved apparatus for the wet-treatment of loose fibrous stock may be obtained by arranging at least two treatment bowls side by side, and by providing a device which transports the loose fibrous stock from one bowl into the next bowl thereby changing the direction of material passage. If the treatment plant contains four bowls, for example, it is now possible to arrange two bowls each one behind the other and to arrange the other two bowls at the side of the first two bowls. However, it is also possible to arrange more than two bowls side by side and to provide at the point of material passage a device which conveys the material from one bowl into the next bowl.

It is desirable if the device for conveying the loose fibrous stock from one bowl into the next bowl is rotatably disposed at the end of the treatment bowls and comprises a continuous conveying element which at least partially extends into the treatment bath of both of the treatment bowls thereby providing a surface for conveying the fibrous stock from one treatment bowl to the other treatment bowl with a resulting change in the direction of material passage. The immersed portion of the c0nveying element in the first treatment bowl is subjected to a suction draft so that a uniform fleece is formed on the conveying element. At the same time, the treatment liquor which is drawn to the conveying element as a result of the suction draft may be returned into the treatment bowl at its inlet, so that a flow in the direction of material passage is produced in the bowl. As a result of this flow, the loose fibrous stock may be guided from the inlet of the apparatus to the outlet thereof by freely floating. Alternately or in conjunction therewith, the transportation of the loose stock may be aided by additional conveying means, for example a paddle roller or a perforated drum through which the liquid flows, and the like.

It is particularly advantageous to arrange two bowls side by side and to separate them from each other by only one partition means so that one container wall can be eliminated. With this particular construction the conveying element can be readily passed beneath the level of the liquor from one bowl to the next adjacent bowl by providing in the partition means which separates the two bowls from each other a slit-shaped opening which substantially corresponds to the cross section of the conveying element and through which the conveying element may be passed from one bowl into the next bowl.

According to another feature of the present invention, a liquid-permeable disk, for example a perforated disk can be used as the conveying element. This disk is arranged obliquely so that one portion thereof immerses in the treatment liquor of the two adjacent bowls. Such a disk can be produced very easily and inexpensively. Also, the bearing and drive for this rotating disk may be readily provided by means of a concentrically arranged axis.

Underneath the immersed portion of the disk at the discharge end of the first bowl a suction box may be (disposed which subjects this portion of the disk to a sucnion draft. At the immersed portion of the disk in the :second bowl a corresponding box may be arranged. This :suction box returns to the second bowl the liquor which is removed from the discharge element disposed a! the (discharge end of the second bowl. By the upward liquor flow through the disk, the loose fibrous stock is safely ifioated away from the disk so that it forms a uniform ifleece in the second bowl.

lln order to dehydrate the loose fibrous stock when passing it from one bowl to the next bowl it is desirable to correlate to the conveying element, for example the perforated disk, a dehydration device, for example a squeezer or a vacuum extractor. The vacuum extractor may be a suction box or a suction slit which is arranged beneath the perforated disk outside the two adjacent bowls. When using squeeze rollers it is suggested to design these rollers in the form of a truncated cone, in order to permit a constant conveying speed and a gentle squeezing of the material on the perforated disk.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the present invention and wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section of a treatment bowl with a device for conveying the material to another treatment bowl according to the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus according to FIGURE 1.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a conveyor belt 1 for feeding the loose fibrous stock 2 to a liquid container 3. The liquid container contains two

bowls

4 and 5 subdivided by a perforated intermediate bottom 6 into an upper treatment zone 7 and into a lower dirt sediment zone 8. Near the inlet of bowl 4 a paddle roller 9 is provided for immersing the loose fibrous material in the treatment liquor. At the discharge end of the bowl a perforated disk 10 is arranged which partially immerses in the treatment liquor. Underneath the portion of the disk 10 which is immersed in the bowl 4 a suction box 11 is disposed. The liquid which is drawn into the suction box is returned by circulating pump means and conduit means 21 into the treatment bowl 4- through a perforated partition 12 at the inlet of the bowl. The perforated partition 12 serves for the equilization and/or for the uniform return and distribution of the liquor over the entire working width. The suction box 11 subjects that portion of disk 10 immersed in the treatment bowl to a suction draft so that the fibrous stock 2 is floated and/or drawn to the disk 10 as a uniform fleece.

The disk 10 may be driven by means of a squeezer 13 which has squeeze rollers in the form of a truncated cone. By means of the squeezer 13 the loose fibrous stock is dehydrated and the liquor which is squeezed out of the stock is also returned to the bowl at the inlet. By means of the rotating disk 10 the loose fibrous stock is conveyed into an adjacent bowl 5. A similar box (not shown) is arranged underneath that portion of the disk 10 which is immersed in the liquor bowl 5. The treatment liquor flows out of disk 10 and floats the loose fibrous stock away from said disk. At the end of bowl 5 a sieve drum 15 subjected to a suction draft is arranged as a discharge element. The liquid drawn in by this drum is returned to bowl 5 underneath disk 10 by suction pump 22 and conduit means 23, so that in this bowl there is also a liquid flow in the direction of material passage. Behind the sieve drum 15 a squeezer 16 is installed. Another treatment bowl 17 may follow treatment bowl 5. The disk 10 projects into

bowls

4 and 5 beneath the liquor level through a slit 19 in a joint partition means 18 of

bowls

4 and 5. Instead of a disk, one or several conveyor belts may also be used for conveying the material from one bowl into an adjacent bowl.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

It is claimed:

1. An apparatus for the wet-treatment of loose fibrous stock which comprises at least first and second treatment bowls which are arranged side by side, said treatment bowls containing a treatment bath, means for introducing the fibrous stock into the first treatment bowl, a perforated conveying element rotatably disposed at the end of the treatment bowls, a portion of said conveying element extending into the treatment bath of both of the treatment bowls and providing a surface for conveying the fibrous stock from the first treatment bowl to the second treatment bowl thereby changing the direction of the material passage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the perforated conveying element is a perforated disk means which is obliquely arranged so that a portion thereof immerses in the treatment bath of the two adjacent bowls.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the perforated disk means is driven by squeezer means which is provided with squeeze rollers disposed on both sides of said disk means, said squeeze rollers substantially dehydrating the loose fibrous stock being conveyed on said disk means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the squeeze rollers are in the form of a truncated cone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a suction means is disposed below the immersed portion of the perforated conveying element in the first treatment bowl thereby subjecting said conveying element to a suction draft.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein means are provided for returning the treatment liquor drawn to the perforated conveying element to the first treatment bowl at the inlet thereof thereby producing in the bowl a flow in the direction of material passage.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a paddle roller is provided in the treatment bath of the first treatment bowl near the inlet, said paddle roller immersing the loose fibrous material in the treatment liquor and facilitating the transportation of said material in the bath.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a sieve drum means subjected to a suction draft is disposed in the second treatment bath as a discharge element.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a squeezer means is provided behind the sieve drum means.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the side by side treatment bowls are separated by onl one partition means.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at the end of the treatment bowls the partition means is provided'with a split-shaped opening which extends below the surface of the treatment bath and substantially corresponds to the cross section of the disk means and through which said disk means passes from one treatment bowl into the adja cent treatment bowl.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a suction means is disposed below the immersed portion of the perforated conveying element in the second treatment bowl, said suction means returning into the bowl the liquor removed from the discharge element.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second treatment bowls are subdivided by a perforated in termediate bottom into an upper treatment Zone and a lower dirt sediment zone.

14. An apparatus for the wet-treatment of loose fibrous stock which comprises at least first and second treatment bowls which are arranged side by side, said treatment bowls containing a treatment bath, means for introducing the fibrous stock into the first treatment bowl, a perforated disk means rotatably disposed at the end of the treatment bowls and obliquely arranged so that a portion thereof immerses in the treatment bath of the two adjacent bowls providing a surface for conveying the fibrous stock from the first treatment bowl to the second treatment bowl thereby changing the direction of material passage, and suction box means disposed below the immersed portion of the perforated disk means in the first treatment bowl to subject said disk means to a suction draft, and below said disk means in the second treatment bowl to return the treatment liquor to the second treatment bowl.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the side by side treatment bowls are separated by a partition means and wherein at the end of the treatment bowls said partition means is provided with a split-shaped opening which extends below the surface of the treatment bath and substantially corresponds to the cross section of the disk means and through which said disk means passes from one treatment bowl into the adjacent treatment bowl.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a sieve drum means subjected to a suction draft is disposed in the second treatment bath as a discharge element, and means are provided for returning the liquor drawn in by the sieve drum to the second treatment bowl via the suction box disposed below the perforated disk means in said second treatment bowl.

'17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a perforated partition means is disposed in the first treatment bowl at the inlet, and means are provided for returning the treatment liquor drawn into the suction box from the first treatment bowl, back into said treatment bowl through said perforated partition means. i

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 663,452 12/1900 Maertens 68l58 X 1,431,553 10/1922 Wickey 68158 FOREIGN PATENTS 368,892 3/1932 Great Britain.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 6827, 158, 184