Fabric advancing system with double spray nozzle

Abstract

The invention relates to a fabric advancing system, having two spray nozzles (2, 4), where the first spray nozzle (2) has an elliptical cross-section and the second spray nozzle (4) has a rectangular cross-section, and wherein the fabric (1) passes through the first spray nozzle (2) and is advanced through an octagonal cross-section duct (3) to the second spray nozzle (4), before ending up through a rectangular cross-section duct (5) and a suitable folding mechanism in a storage bin. By means of this system the fabric (1) moves fully spread out, at high speeds, without the need for high spray pressures to achieve its dyeing.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] FABRIC ADVANCING SYSTEM WITH

[0003] DOUBLE SPRAY NOZZLE

[0004] FIELD OF ART

[0005] The invention applies to the field of textiles and more specifically to the field of textile processing and even more specifically to the processing of textiles using liquids, gases or vapours. In particular it refers to the field of passing textile materials through liquids, gases or vapours to carry out processing, such as washing, dyeing, bleaching or impregnation. Even more specifically it refers to fabrics that are advanced by, or with the help of, jets of the processing material. Specifically, it refers to a fabric advancing system with two spray nozzles, the first being of elliptical cross-section and the second of rectangular cross-section, connected by an octagonal crosssection duct.

[0006] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The fabric advancing system disclosed in the present invention with two spray nozzles, the first of elliptical cross-section and the second of rectangular cross-section, connected by a duct of octagonal cross-section, has not been disclosed in the prior art.

[0008] In fabric dyeing machines, the fabric is continuously moved, stitched in an endless pattern, through a duct of dye liquid flow, assisted by mechanically driven swift. At the beginning of the duct there is a peripheral dye spray nozzle, which sprays liquid at an angle, under controlled pressure onto the fabric in order to achieve penetration of the liquid into the fabric and at the same time pushes it, so that it moves towards the other end of the duct. After the end of the duct, the fabric is stored with the help of a suitable folding device in a storage bin and re- forwarded to the spray nozzle with the help of a mechanically driven swift. This process is repeated under predetermined parameters and appropriate methodology, until the desired dyeing is achieved on the fabric.

[0009] When dyeing the fabric, it is necessary to achieve high movement speeds. For the achievement of high movement speeds of the fabric, correspondingly high speeds (pressures) of the liquid at the spray nozzle are required. However, high liquid pressures entail higher wear and fatigue conditions of the fabric resulting in its quality degradation, with wear of its surface (fluffing) and distortion of its weave.

[0010] The fabric entering the dyeing area receives - due to the angled spraying of the liquid - forces that are broken down into two components.

[0011] One component has a direction perpendicular to the axial line towards the centre of the circular cross- section. The other component is parallel to the axis line of the device. The penetration of the liquid into the fabric is due to the vertical component, while the movement of the fabric along the duct of the device is due to the parallel component. The necessary kinetic energy imparted to the fabric to achieve the necessary real speed of the fabric is also due to the parallel component. The purpose of spray systems is to achieve the smallest possible differential speed between parallel component and fabric speed to avoid stressing the fabric and reducing the required kinetic energy of the liquid. Additionally, spray systems aim to widen the incidence surface of the vertical component, for better penetration of the dye liquid into the fabric mass. Naturally, the parallel component is always higher than the actual speed of the fabric.

[0012] To date, fabric transport systems in fabric dyeing machines usually consist of circular or rectangular cross-section nozzle-duct arrangements. Each arrangement has advantages and disadvantages. Known for example is US529339, which shows a spray nozzle and a transfer duct of circular form. This arrangement sprays the liquid uniformly, through a peripheral gap of the nozzle with an angled direction towards its centre. Although in this arrangement the fabric is uniformly sprayed from the nozzle, since the vertical component acts peripherally on the fabric in the direction of the centre of the circle, there are significant disadvantages. Due to the construction design, the available fabric surface to be sprayed is reduced, ie the relative penetration of the liquid into the fabric tends to be of low efficiency, since peripheral spraying shrinks the fabric towards the centre of the circular cross-section. In addition, the parallel component acts on a small area of fabric resulting in low speed of fabric movement. Achieving higher penetration and movement speed requires an increase in fluid flow and pressure, which entails higher energy consumption and greater wear on the fabric surface.

[0013] Accordingly, in rectangular- shaped spray nozzles, the liquid is horizontal sides of the rectangle. In these arrangements, the fabric spans the entire length of the long side of the rectangle as it moves. As a result, the surface area available to be sprayed is greater than that of the circular cross- section and the liquid penetration is higher. In addition, the parallel component is exerted on a larger surface, which leads to higher speed of movement of the fabric. As a result, less spray volume and fluid pressure is required, thus lower energy consumption with better fabric surface quality.

[0014] However, the fabric cannot actually maintain the above shape along the long side of the rectangle, as it is highly flexible. What usually happens is that the fabric takes up part of the available width of the arrangement and does not extend all the way across it. Thus, part of the liquid is sprayed into a "dead" area, providing no benefit to the whole process. This is why, in this case too, an increase in energy consumption is necessary for the desired results.

[0015] It is thus an object of the present invention to advantageously address the above-mentioned disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art by proposing a fabric advancing system with two spray nozzles, the first of elliptical cross-section and the second of rectangular cross-section, connected to each other by a duct of octagonal cross-section.

[0016] A further object of the present invention is to provide a system with two spray nozzles, the first of elliptical cross-section and the second of rectangular cross-section, connected by a duct of octagonal cross-section, where the elliptical cross-section nozzle includes two gaps, i.e. two spray areas, which are upper and lower sectors of an ellipse. two spray nozzles, the first of elliptical cross-section and the second of rectangular cross-section, connected by a duct of octagonal cross-section, which manages that the dye liquid penetrates into the fabric uniformly, while it occupies the maximum surface of the elliptical cross-section, since this tends to extend circumferentially of the ellipse. At the same time, by spraying by means of the second nozzle of rectangular-section only from the bottom of the fabric, a film is created between the fabric and the duct, so that the fabric flows at the maximum possible speed with the liquid, reducing the friction between fabric and duct.

[0017] A further object of the invention is to provide a system with two spray nozzles, the first of an elliptical cross-section and the second of a rectangular cross-section, connected by a duct of octagonal cross-section, where spraying in the elliptical cross-section nozzle takes place in arcs of the ellipse and not in its entire circumference. Consequently, in the lateral sectors of the ellipse there are areas, where liquid is not sprayed, as a result of which the compression of the fabric towards the centre of the ellipse is avoided. An advantage of the above arrangement is that the optimal development of the fabric is achieved and the risk of it shrinking on one side of the ellipse is minimized. This is because the fabric tends to continuously gather towards the centre of the duct, while at the same time the elliptical spray tends to widen the application surface of the liquid, spreading it out.

[0018] A further feature of the invention is the octagonal cross-section of the duct, which actively contributes to maintaining the smooth flow of the fabric. The shape of the duct allows the fabric to span almost the full width ; same time preventing the fabric from collapsing one-sidedly, as the sidewalls of the octagon, due to their inclination, bring it back towards the duct's centre. At the same time, due to the shape of the duct, its useful volume is greater than the solutions proposed to date.

[0019] Another object of the invention is to provide a system with two spray nozzles, the first with an elliptical cross-section and the second with a rectangular cross-section, connected by a duct with an octagonal crosssection, where the second of the nozzles only sprays the fabric from the bottom side, thus contributing to maintaining the fabric movement speed, maintaining the developing liquid film between fabric and duct and reducing friction.

[0020] Further advantages of the present invention include the maximum exploitation of the development surface of the moving fabric, the avoidance of folding - accumulation of the fabric and ultimately its movement on part of the available surface, but also the existence of a smooth flow. At the same time, the paint liquid penetration surface is maximized, while high movement speeds are achieved, without the need for high spray pressures.

[0021] These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description.

[0022] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 shows in three-dimensional view and in partial section the two spray nozzles of the present invention and the duct of octagonal cross- section.

[0024] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the elliptical cross-section nozzle of the invention, with the upper and lower spray sectors. Figure 3 shows in three-dimensional view and in partial section the second spray nozzle, of rectangular cross-section, of the invention and the fabric as it moves inside the duct.

[0025] Figure 4 shows a cross-section of the two spray nozzles, the octagonal duct and the fabric in motion inside the system.

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0027] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, we will describe exemplary embodiments of a fabric advancing system, with two spray nozzles and the octagonal duct.

[0028] The fabric advancing system consists of two liquid supply chambers with two spray nozzles, the first of elliptical cross-section and the second of rectangular cross-section, where the liquid supply chambers are connected to each other by an octagonal cross-section duct. The cloth (1), Fig. 1, first passes through the elliptical hole of the first orifice (2) and is advanced through the duct (3) of octagonal cross-section to the second orifice (4), of rectangular cross-section. From the outlet of the second orifice (4), the fabric

[0029] (1) is advanced into a duct of rectangular cross-section (5), Fig. 4, and from there the fabric (1) is stored with the help of a suitable folding device in a storage bin and fed back to the first spray nozzle (2), with the help of mechanically driven swift. A tube (6) is connected to the first spray nozzle

[0030] (2), which feeds the liquid supply chamber (7), which leads the liquid to the first nozzle (2). Then the second nozzle (4) is supplied with paint liquid from the supply chamber (8), which receives the paint liquid from the chamber (7) through a tube (9) that connects the two chambers (7) and (8). The first orifice (2), Fig. 2, has an elliptical shape and has gaps inside, both in an arc of its upper side (10), and in a corresponding arc of its lower side (11), but not in its entire circumference. With this specific arrangement, the fabric (1) passing through the first orifice (2) is sprayed from the gaps of the upper (10) and lower side (11) with the selected dyeing liquid on its entire active surface, but without spraying in the dead zones of the first nozzle (2). The spray is under controlled pressure on the fabric (1) and pushes the fabric (1) towards the other end of the system. The dye liquid penetrates the fabric (1) uniformly, while it occupies the maximum cross-sectional area of the first orifice (2), as it tends to extend circumferentially of the ellipse.

[0031] After passing through the first orifice (2), the fabric (1) passes through the duct of octagonal cross-section (3), where due to its shape, the duct (3) contributes to the smooth flow of the fabric (1), as it has developed during spraying at the first orifice (2). The fabric (1) is therefore allowed to extend almost across the width of the cross-section, maximizing the penetration surface, but without collapsing the fabric (1) unilaterally, as the side walls of the octagon, due to their inclination, bring it back towards the center of the duct (3).

[0032] At the other end of the octagonal duct (3) there is the second chamber

[0033] (8) with the second orifice (4), Fig. 3, of rectangular cross-section, which has a width equal to the horizontal side of the octagonal duct (3) and which, e. I hat is, the second orifice (4) consists of a gap of rectangular cross-section (12) and a width equal to the lower horizontal side of the octagonal duct (3), and is placed at the end of the octagonal duct (3) and on its lower side. The existence of the specific second orifice (4) helps to maintain the speed of movement of the fabric, since it maintains the developing film of liquid between the fabric (1) and the duct (5) of rectangular cross-section which follows and which leads the fabric (1) through already known folding mechanism in a storage bin. In this way, the developing frictions are reduced and a smooth flow of the fabric (1) is achieved with a high movement speed, but without requiring high spray pressures.

[0034] It should be noted at this point that the description of the invention was made with reference to illustrative application examples, to which it is not limited. Therefore, any change or modification regarding the shape, dimensions, morphology, materials used and construction and assembly components, as long as they do not constitute a new inventive step and do not contribute to the technical development of what is already known, are considered included in the aims and objectives of the present invention.

Claims

ioCLAIMS1. Fabric advancing system with double spray nozzle, consisting of a first chamber (7) with a first spray nozzle (2), a second chamber (8) with a second spray nozzle (4), between them a duct (3) and a liquid supply pipe (6) of the first chamber (7), for dyeing fabric (1), characterized in that the first orifice (2) is of an elliptical cross-section and the second orifice (4) is of a rectangular cross-section.

2. Fabric advancing system with double spray nozzle, according to claim 1, characterized in that the duct (3) between the first spray nozzle (2) and the second spray nozzle (4) is of octagonal cross-section.

3. Fabric advancing system with a double spray nozzle, according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first spray nozzle (2) has spray gaps in an arc of its upper side (10), as well as in a corresponding arc of its lower side ( 11).

4. Fabric advancing system with a double spray nozzle, according to claim 1, characterized in that the second spray nozzle (4) has a rectangular spray gap(12) on its underside (3).

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