Apparatus for treating textile materials

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR TREATING PERMEABLE MATERIALS, COMPRISING A ROTATABLE, PERFORATED DRUM HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNINTERRUPTED INTERIOR AND CLOSED AT ONE END AND HAVING AN OPENING AT ITS OPPOSITE END, A CASING SURROUNDING SAID DRUM AND HAVING A REGULAR POLYGONAL PERIPHERY THE SIDES OF WHICH ARE TANGENT TO A CIRCLE WHICH IS CONCENTRIC WITH THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID DRUM BUT WHICH HAS A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID DRUM, PARTITIONS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM THE INTERSECTIONS OF THE SIDES OF SAID REGULAR POLYGON TOWARD THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID DRUM AND TERMINATING AT A DISTANCE FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM ONLY SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF MATERIAL ON SAID DRUM BENEATH THE INNER ENDS OF SAID PARTITIONS, SAID PARTITIONS DEFINIG A PLURALITY OF TREATMENT ZONES IN SAID CASING BETWEEN THE INTERIOR SURFACE THEREOF AND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM, ONE OF SAID ZONES BEING A CALENDERING ZONE HAVING CALENDERING ROLLERS THEREIN FOR PASSAGE OF THE MATERIAL IN CONTACT WITH THE CALENDERING ROLLERS TO CALENDER THE MATERIAL, THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF SAID DRUM BEING CONSTANTLY IN COMMUNICATION WITH ALL OF SAID ZONES, EXCEPT SAID CALENDERINGD ZONE, THROUGH THE PERFORATED PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM, A COVER PLATE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID DRUM ADJACENT THE INNER PERIPHERY THEREOF AT SAID CALENDERING ZONE AND HAVING AN ARCUATE EXTENT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID CALENDERING ZONE TO INHIBIT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID DRUM AND SAID CALENDERING ZONE, AND DRAFT MEANS HAVING AN INLET COMMUNICATING WITH THE OPENING IN SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID DRUM FOR DRAWING FLUID FROM SAID ZONES THROUGH THE MATERIALS ON SAID DRUM AND THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS OF THE DRUM, FOR MAINTAINING THE MATERIALS AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE DRUM S OLELY BY SUCTION, AND FOR DISCHARGING SAID FLUID INTO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ZONES.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR TREATING PERMEABLE MATERIALS, COMPRISING A ROTATABLE, PERFORATED DRUM HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNINTERRUPTED INTERIOR AND CLOSED AT ONE END AND HAVING AN OPENING AT ITS OPPOSITE END, A CASING SURROUNDING SAID DRUM AND HAVING A REGULAR POLYGONAL PERIPHERY THE SIDES OF WHICH ARE TANGENT TO A CIRCLE WHICH IS CONCENTRIC WITH THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID DRUM BUT WHICH HAS A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID DRUM, PARTITIONS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM THE INTERSECTIONS OF THE SIDES OF SAID REGULAR POLYGON TOWARD THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID DRUM AND TERMINATING AT A DISTANCE FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM ONLY SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF MATERIAL ON SAID DRUM BENEATH THE INNER ENDS OF SAID PARTITIONS, SAID PARTITIONS DEFINIG A PLURALITY OF TREATMENT ZONES IN SAID CASING BETWEEN THE INTERIOR SURFACE THEREOF AND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM, ONE OF SAID ZONES BEING A CALENDERING ZONE HAVING CALENDERING ROLLERS THEREIN FOR PASSAGE OF THE MATERIAL IN CONTACT WITH THE CALENDERING ROLLERS TO CALENDER THE MATERIAL, THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF SAID DRUM BEING CONSTANTLY IN COMMUNICATION WITH ALL OF SAID ZONES, EXCEPT SAID CALENDERINGD ZONE, THROUGH THE PERFORATED PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM, A COVER PLATE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID DRUM ADJACENT THE INNER PERIPHERY THEREOF AT SAID CALENDERING ZONE AND HAVING AN ARCUATE EXTENT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID CALENDERING ZONE TO INHIBIT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID DRUM AND SAID CALENDERING ZONE, AND DRAFT MEANS HAVING AN INLET COMMUNICATING WITH THE OPENING IN SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID DRUM FOR DRAWING FLUID FROM SAID ZONES THROUGH THE MATERIALS ON SAID DRUM AND THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS OF THE DRUM, FOR MAINTAINING THE MATERIALS AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE DRUM S OLELY BY SUCTION, AND FOR DISCHARGING SAID FLUID INTO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ZONES.