Apparatus for the continuous wet processing of textile material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS WET PROCESSING OF TEXTILE MATERIAL IN SHEET OR WEB FORM, COMPRISING A FIRST PAIR OF CONTINUOUS, UPWARDLY DIRECTED, SPACED WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER, A SECOND PAIR OF CONTINUOUS OPPOSED WALLS CONNECTING THE FIRST PAIR TO FORM AN ENCLOSING CONDUIT FOR A STREAM OF TREATING LIQUID, MEANS AT THE TOP OF SAID CONDUIT FOR FEEDING TREATING LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE CONDUIT, MEANS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CONDUIT FOR DISCHARGING TREATING LIQUID FROM THE CONDUIT, THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF WALLS BEING PROVIDED WITH VERTICALLY SPACED STAGGERED POSITIONS EXTENDING THE FULL WIDTH OF THE FIRST PAIR AND TO SAID SECOND PAIR OF WALLS AND PROJECTING INWARDLY TO PROVIDE EDGES LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN A COMMON PLANE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CONDUIT, AND MEANS FOR FEEDING A TENSIONED SHEET OF TEXTILE MATERIAL, HAVING A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF WALLS AND THE WIDTH OF SAID STAGGERED PORTIONS, UPWARDLY IN SAID CONDUIT ALONG SAID COMMON PLANE AND CONTACTING SAID EDGES OF THE STAGGERED WALL PORTIONS TO DIVIDE THE CONDUIT INTO A SERIES OF COMPARTMENTS FORMED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SHEET OF MATERIAL AND WHICH EXCEPT FOR THE UPPERMOST AND LOWERMOST COMPARTMENTS ARE COMPLETELY ENCLOSED BY SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF WALLS, SAID STAGGERED PORTIONS OF THE WALLS AND THE SHEET OF MATERIAL, WHEREBY A STREAM OF TREATING LIQUID IN ITS FLOW FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONDUIT IS COMPELLED TO PASS THROUGH THE TENSIONED, MOVING SHEET OF TEXTILE MATERIAL IN ORDER TO MOVE FROM ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING COMPARTMENT.