US3918276A

US3918276A - Apparatus for the wet treatment and subsequent drying of a textile fabric web

Info

Publication number: US3918276A
Application number: US465062A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kurt Bruckner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-05-04
Filing date: 1974-04-29
Publication date: 1975-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-11
Also published as: GB1427684A; JPS5013679A; IT1010350B; FR2236990B3; FR2236990A1; JPS524676B2

Abstract

This invention relates to a device for the wet treatment and subsequent drying of a textile fabric web, in which the web passed through a treatment chamber and a liquid treatment medium which comprises at least one organic solvent is supplied from a container to the web. The web then passes through a drying chamber wherein a stream of hot air is passed through the fabric web to evaporate the treatment medium which is then passed to a recovery device adjacent the drying chamber for the recovery of organic solvent removed by the air stream. Residual treatment liquid in the container is passed from the container to an evaporator located in the drying chamber from which it is passed by the air stream to the recovery unit.

Description

[ Nov. 11, 1975 United States Patent [191 Bruckner APPARATUS FOR THE WET TREATMENT 3,643,475 2/1972 68/18 0 AND SUBSEQUENT DRYING OF A TEXTILE FABRIC WEB Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Homsby Assistant E.\'aminerPhilip R. C06

[76] Inventor: Kurt Bruckner, 6122 Erbach/Odenwald, Donnerberg, Germany ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Apr. 29, 1974 This invention relates to a device for the wet treat- [211 Appl' No" 465,062 ment and subsequent drying of a textile fabric web, in which the web passed through a treatment chamber and a liquid treatment medium which comprises at least one organic solvent is supplied from a container Foreign Application Priority Data May 4, 1973 Germany...... 167701 to the web. The web then passes through a drying chamber wherein a stream of hot air is passed through the fabric web to evaporate the treatment medium which is then passed to a recovery device adjacent the drying chamber for the recovery of organic solvent re- [52] US. 68/18 R; 68/20; 68/202;

68/208; 68/DIG. 5 D06B l/l4; D06B 9/06 68/5 D, 5 E, 8, 19, 19.1,

[51] Int. [58] Field of Search.,.........

68/18 R, 18 C, 18 D, 20, DIG. 5, 202, 208; moved by the air stream. Residual treatment liquid in the container is passed from the container to an evaporator located in the drying chamber from which it is .m m wm 6U w mF m i .mw mm 2 m, e m .w 4 m y 10 d m p mm MAM .lP" Sm mm m rT .m SS e R w my 4 1 u w M US. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 3,918,276

'1 APPARATUS FOR'TH'E'WET" T EATMENT AND SUBSEQUENT DRYING or A TEXTILE FABRIC WEB i BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Treatment chemicals for finishing textile fabric webs are nowadays often applied to the web when dissolved in an organic solvent, since as compared with operating with aqueous mixes this mode of operation inter alia avoids the water problem, permits working with a low mixture ratio and leads to high treatment rates. I

The drying of a textile fabric web treated with a finishing medium in this manner is usually carried out in a drying chamber by a circulated hot air stream. In view of the relatively high price of organic solvents, and in order to protect the environment, this hot air stream after being used for drying is fed to a recovery device, wherein the organic solvent separated from the air stream is recovered.

On the other hand residues of mixture also remain in the container for the liquid treatment medium provided in the treatment chamber, and the organic solvent should also be recovered from these. The same applies to the rinsing liquid by which the said container has to be cleaned before a change of treatment medium. A separate small distillation unit, for instance a bubble distiller, has hitherto been provided for this treatment of liquid treatment medium residues, but the use of this involves considerable problems, since the treatment media are usually reactive film-formers and adhere to the heat exchange surfaces.

The invention is thus based on the problem of avoiding these defects in providing a device of the type described in such manner that the equipment is considerably simplified and is adapted to operate without disturbance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention this problem is solved in that the drying chamber contains an evaporation dish which is connected to the container provided in the treatment chamber by a valve control discharge pipe.

In this way mixture residues from the container and also solvents which are used to clean the container and the other parts of the treatment chamber can be deposited in the evaporation dish in the drying chamber, where they are vaporised by the hot air stream used for the drying. The organic solvents contained in these mixture residues and in the cleaning liquid are thus extracted by the circulated hot air stream and are recovered in the distillation unit used to prepare the circulating flow of drying air. A separate distillation unit for the treatment chamber is thus unnecessary, and this not only considerably simplifies the plant, but also makes the operation thereof much less liable to disturbance.

Preferably the device is arranged with the treatment chamber above the drying chamber. In this way the re sidual quantity of treatment medium in the container and which is to be removed, together with the rinsing liquid, upon opening of the valve in the discharge pipe, can flow gravitationally down to the evaporation dish in the drying chamber without the aid of a pump.

The evaporation dish can be provided with a removable lining preferably of foil, so that the thickened residues from the treatment medium can be destroyed together with the foil,

If the wet treatment involves the application of chemical materials dissolved in an organic solvent. the container for the liquid treatment medium preferably consists 'of a trough into which dips a squeezer roller embraced by the web along an adjustable circumferential segment. I

The device in accordance with the invention can however in principle also be used if the wet treatment consists of a washing or cleaning process. It is then mainly oily material, washed out of the web, which remains behind in the evaporation dish in the drying chamber. The use of the method provided by the invention for machines with a washing treatment followed by drying will however mainly be suitable for smaller plants, since the evaporation of large amounts of washing fluid in the drying chamber would in general require this chamber to be of undesirably large dimensions.

However the use of the system provided by the invention in a device for treatment with finishing chemicals dissolved in organic solvents, due to the small amounts of mixture used and the consequently minor amounts of residue does not in general require the drying chamber to be large-dimensioned.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevational view of a sec ond embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a device wherein a textile web 1 first passes through a treatment chamber 2 and then through a drying chamber 3.

The finishing chemical substance, dissolved in an organic solvent, is applied in the treatment chamber 2 by means of a squeezer roller 4 which dips into a trough 5.

The web 1 is then conveyed through the drying chamber 3 by means of an air-permeable conveyor belt 6, if necessary being also held at the edges by tenter chains, and in said chamber is dried by a circulating flow of hot air. This air stream, enriched with organic solvents after passing through the web, is then fed to a recovery unit (not shown) where it is freed of the solvent, before being re-heated and returned to the drying chamber 3.

In the lower part of the drying chamber 3 is placed an evaporating dish 7 which is connected by a scalable discharge pipe 8 to the trough 5 in the treatment chamber 2. The evaporating dish 7 is lined by a foil 9.

If some of the treatment liquid remains in the trough 5 after the treatment of a textile web, this liquid is removed via the discharge pipe 8 into the evaporating dish '7. The same applies for the cleaning liquid used for cleaning the roller 4 and trough 5 before fresh treatment medium is fed into the trough 5.

The hot stream of air circulated in the drying chamber 3 vaporises the organic solvent contained in the evaporating dish 7, which together with the circulated air stream is fed to a distillation unit (not shown) where it is recovered. In general the evaporating dish 7 then only retains finishing chemicals, and these are destroyed together with the lining foil 9.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment wherein a suction drum 6' is provided in the drying chamber 3' as conveyor means for the web 1. Otherwise this embodiment corresponds to that described above, and hence a separate description is unnecessary.

What we claim is:

1. In a device for the wet treatment and subsequent drying of a textile fabric web, said device including a treatment chamber wherein a liquid treatment medium which comprises at least one organic solvent is applied to the web from a container as the web is passed through said treatment chamber, a drying chamber located to receive the web from said treatment chamber, means associated with said drying chamber for passing a stream of hot air through the fabric web, and a recovery device adjacent the drying chamber for the recovery of organic solvent removed by said hot air stream; the improvement comprising an evaporation dish in said drying chamber, and a valve controlled discharge pipe connecting said container to said dish for conducting treatment medium for said container to said dish.

2. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein said treatment chamber is disposed above said drying chamber.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said evaporating dish is provided with a removable lining, preferably of foil.

4. A device claimed as in claim 1, wherein the treatment medium comprises treatment materials dissolved in organic solvent, said container for the liquid treatment medium comprising a trough and a squeezer roller partially submerged in the trough and engageable with the web to transfer medium from said container to UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION e PATENT NO. I 3,918,276

DATED November ll, 1975 V 3 Kurt Bruckner It is certified that error appears in the ab0veidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: 0

In the Abstract, line 5, after "solvent" insert In the Abstract, line 8, after "web' insert Q Column 2, line 42, cancel "not. shown" and insert --R-.

Column 2, line 46, cancel "sealable" Column 2, line 47, after "pipe" insert -controlled by a shut-off valve V.

a Column 2, line 52, after "7" insert by opening valve V.

Column 2, line 58, cancel "distillation unit (not shown) where" 5 Column 2, line 59, cancel "it is recovered" and substitute K -recovery unit R--. l 9

Signed and Scaled this second Day Of March 1976 O [SEAL] Attest: RUTH c. MASON c. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner nj'latents and Trademarks i

Claims

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said treatment chamber is disposed above said drying chamber.

4. A device claimed as in claim 1, wherein the treatment medium comprises treatment materials dissolved in organic solvent, said container for the liquid treatment medium comprising a trough and a squeezer roller partially submerged in the trough and engageable with the web to transfer medium from said container to said web.