US2494808A - Decating machine and method - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 17, 1950 G. HAEBERLIN 2,494,808

DECATING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed NOV. 10, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. 6 90? fz aeerzm Jan. 17, 1950 3. HAEBERLIN 2,494,808

DECATING MACHINE AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 10, 1948 38 fa 44, 5 4533 v 34 2362' t? y 39/ /I 436i 25 25.2 .3470

.z INVENTOR. Gear e ffaeerlzhz/ Jan. 17, 1950 cs. HAEBERLIN 2,494,808

DECATING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Nov. 10, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet s .1 25 (Riva "19 INVENTOR. Gemye Ha e6 e/"Zv'n.

Patented Jan. 17, 1950 iPAJTENi'T -EDECA'I'ING MACHINE -AND: METHGD 10f Virginia .TGeorge; 'Haeberlin, Richmond, Va, rassignor to RichmoiidBiece DyeWorks, Inc., a corporation I. 16JTClaims. 3.21 This:invention:aselatesetcmnewaanduseful-rimprovements {in decating l machine and. method.

Webs 50f textile lmaterial;larezlconventionally subjected to ,acdecating operationlwhichimproves ltime, desiuably: .preshninkslthe: same. .Decating is a normally carried outtw'ithadecatingmachine in whichv a continuously tmovingiweb I-Of textile mea aterfial is -.subjected' to-, a. steaming Woperation by transportingwthe same :ibetween Man ..endless1y-:

:1 moving blanket. and s-webl carnier rover-1 a steam ichest. Thelsteam.islsuckedlthnoughrthesblanket -.uancllthersgoods,- usually by wayloflr. a vacuum appliedxto the; other side. of zrthensuallyufelt lpadded q steam andair rpetmeable carrier.

Hithertoreusedfideeating;machinesofrtheendless carrier :andeblanket typeghowever, are not salways u too satisfactory:imopetation. .lThempermitl-only u a crelativelyl slow: speed:ofemebetrayelthrough the r machine. and jtihQ lfinishsia-ppliedutoethes oodsl :is mot consistently iu-niionm.

*An rimpnovede construction,zsemtorth'tin any: o oogmendingcapplicatiQneSeniahNoaG4l 392afiled J an- :mary 15,-.-lfifictprovides'iforna steamlzchestawithcan arcuate face plate and a steam nozzles-orifice itherein; 4extending!transverseptosthe:ldirection of "Jxtraveluofothee goodstioraejectingesteam onto the :r traveling: web. Although fthisoimprovementeperemits of :somewhatzxmoreamniionms operational and :better 'ifinishing rreslfltsflli the speed with which a fabric web can'pbe treated is still relatively low. l-Fliiitliemnor:e,:vpalmtioularly starting"up;spotting of thwgoods easilyoccurs by reason for thespattei ing ofempletswor: water onto the =blar'rket by reason of partial condensationof steam and the pnopiilsion of the resultant dropletwby the steam *eje'oted from the orifice.

-One object of thepresent'invention comprises "a decating'machinewhichwlll permit" asubstan- --=na11y increased rate ot traVeYof" arweb "of textile material therethrou'gh.

Another object ofithe invention' comprises 1 a ""decatingfi;machinersnbstantially :free .fromi spat- "tering 'efiects of condensationidroplets.

Still another; object oftheiinvention is" a new f'metho'd'for the. decating'of continuouslymoving "websof"textilemateriahforthe'Zdecating'of' continuously moving webs oftektilesmateriahin an i'improved' "manner; "permitting Thigh "operational gspeeds.

The f oregoingt: andtstill further 'obj ects of the i invention will'beseenfronfthe fOHOWil'lg'f'jdeSClfiP- ition" readi'in roonJunttionv/withtthedrawingsfin which:

(Cl.'26- l-J18.5)

(1;:2 Fig. 1 representaualside View of! a construction win accordance witlritheeinyention;

"Fig. 2.is afrontyiewof part of theconstizuction shown in Fig.1

mthel finishsandzfeellofathel-goodssandat;the samel =5 Figs 3 is. a crossesectional,renlarged sideview 220 "of; a non-staining"m'etalsuch'as stainless=steeL carries thee-multiple perforations A -*steam .1"chest Tis positioned belowthe drum. *"The-endlessly 'movingFfield blanket 8- passes around the "*various guide rolls! and around the 16 erizil'iery of """thebelt wand-motor d I. A'web of textile magterial I2 ispassedat'the'guide wheel' ilwontothe endlessly traveling blanket-13 to between blanket B and peripheral padding 50. -Web I 2 travels 30 arounddrum hand is *held in' close contact posithas obeenrtoundztnat tion over its -entire =surface with the dnmn :pa'dding 5fi-by-the pressure of the blanket ii until it leaves the 1 drum and blanket at "vtlie guide 'roll9b.

specificallyweferrmg toFigs'i Band 41 the steam *ohest 1 comprises *outer housing-i3 :and a pipe-:14 carrying the per-fonational5. "The top of 'the steamchest is provided virith" an arcuate face plate E5 in substantial' alignmentwith' the curvature ofthedrum l and' exteriding as a lip orapron to beyond the-steam chest-toio1=m 'with the extension and the sidenpo'rtion "I1 the ancillary chest I "I 8. Side portion l l -is secured 'to the housing 3 of the steam chesthwway-of-the bent' portion I9 ,45 and; screws 20. 'A 'steamandcoridensztte-takefilfi 2 I is provided adjacent the lower endrof the ancillary chest 18. Side portion llis bentdoack- "Wards to form a 1ip-22 overlapping the arcuate face plate 16 'in' spaced' relttionthetetofito form 50- *anoutiet slot.

Steam chest 1- carries adjacentthe ot-her -end "ofthe arcuate face'pl'ate lfi an angle membei 23, Tone" arm of-which* for-ms a 1i-p'"'26 in spaced relation to the faceplate lfiitadefinewith-its end ifipiportionthe steaminozzle-slot 24'. *Perforations 25 are provided for passing steam from steam chest 7 into space 241) between lip 26 of angle member 23 and the top of the arcuate plate I6. The nozzle orifice slot 24 may be adjusted by the slotted cut-outs 2? and screws 28, permitting upwards and downwards positioning of the angle portion 23. Lip 26 of angle portion 23 is with its under surface downwardly inclined in a direction at least 90 to the direction of blanket travel and preferably substantially tangential to the circumference of the drum to thereby impart to any steam ejected from nozzle opening 24, a direction away from the blanket and thus away from the moving web of fabric at or adjacent the nozzle.

Gates 29 may be interposed, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and l, in the space between the arcuate face plate It and the lip 25 of the angle member 23. to cover or uncover some of the perforations 25 to thereby adapt the width of the nozzle slot area 24 to the width of the particular fabric web being treated, thereby eliminating wastage of steam should such web be narrower than the normal effective steaming width of the machine. It is apparent that instead of two such gates one may be used with equal effect. A drain 30 is provided to remove any condensate that may have formed in steam chest 1. A conventional tension arrangement am is provided to keep the endless blanket 8 under tension so that the blanket will pass around drum I in a relatively tight and snug fit assuring the fabric web I2 to be held securely and uniformly in position on the padded periphery of the drum.

In the practical operation of the decating device in accordance with my invention, the drum is rotated in the direction of the arrow (Figs. 1 and 3) and the fabric web I2 is passed onto the blanket 8 at the guide roll 9b, traveling thence around perforate drum I between the padded drum periphery and the snugly fitting endless blanket 8. Steam is passed through pipe I l and issues through the perforations I into the steam chest 1. Perforations I5 are preferably so arranged that they face upwardly away from the perforations 25. The steam in chest l is preferably maintained under a pressure of about 2 to lbs. above atmospheric and issues through perforations into space 241) defined between lip 26 of angle member 23 and arcuate plate It.

Steam is ejected through the nozzle slot 24 at a relatively high nozzle velocity and preferably a nozzle velocity of at least 150 feet per second. The top limit of the velocity of the steam depends inter alia upon the dimensions of the steaming zone and particularly the length thereof, and further depends, at least to some extent, upon the suction force applied to that portion of the blanket which is in contact with the steaming zone. Within conventional steaming requirements, however, it is normally desirable that the velocity of the steam jet does not exceed about 1600 feet per second, and within the preferred embodiment of the invention I find it of advantage to use a steam velocity of an order of magnitude of between 4:00 and 1200 feet per second.

The steam jet issuing from nozzle slot 24 is ejected therefrom in a direction tangential to the path of travel of the blanket 3 substantially against arcuate face plate It and thus substantially in a direction slightly away from blanket 8. At the same time th ejecting steam is in its direction counter to the direction of the travel- These gates are slidably movable in and out ing blanket and fabric web carried thereby, i. e.

counter to the rotation of drum I. Suction is applied in the conventional manner to the inte rior of drum I and the steam is sucked into the same through the blanket 8 and the fabric web I2, thoroughly permeating the fabric web. A certain graded balance between the suction force of drum I and the ejection velocity of the steam issuing out of nozzle 24 occurs within the space 2411 defined by the arcuate face plate I6 and the lower surface of the moving blanket 8. In the area nearest the nozzle slot 24 the velocity of the steam will maintain the same at first in approximately the direction of issue, i. e. substantially tangential to the path of travel of the blanket 8. As the velocity of the issuing steam abates with greater distanc from nozzle slot 24, the suction force of the drum I will make itself more and more felt, together with the counter directional force of rotation of the blanket so that there results a graded suction of steam into the drum from comparatively little dry hot steam at a point adjacent the nozzle slot 24 to comparatively larger amounts of wet cooler steam farthest removed from the nozzle slot 24. The steam at the far end of the steaming zone (blanket entrance end) is substantially wet steam whereas the steam at the nozzle end of the zone is substantially dry steam, and the wet steam portion of the zone is somewhat cooler than the dry steam portion of that zone.

The steam and possible condensate droplets reaching the end of the space 24a adjacent the lip portion 22, and which has not as yet been sucked int the drum, passes through the slot 3i defined between the lip portion 22 and the arcuate face plate I6. Slight suction of about 2 lbs. below atmospheric is maintained at the tap pipe 2|, causing the excess steam passing through slot 3| to be drawn into the side chest i3, and together with such condensate as may have formed therein, out through pip 2I. Normally the conditions of suction in drum I, speed of rotation of the drum, velocity and volume of issuing steam, are so balanced that comparatively little steam passes into chest I8 and practically no steam will issue out of the open-ended sides of space 26a.

Any condensate droplets that may have been formed (especially in starting up) are forced to follow arcuate face plate I6 at high velocity and pass through slot 3| into ancillary chest l8 where condensate and excess steam is sucked away through pipe 2|.

Specifically referring to Figs. 5 and 6, an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated. As there shown the endlessly moving carrier defines a substantially straight path of travel for the blanket 8. Accordingly a substantially straight face plate I Go is provided for the steam chest Ia, having the steam inlet pipe I4 and perforations I5. The flexible, endlessly moving carrier Ia, which may be for instance composed of the flexible sheet material 32 (Fig. 6) is provided with multiple perforations 33 and is guided for endless travel by the guide rolls 34. A suction chest 35, carrying suction pipe 36, is provided above the lower, sub stantially straight line section of the carrier Ia. The steam chest Ia is mounted below the carrier Ia and the suction chest 35. An angle member 23a is provided on the upper portion of chest 1a and forms with one arm the lip 26a, which is slightly bent to an angle of less than 90 and preferably about and which defines with its length edge and the substantially straight surface of plate Ifia, a steam nozzle-slot 44. Steam passes under pressure from the pipe I4 through perforations I5 into chest la, and hence through perforations ZSarto :nozzle fl d l'ffIhei sideirchest 31a carries the ibentruppenlipzportionifl toverlappingitheiend of face plate [6a and being spacedtaparttthere- :from to*formlan'inletsl'ot i39.r' fipemflrdf siderchest 31:servesztheiremoval "ofsteamaand condensate.

.f In the practical xop'eration of :theslastlnescribed ilembodiment *ofsrmy invention; a ehdlesslyrmovvzingzblanketsfia moves: infthe triangularipath de- 1:: fined "by: the :guide trolls 3; :i413aaandi4'3b. a

web [:2 axis: passediontotthezcblanketzflw authezguide i rof saidtzone.

" Fabric "roll @4311 and:.is ixcarried alongrtzth u'bstarntially ien'gagement het'endlessly ejected from the nozzleislot fl:isrpassediiintorthe :spacei45 defined between thelowerssurface of; the

n5 angle away iro 5'6 al l d "-Sl1b$li&fltiQe HY THCIOSSIi the said= zone andtpositioned:ifor jection 'into"saidtzone 'countertthemdirectien ofi blanket 'trave passing steam to eal g 2; 1 Improvement'raccording': tomclaim 1. in which i there are additiorially iincliidedimeanscroreremoving*steam andmoridensate rromicthetentrance send 3. mprovement according to claim 1=flinawhich said la'st mentioned meansi include= a'listeam chest, ameans for passing steam 'fromsaid chest rtotsa'id nozzle oi ifiee'emeans and a; perforate pip xfOl a g distr ibuting steam ubstantially 1 u-niforml :endless blanket 8acand1the upper surface of' the .face plate lrfia; :being i thence exhaustedrintorthe suction.chest 535 'by wayiof therperforations 333601 ,ithereridlesslyrrmoving carrier la. Therbalan'cetof :the steam' 'whichchas' notcpassed intotthesuction Thus; as "be sseenrfrom rthe :"foregoing the invention? is essentiaflly t'concernedewithiiani ima steaming zone alongwthe rpathtofttraveliofsaid blanketlandxmeansiordrawing steam from said zone through a web of textile material continuchamber :is' rremoved" by Way of thes:opening:e39 w g m$m part riside chest 13'! and pipe ;7whi'ch: is rundemslight uvacuum oftabout 1-2 lbs;s'below atmospheric.

1170 ti l-in said chest;" thewzpenforations "innrsaid pipe'being positioned todirect steam upwardsland away 'from" -the entrance end "of -said means for passin'g steam to said'ori ce'rneans.

ln a fdecating maeh-ine'; or the blanket and endless carrier' type having 'an extennailyrperiorate hollowed cylin'derr'means"ior rotating said cylirider means ior apply-ing uctiontto the -interi-or f elid' dylii-ider -andblanket running the 'per-iphery onsaid cy-lihder 'adaptedto' hold--a" band'-' of textile r material in engagement==with the periphery of saidcylinder, the improvement which comprisesnn arcuate iace i pl'ate substantially concentric with saidl cylinder,

."DIGVEIIIBIlt'ZiI'l 1a decating'machine'iof :tthe blanket/ i a g z i -s e at i e qbl'anketwexit and endless. carrier rtype 'having means rdefining end s "said race platwextending longitudirially said' cy l-inder ja eent the exterior Of Slid blalnket afiw pas ened for 'steam ejection onto ears face plate counter-"the direction of rlblanket u v ra p d y a d w Said n ytravel ai'i 'd'substantiaily at an 'angle 'awaydrom and blanket, the vsaid. improvement primarilynrelating to the steam supplying means torsaid zone and comprising steam nozzle-orifice means at and substantially across the blanket eX-it end of said 'saill blanket arfrl rrreans for supplying steam to es'aidworifice.

5. lmprovement acoording to claim 4 in whi'ch said nozzle-orifice means are positioned for steam zone and positioned for steam ejection intorsaid 4oiiejetioninsflbstajntiql-ywatwssafdwoiiifice :Substa zone counter the direction of blanket travel-:iand '-substantia1ly at an angle away from saidablanket e rand meanswfor passing steaml-to said orifice. 'iIf,

within the preferred embodiment of the invention, the path of travel ofsaid-"blanket is one defined by a substantially:cylindrical carrier the face is aisubstantiallyarcuateztace platetconformring to said path of traveband' the saidnsteam nozzlemrifice is substantially positioned for steam ejection onto said face plate counter the direction of blanket travel and substantially at an angle about tangential to the path of blanket travel at about the orifice. H

The method in accordance with my invention is essentially concerned with an improvement in the decating of webs of textile material which includes continuously passing a web of textile material held between a steam permeable blanket and endlessl moving carrier, along a steaming zone with said blanket in contact with said zone, the said improvement comprising directing a jet of substantially dry steam into said zone from and substantially across the blanket exit end thereof in a direction counter the direction of blanket travel and away from said blanket and applying suction to said jet of steam through said blanket and web.

I claim:

1. In a decating machine of the blanket and endless carrier type having means defining a steaming zone along the path of travel of said blanket and means for drawing steam from said zone through a web of textile material continuously transported by and between said carrier and blanket, the improvement in steam supplytial'ly tangential to the path of blankefitravel.

"1 6. improvement according to claim 5* in whi'ch there areradditiorially included- =means for removing steam and condensate from the blanket entranc e erid of said face pla-te.

mprovement according -to *claim 6 -in-- which i team supplying-means include asteam-chest, the top of which is formed by at least a portion of said face plate, means for passing steam from said chest to said orifice means and means for uniformly distributing steam to within said chest. 8. In a decating machine of the blanket and endless carrier type having an externally perforate hollowed cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder, means for applying suction to the interior of said cylinder and a blanket running against a part of the periphery of said cylinder adapted to hold a band of textile material in engagement with the periphery of said cylinder, the improvement which comprises a steam chest, an arcuate face plate substantially concentric with said cylinder and forming with at least a part thereof a top for said steam chest, means at the blanket exit end of said face plate substantially defining a lip overlapping said face plate in spaced relation thereto, to form between the lip end and the face plate surface a steam nozzleorifice substantially extending across said face plate longitudinally to said cylinder, the inner surface of said overhanging lip being inclined towards its end substantially at an angle away from said blanket, means vfor passing steam from said chest into the space between said lip and said face plate and means for supplying steam to ing means for said zone comprising steam nozzlesubstantially uniformly W n Sa d Chest.

r 9. Improvement according to claim--1 in which said inner lip surface is inclined towards its end substantially at an angle about tangential to the path of blanket travel at about said orifice.

10. Improvement according to claim 9 in which there are additionally provided means for removing steam and condensate from the blanket entrance end of said face plate and substantially in cluding a lip member adjacent said blanket and overlying said face plate at said end to define therewith a steam and condensate exit slot.

11. Improvement according to claim 10 in which said means for supplying steam to the space between the nozzle-orifice lip and. the armate face plate include perforations in said face plate adjacent the end thereof under said lip, and in which said means for supplying steam to said chest include a perforate pipe longitudinally extending through said chest, the perforations of said pipe being positioned to direct steam upwards and away from said perforations for passing steam to under said lip.

12. Improvement according to claim 11 in which said lip defining means comprise an angle member, one arm of which forms said lip and the other of which is slidably secured to said chest for variable adjustment of said nozzle orifice.

13. In the method of decating Webs of textile material which includes continuously passing a web of textile material held between a steam permeable blanket and endlessly moving carrier, along a steaming zone in blanket contact therewith, the improvement comprising directing high velocity substantially dry steam into said zone substantially across the blanket exit end thereof in a direction counter to the direction of blanket travel and away from said blanket and applying suction to said steam through said blanket and web.

14. The improvement according to claim 13 in which said steam is directed into said zone counter to the direction of blanket travel defined by a substantially cylindrical carrier and substantially at an angle about tangential to said direction at about said exit end, and in which excess steam including any condensate formed is continuous- 1y removed from the blanket entrance end of said zone in substantially tangential direction relative to the blanket travel direction at about said entrance end.

15. In the method of decating webs of textile material the improvement which comprises continuously passing a web of textile material, held between a steam permeable blanket and endlessly moving carrier, along and in blanket contact with a first substantially wet steam zone and a following second substantially dry steam zone of higher temperature than said first zone, continuously passing wet steam through said first zone, continuously passing high velocity substantially dry steam through said second zone counter to the direction of blanket travel, and at least at the blanket exit end in a direction away from said blanket, and supplying suction to said zones through said blanket and web.

16. Method according to claim 15 in which said high velocity steam is directed into said second zone counter to the direction of blanket travel defined by a substantially cylindrical carrier and substantially at an angle about tangential to said direction at about the blanket exit end for said second zone, in which said wet steam is passed through said first zone substantiall counter to the direction of blanket travel, and in which excess steam including any condensate formed is continuously removed from the blanket entrance end of said first zone in substantially tangential direction relative to the blanket travel direction at about said end.

GEORGE I-IAEBERLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,494,808 January 17, 1950 GEORGE HAEBERLIN It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 1, lines 48 and 49, strike out the words for the decating of continuously movingdwebs of textile materia column 7, line 1, for the claim reference numeral 1" rea 8;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of May, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

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