Claims
- 1. In a method of treating staple length fibers to dye or otherwise chemically treat the same while continuously transporting the fibers in a predetermined path of travel to a point of collection, and including the steps of continuously delivering a metered amount of the fibers in generally loose random form, condensing the loose fibers into a web to increase their cohesion to each other, passing the web into and through a pair of nip rollers of a dye or chemical liquid composition applicator to impregnate the fibers with the liquid composition and express excess liquid therefrom, breaking up the web into smaller discrete fiber masses, and heating the moving liquid-impregnated fibers in a confined zone with high frequency energy while the fibers are maintained under compression to react the dye or other chemical with the fibers before their collection; the improvement comprising the step of gravitationally delivering the fiber web to the nip rollers while continuously applying the liquid composition to the surface of the rollers to carry the composition into contact with the web of fibers passing through the nip, supportably contacting the web in its gravitational movement to the nip rollers while reducing the width of the web to further condense and accumulate the same, and passing the web continuously through an unsupported zone immediately before passage into and through the nip.
- 2. An improved method for uniformly impregnating staple length textile fibers while continuously moving the fibers in a desired path of treatment to a point of collection comprising the steps of continuously conveying a metered amount of loose fibers along said path, temporarily condensing the fibers into a web form to increase their cohesive integrity, passing the web under influence of gravity downwardly over a smooth fixed support and through and unsupported zone surface immediate for introduction into the nip of a pair of nip rollers having horizontal rotational axes disposed in a common vertical plane and carrying a treating liquid on their surfaces to impregnate the fibers, initially accelerating the speed of the condensed web in its downward movement and thereafter decelerating the speed of the web during its movement over the lower portion of the fixed support surface to further condense the same and ensure its longitudinal continuity as it passes from the support surface into the treating liquid and the nip portion of the rollers, breaking up the liquid impregnated fiber web exiting the rollers, and further treating the moving impregnated fibers before their collection.
- 3. A method as defined in claim 2 including the step of maintaining the fixed support surface at an angle of approximately 30 degrees to the horizontal to facilitate movement of the fiber web downwardly over the support surface and through the nip portion of the liquid applicator rollers.
- 4. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the lower end of the support surface is maintained during delivery of the fiber web to the nip of the liquid applicator rollers with an area bounded by
- (1) an extended radius of the lower roller which defines an angle of approximately 20.degree. with a horizontal plane through the axis of rotation of the lower roller,
- (2) an extended radius of the lower roller which is tangent to the upper roller peripheral surface,
- (3) an arc of a circle which extends between said extended radii, is generated about the axis of rotation of the lower roller, and lies at a distance from the surface of the lower roller which is the approximate thickness of the fiber web at said discharge end of the conveyor chute, and
- (4) the surface of the lower roller extending between said extended radii.
- 5. A method of uniformly impregnating textile staple length fibers which are continuously moving in a desired path of treatment to a point of collection, comprising the steps of
- (a) continuously delivering a metered amount of loose fibers to said path for movement therealong,
- (b) temporarily forming the moving fibers into a web to improve their cohesive integrity and uniformity of distribution along said path,
- (c) passing the web by gravity downwardly over an inclined fixed support surface and through an unsupported zone for immediate delivery into and passage through the nip portion of a pair of rotatably driven liquid applicator rollers having horizontal axes of rotation disposed in a common vertical plane and carrying an amount of treating liquid on their surfaces to impregnate the fibers,
- (d) continuously discharging the web from the support surface into contact with the treating liquid and through the nip portion of the applicator rollers, and
- (e) breaking up the fiber web exiting the applicator rollers for further processing of the loose fibers before their collection.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 06/464,616 filed on Feb. 7, 1983, and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,644.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2052581 |
Jan 1981 |
GBX |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
464616 |
Feb 1983 |
|