GB898464A - Improved machine for treating fibrous material with liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0898464/IV (c)/1> A machine for treating fibrous material comprises a frame carrying a plurality of rolls which support and traverse a pair of endless wire belts, a first portion of said rolls and belts forming a table for receiving the material upon one belt and the covering thereof by the other belt, whereby the material is gripped between the belts and conveyed therebetween; an elongated shallow tank for treating liquid, through which the belts with the interposed material are guided, the belts being led into the tank at an angle not exceeding 45 degrees to the horizontal and a steam chest adapted to fit in the tank so as to leave only a narrow channel of liquid within the tank through which the belts and interposed material pass. As shown, the machine consists of a feed section A, a tank section B, an oven section C, and a delivery section D. The are provided two continuous woven wire belts 3 and 4 which pass through the machine under the guidance of various rollers as shown. The feeding section consists of rollers 5 and 6 between which the belt 3 forms a table on which the fibrous material in any form is placed. A movable and pressure operated roller 7 tensions the belt 3. The belt 4 is similarly tensioned by roller 15 and is fed to overlie the fibrous material on belt 3 so that the material is gripped between the belts. The tank section consists of a dye vat 25 into which the belts are led at an angle less than 45 degrees so as to avoid bunching or wrinkling of the material between the belts, and a steam chest 37 arranged to be lowered into the vat for heating the dye liquid. After the belts leave the vat 25 they pass through wringer rolls 42 and 43 which squeeze excess dye liquid from the material between the belts. This liquid is collected in a trough 44 and returned to the vat or into a make-up tank for the vat. Automatic means are provided for maintaining the level and the temperature of the dye liquid. The oven section consists of oven 45 heated by steam coils 49 and provided with inlet and outlet members 51, 54 for the belts 3 and 4 with the fibrous material therebetween. As an alternative the top belt may not pass through the oven, being returned via roll 31a as shown in dotted lines. After leaving the oven the belts and materials pass between pressure rollers 55, 56; the belts are then returned whilst the fibrous material passes to the delivery section. The delivery sections consists of a pair of rollers, 58, 59, having cleaning doffers 60, which take the fibrous material from the oven section and transfer it to a carrier belt 61 for delivery to another pair of rollers 63 from whence the material may be folded into a basket or wound on a reel &c. The belts may be flat woven wire mesh or preferably they are composed of transverse wire spirals linked together by transverse straight wire passing through the coils of adjacent spirals. This arrangement facilitates quick replacement and repair of any section of the belt. The wire may be stainless steel, monel metal, nichrome or bronze. In alternative embodiments the belts are broken into sections and the returns are through the oven or vat and not outside to avoid heat &c. losses.