Apparatus for finishing textile materials and the like

Claim 2

Apparatus for applying liquid finishing compositions containing a polymerizable substance to textile material comprising a spraying chamber, spray nozzles within said chamber for spraying said composition on the surface of said material, a drying chamber following said spraying chamber for removing the liquid from said material in the form of vapors, means for recycliNg air including said vapors formed in said drying chamber through said drying chamber including first air circulating means having its intake connected to one portion of said drying chamber for removing air containing said vapors therefrom and having its outlet connected to a different portion of said drying chamber for supplying said air containing said vapors thereto and means intermediate said portions of said drying chamber and in the path of the air circulated by said air circulating means for heating said air to a temperature above room temperature but below the polymerizing temperature of said substance, said air circulating means having its intake isolated from said spraying chamber to thereby prevent circulation of air from said spraying chamber in said drying chamber, a polymerizing chamber following said drying chamber, means separate from said air recycling means for flowing air at a temperature above the polymerizing temperature of said substance through said polymerizing chamber including second air circulating means separate from said first air circulating means having its outlet connected to a portion of said polymerizing chamber for supplying said air thereto and heating means in the path of said air circulated by said last-mentioned air circulating means, and conveying means for conveying said textile material successively through said spraying, drying and polymerizing chambers for the time periods required, respectively, to spray said composition on said material, to dry said material and to substantially polymerize said substance.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spray nozzles are disposed in at least two rows disposed transversely of the path of movement of said textile material through said spraying chamber, one row on each side of said path and each row comprising a plurality of nozzles.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said conveying means is arranged to move said textile material along a vertical path within said spraying chamber.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further comprising means supplying said composition to said spray nozzles at a pressure of at least three kilograms per square centimeter.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a feed chamber intermediate said spraying chamber and said drying chamber and wherein said conveying means moves said textile material through said feed chamber at a rate which maintains any given portion thereof within said feed chamber for a period of time of between about 10 and 35 seconds.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first air circulating means comprises means maintaining the temperature in said drying chamber in the range from about 80 to 120 C.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said conveying means moves said textile material through said drying chamber at a rate which maintains any given portion thereof within said drying chamber for a period of time of between about 80 and 170 seconds.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second air circulating means comprises means maintaining the temperature in said polymerizing chamber in the range from about 120 to 150 C.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said conveying means moves said textile material through said polymerizing chamber at a rate which maintains any given portion thereof within said polymerizing chamber for a period of time between about 65 and 140 seconds.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conveying means comprises an apertured roll intermediate said drying and polymerizing chambers and over which said textile material passes and further comprising means separate from said first and second air circulating means for pulling air through the apertures in said roll.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second air circulating means has its inlet connected to a portion of said polymerizing chamber different from the portion thereOf to which its outlet is connected for recycling air through said polymerizing chamber and an exhaust duct is also connected to said last-mentioned outlet for exhausting a portion of the air circulated by said last-mentioned air circulating means.

Claim 13

Apparatus for applying liquid finishing compositions containing a polymerizable substance to textile material comprising a spraying chamber, spray nozzles within said chamber for spraying said composition on the surface of said material, a drying chamber following said spraying chamber for removing the liquid from said material in the form of vapors, means for recycling air including said vapors formed in said drying chamber through said drying chamber including first air circulating means having its intake connected to one portion of said drying chamber for removing air containing said vapors therefrom and having its outlet connected to a different portion of said drying chamber for supplying said air containing said vapors thereto and means intermediate said portions of said drying chamber and in the path of the air circulated by said air circulating means for heating said air to a temperature above room temperature but below the polymerizing temperature of said substance, a further air circulating means connected in parallel with said first air circulating means and including cooling means for cooling a portion of the air recycled to said drying chamber and thereby removing a portion of said vapors from said last-mentioned air, a polymerizing chamber following said drying chamber, means for flowing air at a temperature above the polymerizing temperature of said substance through said polymerizing chamber including second air circulating means having its outlet connected to a portion of said polymerizing chamber for supplying said air thereto and heating means in the path of said air circulated by said last-mentioned air circulating means, and conveying means for conveying said textile material successively through said spraying, drying and polymerizing chambers for the time periods required, respectively, to spray said composition on said material, to dry said material and to substantially polymerize said substance.

Claim 14

Apparatus for applying liquid finishing compositions containing a polymerizable substance to textile material comprising a spraying chamber, spray nozzles within said chamber for spraying said composition on the surface of said material, a drying chamber following said spraying chamber for removing the liquid from said material in the form of vapors, means for recycling air including said vapors formed in said drying chamber through said drying chamber including first air circulating means having its intake connected to one portion of said drying chamber for removing air containing said vapors therefrom and having its outlet connected to a different portion of said drying chamber for supplying said air containing said vapors thereto and means intermediate said portions of said drying chamber and in the path of the air circulated by said air circulating means for heating said air to a temperature above room temperature but below the polymerizing temperature of said substance, a further air circulating means connected in parallel with said first air circulating means and including cooling means for cooling a portion of the air recycled to said drying chamber and thereby removing a portion of said vapors from said last-mentioned air, a polymerizing chamber following said drying chamber, means for flowing air at a temperature above the polymerizing temperature of said substance through said polymerizing chamber including second air circulating means having its outlet connected to a portion of said polymerizing chamber for supplying said air thereto and heating means in the path of said air circulated by said last-mentioned air circulating means, and conveying means for conveying said textile material successively through said spraying, drying and polymerizing chambers for the time periods required, respectively, to spray said composition on said material, to dry said material and to substantially polymerize said substance.