Hank dyeing

Claim 1

Dyeing apparatus comprising: A. yarn conveying means comprising a longitudinally extending endless support having a plurality of longitudinally extending support elements for yarns arranged transversely across the support, the support elements being spaced transversely with respect to the endless support to permit dye liquor to pass between the support elements, and means for guiding and driving the support elements along an endless path; B. dye liquor application means comprising a plurality of arrays of nozzles for expelling dye liquor under pressure, means for fixedly mounting the nozzles with respect to the longitudinal extent of said endless path and means for adjustably mounting the nozzles heightwise with respect to said endless path to permit dye liquor to be expelled by the nozzles from a predetermined controllable height towards said endless support; a set of tubes for individually supplying dye liquor to the nozzles in each array, a respective manifold means for supplying liquor to each set of tubes collectively, a respective conduit pipe for supplying dye liquor to each manifold means, a respective pressure control means for controlling dye liquor flow through each conduit pipe a plurality of pumps and a plurality of dye liquor tanks, one tank being associated with one of the pumps, one of the pressure control means, one of the conduit pipes and one of the manifold means to permit one pressure control means to control the flow of dye liquor through all of the tubes of a set of tubes simultaneously; and C. means mounted along the endless support downstream of the arrays of nozzles for fixation of the dye in the dye liquor.