Controlled flow applicator

Details Controlled flow applicator Controlled flow applicator

2002-07-25

2004-11-09

Lamb, Brenda A. (Department: 1734)

Coating apparatus

Immersion or work-confined pool type

Work-confined pool

C118S602000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06814806

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an applicator apparatus for applying a flowable liquid treatment fluid, in either foamed or a non-foamed state, including dyes, sizings, stains or other treating fluids, across the width of a traveling substrate, including, but not limited to, webs or sheets of textile or non-textile materials, woven or non-woven or multi-stranded materials, flexible or non-flexible sheets or sheet-like materials, for example. Other examples of substrates that can be treated with a controlled flow applicator according to the present invention include knitted substrates, cross-linked cellulose, loose fiber or impregnated substrates, thin tissue substrates, carpet or other floor coverings, continuous filament substrates, or any of a wide variety of other sheet-like materials known to those skilled in the art.
The finishing of textile fabrics or other sheet-like substrates typically includes applying dyes, sizings, stains or other “treating fluids” to the fabric or other substrate. Various methods and apparatuses have been used for this purpose, including passing the substrate through an immersion bath of the treating fluid, by which the fabric or other sheet took on a significant amount of the treating fluid. In these instances, the excess fluid absorbed or adsorbed by the fabric or sheet had to be removed and properly disposed of, requiring costly, time-consuming or energy-wasting equipment and processes, such as drying or curing of the substrate, for example.
Also, the disposal of waste water is a major concern of textile mills, particularly where the waste water contains dye liquor or other environmentally harmful treating chemicals.
Further, there is a continuing emphasis being placed in textile and other manufacturing processes upon cost-effectiveness of equipment, speed of application, energy efficiency, and increased uniformity of distribution of the treating fluid. As a result, other methods of applying treating fluids to substrates have been proposed in order to eliminate or at least minimize the disadvantages associated with drying of immersion treated substrates. One common alternative technique involves the application of the treating dye, sizing or other fluid treating material in a foamed condition to significantly reduce the amount of wet pick-up by the fabric or other substrate being treated, resulting in a minimal amount of required substrate, if any, as well as reduced waste and disposal concerns.
Many conventional methods and apparatuses for applying such foamed treating fluids use a multi-feed distribution chamber or manifold to spread and distribute the foamed treating fluid and to deliver it to an elongated nozzle extending transversely across the traveling substrate, which then dispenses foamed fluid onto the substrate. Examples of this are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,237,818 and 4,402,200, which are commonly owned with the present invention. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,818 discloses an upstanding distribution chamber which flares transversely from a central collection section as the chamber extends vertically to apply the foamed treating liquor to the bottom surface of a traveling substrate. In contrast, U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,200 discloses a flared distribution chamber circumferentially mounted on a cylindrical supporting member to achieve the desired transverse foam distribution while applying foamed treating fluid from above the substrate.
In each of these prior applicators, the flared nature of the distribution chamber necessarily causes the foamed treating liquor, dye or other fluid to travel a greater distance from the inlet tube to the transverse ends of the nozzle than to the central area of the nozzle. Because foamed treating fluids degenerate rather rapidly from a foamed state back into a liquid state, these flared distribution chambers cause the foam emitted from the nozzles to be in varying states of foam degeneration along the transversely-extending length of the nozzle. In many applications, this can produce undesired side-to-side variations in the wet pick-up by the substrate and thus similar undesired variations in the treating effect on, and appearance of, the substrate. Such non-uniformity or relative lack of accurate distribution control is especially acute in distribution chambers having considerable height and width as may be required for substrates of substantial widths.
In one highly successful attempt to overcome the above disadvantages, an applicator for applying a foamed treating liquor across the flat width of a traveling textile fabric or other sheet-like substrate includes a partially arcuate housing having an arcuate interior partition wall intermediate a foam inlet port and a foam emission nozzle opening in the housing. This arcuate interior partition wall, along with the flat opposite wall, defines a distribution chamber providing a turning foam pathway from the inlet port about the curved edge of the partition wall to the emission opening. The curved outer edge of the interior wall is preferably parabolic in shape to result in substantially all foam flow paths from the inlet port to the emission opening to be of substantially the same total length. Accordingly, the foam residence time within the distribution chamber is substantially constant regardless of the flow path assumed. This causes the amount of foam degeneration to occur uniformly across the applicator, resulting in improved uniformity of treatment of the traveling fabric or other substrate. Such improved single parabolic applicator is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,056, which is also commonly owned with the present invention and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Although this improvement represents a significant advancement in the substrate treating technology, increased environmental concerns have frequently made it desirable to further minimize the volume of fluid used in treating processes, thus further minimizing residual and remnant waste water or other fluid volumes. In addition, economic and installation concerns have led to the desirability of reducing applicator sizes in order to allow such applicators to be used in existing treating equipment, whereas single parabolic applicators, such as these described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,056, sometimes require extensive equipment modification or replacement in order to accommodate their larger heights and widths.
Also, many of such treating apparatuses are used for treating a variety of substrates having a variety of different widths, thus requiring the use of nozzle end seals when the traveling substrate width is less than the applicator width. This results in relatively deep “pockets” being formed at the ends of the applicator, which can contribute to the non-uniformity (or other undesired variations) of treating fluid application. In addition, some of the foam or other treating fluid is forced to creep along the flat wall of the above-described “half-parabolic” or “single-parabolic” applicator in order to help feed the outer extremities of the applicator. This can also contribute to the various drawbacks associated with non-uniformity (or lack of accurate distribution control) and degeneration of foamed treating fluids.
The present invention seeks to overcome these disadvantages and further improve on the above-described methods and apparatuses for applying a fluid from a fluid source across the lateral or transverse width of a longitudinally traveling substrate. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a fluid applicator with a body having a pair of spaced apart body side walls, which are preferably but not necessarily generally parabolic in shape at their peripheral or “radial” edges. A fluid inlet is formed in, and extends “axially” through, one of the body side walls, with the fluid inlet being in fluid communication with the fluid source. Radially outer body edge walls, which are also preferably but not necessarily arcuate in shape, interconnect the spaced body

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