초록 ▼

A versatile carpet dyeing applicator capable of producing novel and visually pleasing multicolor pattern effects ranging from apparently completely random to fairly well-defined. An inclined distributing plate such as a conventional doctor blade extends across the width of the carpet web, transverse

A versatile carpet dyeing applicator capable of producing novel and visually pleasing multicolor pattern effects ranging from apparently completely random to fairly well-defined. An inclined distributing plate such as a conventional doctor blade extends across the width of the carpet web, transverse to the direction of web travel, with a lower edge of the distributing plate positioned so that dye flowing off falls on the carpet web. Means, such as a conventional dye pickup roller rotating in a dye supply trough, introduces liquid of a base color onto the distributing plate at an upper edge thereof to form a base color dye film initially flowing substantially uniformly downwardly over the distributing plate. At least one plurality of delivery tubes has outlet ends spaced along the distributing plate with the outlet ends positioned above and directed towards the distributing plate for adding dye or chemical of at least one additional color or other characteristic to the base color dye film in selected areas of the distributing plate. Thus, mixing and spreading occurs on the surface of the distributing plate. The dye delivery tube outlet ends are spaced on approximately two-inch centers, and are carried by a moving nozzle bar extending across the width of the carpet web. A controlled valving arrangement selectively provides the dye or chemical of the at least one additional color or characteristic to individual ones of the dye delivery tubes under pattern control. For supplying additional dye colors to the doctor blade, it is preferred that there are a plurality, for example three, of independently reciprocating nozzle bars, with separate colors or other characteristics.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An applicator for applying dye in liquid form to a moving web of fabric, carpet, or the like, said applicator adapted to be positioned above the web and comprising: a dye supply trough extending across the moving web; an inclined distributing plate extending across the width of the web transve

1. An applicator for applying dye in liquid form to a moving web of fabric, carpet, or the like, said applicator adapted to be positioned above the web and comprising: a dye supply trough extending across the moving web; an inclined distributing plate extending across the width of the web transverse to the direction of web travel and having an upper edge and a lower edge with the lower edge of said distributing plate positioned such that dye flowing off the lower edge falls on the fabric web; a dye pick-up roller partially immersed in said trough and adapted to be rotated for transferring liquid dye of a base color onto said distributing plate at an upper edge thereof to form a base color dye film initially flowing substantially uniformly downwardly over said distributing plate; a first plurality of nozzle bars above said roller and a second plurality of nozzle bars above said inclined plate, said bars extending across the width of the web and spaced from each other in the direction of travel of the carpet web, each of said plurality of nozzle bars carrying a set of dye delivery tubes having spaced outlet ends forming a row positioned above and directed towards said distributing plate for adding dyes of additional colors to the base color dye film in selected areas of said distribution plate so as to cause the added dyes and the base dye to mix on areas of said distribution plate prior to flowing off the lower edge; a plurality of reciprocating mechanisms corresponding to said plurality of nozzle bars for independently reciprocating said nozzle bars carrying dye delivery tubes back and forth in a direction transverse to the direction of web travel; and a controlled valving arrangement for selectively controlling the flow of dye from each of said dye delivery tubes. 2. An applicator according to claim 1, wherein said inclined distributing plate comprises a doctor blade whereby dye is scraped from the dye pick-up roller by the upper edge of said doctor blade. 3. For retrofit combination with a carpet dyeing machine for dyeing a continuously moving carpet web driven continuously along a horizontal path including a rotating roller supplied with base color dye liquid from a trough, an inclined flat blade for scraping dye from the roller to cause a film of base color dye to flow uniformly downwardly over the doctor blade to fall from the ower edge of the doctor blade onto the carpet web conveyed therebelow, pattern dyeing apparatus comprising: a plurality of nozzle bars spaced above the roller and blade in the direction of travel of the web and extending across the width of the carpet web, each bar carrying a plurality of delivery tubes having spaced outlet ends and disposed in a row positioned above and directed towards the doctor blade for adding dye or chemical of at least one additional color or other characteristic to the base color dye film on the roller and in selected areas of the doctor blade so as to cause a mixing thereof on said flat blade before the dye falls from the lower edge. 4. A method of dyeing carpet while being continuously driven along a substantially horizontal path so as to form patterns thereon, said method comprising the steps of: forming a base color dye film of a width substantially equal to the width of the textile material on a roller from which said dye is applied to a flat inclined plate; controllably discharging liquid streams of additional dye color or chemical onto the previously formed base color dye film on the roller and the inclined plate in selected areas of the inclined plate so as to mix the dye film with the additional dye color or chemical while they are on the inclined plate, and depositing the base color dye and the additional dye or chemical onto the carpet by allowing liquid to fall by gravity from the lower edge of the inclined plate onto the carpet. 5. Apparatus for pattern dyeing a continuously moving carpet web as it is conveyed continuously along a substantially horizontal path past a dye applicator station comprising: a dye applicator at said station positioned above the path of said carpet web and extending across the width of the carpet web transverse to the direction movement to the carpet web; said applicator including a dye supply trough extending across the carpet web, a rotatable pick-up roller partially immersed in said trough and an inclined dye distributor plate having an upper edge positioned adjacent the roller and a lower edge positioned above and extending the width of the carpet such that upon rotation of said roller, dye from said trough is transferred to said plate at the upper edge thereof and caused to flow substantially uniformly downwardly over the surface of said plate and over the lower edge onto the carpet, a plurality of independent dye delivery means disposed to deliver and apply a plurality of streams of dye onto the exposed surface portion of the pick-up roller in said trough and the said plate and the dye flowing downwardly thereon; each said independent dye delivery means including a dye source manifold adapted to be maintained under pressure and an air manifold adapted to be maintained under pressure, a nozzle bar, a plurality of dye delivery tubes supported by said nozzle bar, each tube having an inlet end and an outlet end and at least an intermediate portion thereof which is flexible so as to permit pinching of the flexible portion for selective control of dye flowing through the tube from the dye source manifold and a pinch tube valve assembly connected to the air manifold and receiving each of said intermediate portions for selectively pinching the associated tube to control dye flow there; each of said plurality of dye delivery tubes of an independent dye delivery means being supported near its outlet end by an associated nozzle bar, a first of said nozzle bars being disposed above the exposed surface of a roller and a second of said nozzle bars being disposed above said inclined plate whereby dye from said outlet ends of tubes supported by said first nozzle bar is applied to the exposed surface of the pick-up roller and dye from said outlet ends of tubes supported by said second-nozzle bar is applied to the plate and the dye flowing thereon, each said independent dye delivery means having their associated dye delivery tubes forming a row across the width of the carpet web with each row being spaced from the other in the direction of the travel of the carpet such that dye from the dye delivery tubes above the plate is applied at different heights along the inclined plate and caused to mix with the dye from the supply trough and dye from said other of said nozzle bars applied to the exposed surface of the pick-up roller and thereafter flow over the lower edge of the plate onto the carpet web. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 which further comprises: means for reciprocating said nozzle bars and associated delivery tubes. 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said means for reciprocating said nozzle bars and delivery tubes reciprocates said nozzle bar and delivery tubes back and forth in a direction transverse to the direction of web travel and comprises; a reversible pneumatic actuator; and a limit switch arrangement for sensing the limit of nozzle bar travel in either direction and reversing said pneumatic actuator when either limit of travel is reached. 8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each independent dye delivery means is connected to a different dye source and which further comprises a controlled valving arrangement for selectively providing dye of said at least one different color to individual ones of a row of delivery tubes under pattern control. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein such said pinch tube valve assemblies disposed to receive the flexible portions of an associated group of dye delivery tubes supported by a nozzle bar, said pinch tube valve assemblies each including a valve block portion, a bore in said valve block portion receiving the corresponding dye delivery tube flexible portion, a passageway in said valve block portion communicating with and disposed generally transversely to said bore, the intersection of said bore and said passageway defining a pinch chamber, a tube pinch-off member selectively reciprocal within said passageway into said bore for forcing the corresponding dye delivery tube closed and an actuator for selectively urging said tube pinch off member against the corresponding dye delivery tube. 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said pinch chamber includes a flattened wall portion circular in shape and being formed in said bore opposite the intersecting passageway and said flattened wall portion being in a plane perpendicular to said intersecting passageway so as to form an expansion chamber for said tube upon pinching thereof; and controller means for selective actuation of the pinch tube valve assembly as the carpet web is conveyed past the applicator station to effect dyeing of the carpet web in the desired pattern. 11. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the liquid streams are applied in rows across the width of the roller and the inclined plate, each row being spaced from another in the direction of travel of the carpet. 12. A method according to claim 4 including independently laterally varying, in reciprocating fashion, the position of the liquid streams directed onto the roller and the inclined plane. 13. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said plurality of dye delivery means at said station are spaced along the direction of travel of said carpet web, each said dye delivery means being supplied with a different dye such that the pattern is a multicolor design. 14. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said dye manifold is maintained at a pressure between twenty and sixty psi. 15. An applicator according to claim 5, wherein said inclined distributing plate comprises a doctor blade whereby dye is scraped from the dye pick-up roller by the upper edge of said doctor blade. 16. Pattern dyeing apparatus according to claim 3, which further comprises a mechanism for independently reciprocating said nozzle bars and delivery tubes transversely of said inclined doctor blade during addition. 17. Pattern dyeing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said mechanism for transversely reciprocating said nozzle bars and delivery tubes comprises: a reversible pneumatic actuator; and a limit switch arrangement for sensing the limit of nozzle bar travel in either direction and reversing said pneumatic actuator when a limit of travel is reached. 18. Apparatus for producing diffused variegated patterns in pile fabrics comprising: (a) an applicator member having (i) an applicator edge positionable parallel to and across a width of moving length of fabric, and (ii) a smooth upper surface inclined toward said applicator edge; (b) means for delivering a first coating material onto said smooth upper surface to form a continuous sheet thereof flowing by gravity toward said applicator edge; (c) a distribution means including (i) at least one array of nozzles positioned for delivery of at least one additional coating material onto the continuous sheet upstream of said applicator edge, said array of nozzles including at least one row of nozzles aligned transversely of the path of travel of the fabric, (ii) an elongate distributor member having a plurality of apertures therein, (iii) a plurality of conduits in individual communication between one of said distributor apertures and one of said nozzles, said conduits each including a flexible duct and a valve and (iv) delivery means for selectively delivering said additional coating material through selected nozzles of said array of nozzles to interdisperse with the continuous sheet of the first coating material while upon said smooth upper surface; and (d) a supporting bed for supporting a length of fabric in a substantially horizontal position to permit the length of fabric to move in a downstream direction and to permit the first and additional coating materials to penetrate into the fabric by force of gravity when the fabric is on the supporting bed. 19. Apparatus for producing diffused variegated patterns in fabrics comprising: (a) an applicator member having an applicator edge positionable across the width of a length of fabric moving in a downstream direction, and a smooth upper surface on said applicator member and inclined toward said applicator edge; (b) means for delivering a first coating material onto said smooth upper surface to form a continuous sheet thereof flowing by gravity toward said applicator edge; (c) a distribution means comprised of: (i) at least one array of nozzles positioned for delivery of at least one additional coating material onto the continuous sheet upstream of said applicator edge, said array of nozzles including at least one row of nozzles aligned transversely of the path of travel of the fabric; (ii) an elongate distributor member having a plurality of apertures therein, (iii) a plurality of conduits, each conduit in individual communication between one of said distributor apertures and one of said nozzles, and the conduits including a flexible duct and a valve and (iv) delivery means for selectively delivering said additional coating material through selected nozzles of said array of nozzles to interdisperse with the continuous sheet of coating material while on said smooth upper surface; and (d) means for supporting the fabric to permit the coating materials flowing over the applicator edge to penetrate the fabric by force of gravity. 20. The apparatus of claim 18 in which said flexible ducts are of equal length and of sufficiently low flow area to comprise flow-stabilizing resistance lines, whereby dripping of material at said nozzles is precluded when said valve in said conduit is closed. 21. The apparatus of claim 19 in which said flexible ducts are of equal length and of sufficiently low flow area to comprise flow-stabilizing resistance lines, whereby dripping of material at said nozzles is precluded when said valve in said conduit is closed.