PROCESS FOR TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS

• US 3,775,055 A
• Filed: 01/25/1971
• Issued: 11/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bi/Ms Holdings I Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Frederick C. Wedler
• Inventors: Wedler, Frederick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William I.
• Application Number:
  US05/109,501
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 8/149.1,149.2,149.3,154,155.1,157,158 68/5.3,189,190 118/50 21/65,66,67
• US Class Current: 8/155.1
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 21/00 Successive treatments of textile materials by liquids, gases or vapours successive treatments in which the characteristics of a single treatment are of interest only, or in which all treatments have characteristics provided for in a single main group, see the relevant groups for the single treatment
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 21/02 the treatments being performed in a single container
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 23/14 Containers, e.g. vats
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 23/205 for adding or mixing constituents of the treating material
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 5/16 through yarns, threads or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 5/24 through articles, e.g. stockings

Abstract

A process and an apparatus for batch treating of textile material such as yarn packages, raw stock, knit goods, muffs or the like by placing the material in an enclosed zone, evacuating the enclosed zone to provide a vacuum therein, and then flooding the evacuated zone with a treating agent by placing the evacuated zone into communication with a second zone having the treating agent therein under a positive pressure. A substantial pressure differential exists between the two zones, and the treating agent flows extremely rapidly through the textile material whereby, at the very outset of the treating process, the treating agent is uniformly distributed over the surfaces of the textile material and substantially in its original concentration and condition. The temperature of the treating agent will depend upon the treatment. The process and apparatus are capable of recycling or reversing the flow of the treating agent through the textile material as and when desired. Examples of treating agents are: dye liquor, scouring liquids, fixing agents, solvents, finishes or the like, or combinations of dye liquor with other treating agents, such as scouring chemicals, salt, and any other desired chemicals.

Claims

2. The process defined in claim 1 including subjecting said agent to a predetermined superatmospheric pressure while in said second zone.

3. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the pressure in the second zone is 0 - 75 p.s.i., and wherein the vacuum in said first zone is approximately 26 - 28 inches of mercury, i.e., about 2 - 4 inches of mercury absolute pressure.

4. The process defined in claim 3 wherein the treating agent is heated to approximately 160*F. - 220*F. while in said second zone and prior to transfer into said first zone.

5. The process defined in claim 4 wherein the treating agent is subjected to a positive pressure of about 50 - 75 p.s.i. while in said second zone and prior to transfer into said first zone.

6. The process defined in claim 3 wherein the textile material comprises cellulosic fibers.

7. The process defined in claim 3 wherein the textile material comprises polyester.

8. The process defined in claim 3 wherein the textile material comprises wool.

9. The process defined in claim 1 wherein both the vacuum in the first zone and the positive pressure in said second zone are maintained during the step of transferring the treating agent between the zones.

10. The process defined in claim 1 including isolating the second zone from the first zone after the treating agent has flooded the first zone and then flowing the treating agent from the first zone.

11. The process defined in claim 10 wherein the cycle of operation of flooding the first zone with the treating agent is repeated.

12. The process defined in claim 1 wherein substantially the entire charge of treating agent in said second zone is transferred through the textile material and into said first zone in a range of about 0 - 30 seconds after the two zones are placed in communication with each other, and further wherein the volume of said entire charge of treating agent is at least about 750 gallons.

13. The process defined in claim 12 wherein the volume of the entire charge of treating agent is over about nine hundred gallons, and wherein said entire charge is transferred from said second zone into said first zone in less than about 20 seconds.

14. In a process for batch treating of textile material with a liquid treating agent including a dye liquor, the improvement comprising:

placing the textile material to be treated in an enclosed first zone and applying a substantial vacuum in the range of 0 - 10 inches of mercury, absolute pressure, to the first zone to produce a substantial negative pressure therein;

providing the liquid treating agent in a second zone;

heating the treating agent to a predetermined temperature while in the second zone and subjecting the heated treating agent to a superatmospheric pressure in the second zone;

placing the first zone in communication with the second zone;

effecting a very rapid initial transfer of said treating agent from said second zone into said first zone wherein said treating agent flows through said textile material in an inside-oUt direction, said transfer taking place at a flow rate of at least about 750 gallons of said treating agent per minute so that said treating agent is uniformly distributed over all or substantially all of the surfaces of said textile material substantially immediately after the textile material is first contacted by said treating agent and so that said surfaces of said textile material are initially exposed to or wetted by the treating agent at uniform or substantially uniform concentration of said dye liquor;

flooding said first zone with the treating agent;

isolating the second zone from the first zone after the treating agent has flooded the first zone and then flowing the treating agent from the first zone;

reevacuating the first zone after the treating agent is flowed from the first zone to provide a negative pressure therein;

filling the second zone with a second treating fluid under pressure; and

placing the first zone into communication with the second zone to cause rapid transfer of said second treating fluid over the surfaces of the textile material and into the first zone.

15. In a process for batch treating of textile material with a liquid treating agent including a dye liquor, the improvement comprising:

placing the textile material to be treated in an enclosed first zone and applying a substantial vacuum in the range of 0 - 10 inches of mercury, absolute pressure to the first zone to produce a substantial negative pressure therein;

providing the liquid treating agent in a second zone;

heating the treating agent to a predetermined temperature while in the second zone and subjecting the heated treating agent to a superatmospheric pressure in the second zone;

placing the first zone in communication with the second zone; and

effecting a very rapid initial transfer of said treating agent from said second zone into said first zone wherein said treating agent flows through said textile material in an inside-out direction, said transfer taking place at a flow rate of at least about 750 gallons of said treating agent per minute so that said treating agent is uniformly distributed over all or substantially all of the surfaces of said textile material substantially immediately after the textile material is first contacted by said treating agent and so that said surfaces of said textile material are initially exposed to or wetted by the treating agent at uniform or substantially uniform concentration of said dye liquor;

flooding said first zone with the treating agent;

isolating the second zone from the first zone after the treating agent has flooded the first zone and then flowing the treating agent from the first zone;

flowing the treating agent removed from the first zone back into the second zone;

heating and pressurizing the treating agent in the second zone to a predetermined temperature and pressure respectively;

evacuating the first zone of the atmosphere therein; and

then placing the first zone into communication with the second zone to cause recycling of the treating agent from the second zone through said textile material into the first zone.

16. The process defined in claim 1 wherein substantially the entire charge of treating agent in said second zone is transferred through the textile material and into said first zone extremely rapidly.

17. The process defined in claim 16 wherein substantially the entire charge of treating agent in said second zone is transferred through the textile material and into said first zone is a range of about 0 - 45 seconds.

18. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the treating agent is recirculated between the second and first zones and through the textile material.

19. The process defined in claim 1 wherein in said initial transfer substantially the entire charge of treating agent in said second zone is transferred through the textile material in one direction and into said first zone extremely rapidly, and wherein the flow of the treating agent is thereafter reversed to Pass through the textile material in the opposite direction.

20. The process defined in claim 19 wherein in said initial transfer substantially the entire charge of treating agent in said second zone is transferred through the textile material in said one direction and into said first zone in a time period of less than about 45 seconds.

21. The process defined in claim 20 wherein the direction of flow is reversed after about 30 seconds.

22. The process defined in claim 20 wherein the charge of said treating agent is at least about 800 gallons.

23. The process defined in claim 20 wherein said time period is no greater than about 30 seconds.

24. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the textile material includes a yarn package in the form of yarn wound on a fluid pervious tube, and further wherein the flow of said treating agent through said textile material is in a controlled direction wherein the treating agent is constrained to flow from the interior of said yarn package outwardly through the yarn.