Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification – Fluid treatment – Special forms and forming
Patent
1996-11-22
1999-08-03
Stinson, Frankie L.
Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification
Fluid treatment
Special forms and forming
68 5E, 68 5D, D06B 302
Patent
active
059319720
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to processing textile structures such as thread and fabric.
Thread, such as textile thread and especially synthetic thermoplastic threads for weaving, knitting and sewing, is thermally processed for twist or yarn setting or for texturising, for example for false twist texturising in which the thread is heated and then cooled whilst temporarily highly twisted.
The thread, in false twisting, is heated usually by contact with a heated metal plate and cooled by passing through an air space between the heater and the false twist device. Such heating and cooling techniques required thread exposure times of around 0.1 seconds to be effective in raising the thread to a temperature at which the hightwist level is set in the thread (temperatures typically with, for example, polyester thread, of around 200.degree. C.) and cooling it to a temperature where the set is made permanent before the high twist is removed.
Such a treatment time, at the high thread throughput speeds of which modern machinery is capable--around 10 m/sec and higher--demands heating plates a meter or more, often 2 meters, in length and cooling zones not much shorter. Since the thread path for a false twisted section of thread is desirably straight, the requisite heating and cooling lengths pose problems for machine builders. The incorporation of a drawing stage when POY (partially oriented yarn) is used as a starting material further adds to the problem of accommodating the equipment in a reasonably sized framework that affords easy operator access.
The problem of long processing zones are also evident in fabric processing, especially to any process in which a liquid treatment is involved such as in dyeing and finishing. Here, the problems include high capital cost and costs of transportation of large, heavy plant, as well as the space required for the machinery. There is usually considerable energy wastage, often in the form of hot effluent. Large volumes of treatment liquid are required, giving rise to disposal problems, and machinery can take a long time to reach operating temperature.
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for use in textile processing that considerably reduce the space requirements for heating and/or cooling.
The invention comprises a method for thermally processing a textile structure in which the structure is run through a treatment zone in which the structure temperature is changed by heat exchange by contact with a flowing liquid.
The structure may pass through a chamber, in which the liquid is flowing, between thread inlet and outlet seals.
The seals may be pressurised against escape of the liquid, and may be gas-pressurised, as by pressure air or steam.
The time spent by the structure in contact with the liquid may thus be reduced to the order of 0.005 s as compared to the 0.1 second or longer required in prior art thermal processing operations on textile structures, for the same effect.
The liquid flow may be turbulent--the turbulence may be the result of the liquid flow rate and chamber characteristics, or it may be brought about by the passage of the structure (and/or the high speed rotation thereof in some processes, as will be further explained below) or it may be caused by the ingress of, for example, sealing pressure air or steam.
The liquid may comprise a coolant for the thread, and may be water, to which a thread treatment substance may be added to be deposited on or to act on the structure.
The liquid may, however, heat the structure, and may comprise molten metal (such for example as Wood's metal) or an oil or superheated water.
If the structure comprises a thread, the thread may be rotating while in contact with the liquid, and may be twisted, for example, false twisted while in contact with the liquid.
The invention also comprises a textile structure thermal treatment device comprising a liquid flow chamber forming a structure processing zone and having structure inlet and outlet seals. The device may have liquid inlet and outlet arrangements, so that the liquid may be
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Aggarwal Rajesh Kumar
Foster Peter
Stinson Frankie L.
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
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