Method for dyeing and presetting tricot fabrics

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SIMULTANEOUSLY DYEING AND STABILIZING AGAINST EDGE-CURLING A TRICOT FABRIC COMPRISING YARNS OF CELLULOSE ACETATE AND HAVING STRAINS WHICH CAUSE THE EDGES TO CURL WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING THE AFORESAID FABRIC IN THE DRY CONDITION LONGITUDINALLY TOWARD A DYEBATH AT OPEN WIDTH DOWNWARDLY OVER A FLAT, INCLINED SUPPORTING SURFACE WITH THAT FACE OF THE FABRIC WHICH FORMS THE INSIDE FACE OF THE COILS IN THE EDGE-CURLS FACING UPWARDLY, SAID DYEBATH COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS DISPERSION OF A WATER-INSOLUBLE CELLULOSE ACETATE DYESTUFF AND A SWELLING AGENT FOR CELLULOSE ACETATE AND BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 180* F. AND 212* F., UNCURLING THE EDGES OF THE FABRIC ADVANCING TO THE DYEBATH AS IT APPROCHES AND IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IT ENTERS THE DYEBATH BY CONTINUOUSLY PROJECTING AIR JETS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE AFORESAID FACE OF THE FABRIC AGAINST THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE FABRIC WHILE IT IS SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE, CONTINUOUSLY DRAWING THE THUS-ADVANCED FABRIC WITH ITS EDGES UNCURLED IN FULL OPEN WIDTH ONLY ONCE THROUGH THE DYEBATH, EXERTING DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON THE FABRIC IN THE DYEBATH ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH THEREOF TO PREVENT RECURLING OF THE EDGES AND TO KEEP THE FABRIC SUBMERGED THEREIN, GUIDING THE FABRIC ALONG A PATH THEREIN CONSISTING OF AN INITAL PORTION DOWNWARDLY INCLINED FROM THE FABRIC ENTRANCE AND EXTENDING TO A DEPTH OF AT LEAST TWO INCHES BELOW THE TOP SURFACE OF THE DYEBATH, A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE INITIAL PORTION ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LINE AT A DEPTH OF AT LEAST TWO INCHES BELOW THE TOP SURFACE OF THE DYEBATH, AND AN UPWARDLY INCLINED PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PORTION OUT OF THE DYEBATH, THE FABRIC DURING SAID DRAWING STEP BEING UNDER A TENSION SUFFICIENT ONLY TO DRAW THE FABRIC THROUGH SAID PATH WHEREBY TO PROVIDE FREE PASSAGE OF THE FABRIC THROUGH THE DYEBATH WITHOUT PLACING IT UNDER A TENSION WHICH WOULD INHIBIT RELAXATION OF THE STRAINS THEREIN, AND CIRCULATING THE DYEBATH BY CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING A PORTION THEREOF ADJACENT THE END FROM WHICH THE FABRIC IS DISCHARGED AND INTRODUCING THE PORTION WITHDRAWN ADJACENT THE END INTO WHICH THE FABRIC ENTERS AT A PLURALITY OF POINTS DISTRIBUTED THE FULL WIDTH OF THE DYEBATH ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SIMULTANEOUSLY DYEING AND STABILIZING AGAINST EDGE-CURLING A TRICOT FABRIC COMPRISING YARNS OF CELLULOSE ACETATE AND HAVING STRAINS WHICH CAUSE THE EDGES TO CURL WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING THE AFORESAID FABRIC IN THE DRY CONDITION LONGITUDINALLY TOWARD A DYEBATH AT OPEN WIDTH DOWNWARDLY OVER A FLAT, INCLINED SUPPORTING SURFACE WITH THAT FACE OF THE FABRIC WHICH FORMS THE INSIDE FACE OF THE COILS IN THE EDGE-CURLS FACING UPWARDLY, SAID DYEBATH COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS DISPERSION OF A WATER-INSOLUBLE CELLULOSE ACETATE DYESTUFF AND A SWELLING AGENT FOR CELLULOSE ACETATE AND BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 180* F. AND 212* F., UNCURLING THE EDGES OF THE FABRIC ADVANCING TO THE DYEBATH AS IT APPROCHES AND IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IT ENTERS THE DYEBATH BY CONTINUOUSLY PROJECTING AIR JETS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE AFORESAID FACE OF THE FABRIC AGAINST THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE FABRIC WHILE IT IS SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE, CONTINUOUSLY DRAWING THE THUS-ADVANCED FABRIC WITH ITS EDGES UNCURLED IN FULL OPEN WIDTH ONLY ONCE THROUGH THE DYEBATH, EXERTING DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON THE FABRIC IN THE DYEBATH ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH THEREOF TO PREVENT RECURLING OF THE EDGES AND TO KEEP THE FABRIC SUBMERGED THEREIN, GUIDING THE FABRIC ALONG A PATH THEREIN CONSISTING OF AN INITAL PORTION DOWNWARDLY INCLINED FROM THE FABRIC ENTRANCE AND EXTENDING TO A DEPTH OF AT LEAST TWO INCHES BELOW THE TOP SURFACE OF THE DYEBATH, A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE INITIAL PORTION ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LINE AT A DEPTH OF AT LEAST TWO INCHES BELOW THE TOP SURFACE OF THE DYEBATH, AND AN UPWARDLY INCLINED PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PORTION OUT OF THE DYEBATH, THE FABRIC DURING SAID DRAWING STEP BEING UNDER A TENSION SUFFICIENT ONLY TO DRAW THE FABRIC THROUGH SAID PATH WHEREBY TO PROVIDE FREE PASSAGE OF THE FABRIC THROUGH THE DYEBATH WITHOUT PLACING IT UNDER A TENSION WHICH WOULD INHIBIT RELAXATION OF THE STRAINS THEREIN, AND CIRCULATING THE DYEBATH BY CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING A PORTION THEREOF ADJACENT THE END FROM WHICH THE FABRIC IS DISCHARGED AND INTRODUCING THE PORTION WITHDRAWN ADJACENT THE END INTO WHICH THE FABRIC ENTERS AT A PLURALITY OF POINTS DISTRIBUTED THE FULL WIDTH OF THE DYEBATH ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF.