Apparatus for passing materials therethrough in a pressure-tight manner, especially textiles in the form of wide webs and also in the form of strands

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONTAINER WITH AN INLET PASSAGE AND AN OUTLET PASSAGE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FLUID TREATING MATERIALS IN THE FORM OF WEBS AND ALSO IN THE FORM OF STRANDS, ESPECIALLY TEXTILES, WHICH INCLUDES: MEANS TO MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONTAINER GREATER THAN ATMOSPHERIC AND SEALING MEANS ARRANGED AT LEAST AT ONE OF SAID PASSAGES FOR THE PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF SAID MATERIALS TO BE TREATED, SAID SEALING MEANS RESPECTIVELY INCLUDING PRESSURE CHAMBER MEANS AND SEALING DIAPHRAGM MEANS ARRANGED IN OPPOSED RELATION, SAID PRESSURE CHAMBER MEANS WHEN SUPPLIED WITH FLUID PRESSURE MOVING SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS INTO FACE TO FACE ENGAGEMENT, EACH SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS COMPRISING A RELATIVELY THIN FLEXIBLE ELEMENT OF PRISMATIC SHAPE HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE SURFACE, THE SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS WHICH ENGAGE EACH OTHER HAVING A RELATIVELY THIN TEMPERATURE RESISTANT, FRICTION REDUCING COVERING THEREON, MEANS FOR CONVEYING FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID CHAMBER AND CONSITUTING MEANS FOR URGING THOSE PORTIONS OF SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS WHICH FACE EACH OTHER TOWARD EACH OTHER TO THEREBY SLIDABLY AND SEALINGLY ENGAGE MATERIAL BEING PASSED THEREBETWEEN, SAID MEANS FOR CONVEYING FLUID PRESSURE COMPRISING MEANS TO CARRY FLUID TO SAID CHAMBER MEANS AT A PRESSURE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONTAINER ALSO COMPRISING MEANS OPERABLE TO VARY THE PRESSURE OF THE FLUID CONVEYED TO SAID CHAMBER MEANS UNDER CONTROL OF VARIATIONS IN PRESSURE IN SAID CONTAINER TO MAINTAIN SAID PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER MEANS HIGHER THAN IN SAID CONTAINER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONTAINER WITH AN INLET PASSAGE AND AN OUTLET PASSAGE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FLUID TREATING MATERIALS IN THE FORM OF WEBS AND ALSO IN THE FORM OF STRANDS, ESPECIALLY TEXTILES, WHICH INCLUDES: MEANS TO MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONTAINER GREATER THAN ATMOSPHERIC AND SEALING MEANS ARRANGED AT LEAST AT ONE OF SAID PASSAGES FOR THE PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF SAID MATERIALS TO BE TREATED, SAID SEALING MEANS RESPECTIVELY INCLUDING PRESSURE CHAMBER MEANS AND SEALING DIAPHRAGM MEANS ARRANGED IN OPPOSED RELATION, SAID PRESSURE CHAMBER MEANS WHEN SUPPLIED WITH FLUID PRESSURE MOVING SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS INTO FACE TO FACE ENGAGEMENT, EACH SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS COMPRISING A RELATIVELY THIN FLEXIBLE ELEMENT OF PRISMATIC SHAPE HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE SURFACE, THE SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS WHICH ENGAGE EACH OTHER HAVING A RELATIVELY THIN TEMPERATURE RESISTANT, FRICTION REDUCING COVERING THEREON, MEANS FOR CONVEYING FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID CHAMBER AND CONSITUTING MEANS FOR URGING THOSE PORTIONS OF SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS WHICH FACE EACH OTHER TOWARD EACH OTHER TO THEREBY SLIDABLY AND SEALINGLY ENGAGE MATERIAL BEING PASSED THEREBETWEEN, SAID MEANS FOR CONVEYING FLUID PRESSURE COMPRISING MEANS TO CARRY FLUID TO SAID CHAMBER MEANS AT A PRESSURE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONTAINER ALSO COMPRISING MEANS OPERABLE TO VARY THE PRESSURE OF THE FLUID CONVEYED TO SAID CHAMBER MEANS UNDER CONTROL OF VARIATIONS IN PRESSURE IN SAID CONTAINER TO MAINTAIN SAID PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER MEANS HIGHER THAN IN SAID CONTAINER.