BACKGROUND
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the technical areas of a continuous open width fabric washing
range, specifically involves the improvement of transportation mechanism for under
liquid fabric transportation.
Related art
[0002] On a continuous open width fabric washing range, fabric will run through the washing
compartments from going down into water and lifting up from water many times continuously
driven by drums and rollers. The effectiveness of washing is the most important factor
for a washing range but the satiability of fabric running condition is also playing
a very important role here. If the fabric running condition is not stable, it will
cause fabric elongation, uneven shrinkage and uneven washing. In order to achieve
stable running condition, a steady and controllable fabric running tension is the
most important factor.
[0003] As the minimum fabric running tension is bringing the benefit of least elongation,
the best shrinkage, and even washing; fabric running tension has become one of the
most critical issues on the design of continuous washing ranges. Basically, the fabric
running tension is controlled by the synchronization of all driven drums and rollers
on the continuous washing range. In principle, if all the driven drums and rollers
are perfectly synchronized, zero tension could be achieved. In fact, it is not the
case as fabric will be going down into water for under liquid washing and lifting
up from water for water spraying on fabric's top surface. So, the fabric is actually
transported by many drums and rollers in different diameters, some of them are installed
under water and some of them are installed above water. The fabric is transported
by driven drums and roller through the pulling force which is equal to the frictional
force generated by the surface friction, the roller surface area, and the fabric running
tension.
[0004] Assuming that the fabric width is the same, and at the same fabric running tension,
the maximum frictional force is found on the driven top drum where fabric is wrapping
the top section of drum with maximum nominal weight with its own fabric weight. And
the least frictional force is always observed at the driven lower drum under liquid
as fabric is only wrapping the lower section of the drum where minimum nominal weight
is found due to the fact that the fabric is only floating under liquid as its fabric
weight is neglected.
[0005] As a result, maximizing the frictional force on the lower drum under liquid is the
solution of stabilizing the fabric running condition, realizing the better synchronization,
and finally the solution to achieve lower fabric running tension.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0006] As per descriptions above, the target of this invention is to solve the existing
problems such as fabric elongation, uneven shrinkage, uneven washing on the continuous
open width fabric washing range; which caused by the under liquid fabric transportation
where fabric is not being transported sufficiently due to the insufficient friction
between the under liquid driven drums and the fabric being transported under liquid.
[0007] In order to tackle to technical problems raises by this invention, the technical
solution being used is: the under liquid fabric transportation mechanism on the continuous
open width washing range, its characteristic is that such mechanism includes a driven
rotor being installed inside the driven drum in the washing compartment; the said
driven drum includes an external drum with support side plates and bushings on both
ends, the two sets of bushings can be rotated on the rotor shafts installed on the
washing compartment; the said external drum is punched with perforated holes on its
surface for passing through of circulating liquid; the said drive rotor is having
driven shafts which mounted on the side plated of the rotor, both shafts are installed
with mechanical seals, one driven shaft is extended outside the washing compartment
for driven motor installation; the said driven rotor is having the paddling profiles
on its circumference.
[0008] The said under liquid fabric transportation mechanism, its characteristic is that;
the said bushing is mounted with chain sprocket, and the chain sprocket is driven
by chain links which connected to the driven mechanism.
[0009] The said under liquid fabric transportation mechanism, its characteristic is that;
the driven shaft are installed in the bearing housings mounted on both sides of the
washing compartment, there are mechanical seal between the bushing and the driven
shaft.
[0010] The said under liquid fabric transportation mechanism, its characteristic is that;
there are ball bearings installed between the shafts and the bearing housings.
[0011] The effect of this invention is: to achieve the minimum fabric running tension for
least elongation and best shrinkage, the solution is to design a mechanism which increases
the surface friction between the lower perforated drum surface and the fabric. On
this design, the Bernoulli's principle is implied. The new design named "Cyclone Rotor"
will be rotated at variable speed inside the lower perforated drum which causes the
spinning of water inside the drum. As per the Bernoulli's principle, the high speed
spinning water is creating a lower pressure inside the perforated drum while the water
outside the drum is relatively steady. And such pressure difference inside and outside
the drum has created a suction effect while the fabric is transporting by this drum.
As the suction effect has implied the same as increasing the friction between the
drum and the fabric, the same frictional force can be maintained even with the less
fabric running tension. As the pulling force for transporting the fabric on the lower
perforated drum is secured, the lower fabric running tension along with the smoother
fabric running condition is achieved.
Descriptions of Drawings
[0012]
Drawing 1: An illustration on this invention;
Drawing 2: The A-A section of drawing 1;
Drawing 3: A 3-D illustration on this invention.
Models for carrying the invention
[0013] The implementation (with explanations of the descriptions on the drawing) is described
as follow.
[0014] As per drawing 1, 2, & 3, the under liquid fabric transportation mechanism on the
continuous open width washing range, including the under liquid driven drum 2 and
its driven rotor 3 are installed inside the washing compartment 1. The main function
of the driven drum 2 is to transport the fabric 4 which the fabric 4 will be washed
after passing through the washing compartment 1; the driven rotor 3 inside the driven
drum 2 will be rotated in relatively higher speed inside the driven drum 2 which creates
a lower pressure inside the perforated drum while the water is relatively steady outside
the drum. Such pressure difference between the volumes inside and outside the perforated
drum has created a suction effect while the fabric is transported by the drum. As
a result, the friction between the perforated drum and the fabric is increased by
such suction effect.
[0015] The structure of the driven drum 2 includes the external drum 21, the eternal drums
are connected to bushings 23 which supported by the side plates 22. The external drum
21 is punched with perforated holes 211 on its surface for passing through of circulating
liquid. In order to synchronize the linear speed of the driven drum 2, and the upper
drum above the liquid surface inside the washing compartment 1, the bushings 23 are
mounted with chain sprocket 24. And the chain sprocket 24 is linked with chain links
25 which connected to the driven mechanism 26.
[0016] The driven rotor 3 installed inside the external drum 21, which is a co-axial system
with the rotor body 31, the rotor body 31 is connected by rotor side plates 32 which
connected to the driven shafts 33, the driven shafts 33 are connected to bushings
23 and one of the driven shafts 33 is extended outside the washing compartment for
driven motor 5 installation; the rotor body 31 is having the paddling profiles 311
on its circumference. There is running fit between the rotor body 31 and the external
drum 21, the paddling profiles 311 will push the liquid away from external drum 21
and create a relatively low pressure inside the driven drum 2, while liquid outside
the external drum 2 is passing through the perforated holes 211 going inside the external
drum 2, the fabric 4 will be hold on the surface of the external drum 2 caused by
the suction effect above, and the fabric running tension can be reduced.
[0017] In order to avoid leakage for liquid from the driven shafts 33 when the liquid level
in washing compartment 1 is higher than driven shafts 33, mechanical seals 11 are
used on the driven shafts 33 on the connection to the washing compartment 1. Lip seals
12 are used between the driven shafts 33 and the mechanical seals 11. Bearings 13
are also used in this driven shafts and mechanical seals 11 assembly.
1. Under liquid fabric transportation mechanism on a continuous open width washing range,
wherein such mechanism includes a drive rotor being installed inside a driven drum
in a washing compartment; the said driven drum includes an external drum with support
side plates and bushings on both ends, the two sets of bushings can be rotated on
rotor shafts installed on the washing compartment; the said external drum is punched
with perforated holes on its surface for passing through of circulating liquid; the
said drive rotor is having driven shafts which are mounted on the side plated of the
rotor, both shafts are installed with mechanical seals, one driven shaft is extended
outside the washing compartment for driven motor installation; the said drive rotor
has paddling profiles on its circumference.
2. The under liquid fabric transportation mechanism on a continuous open width washing
range according to claim 1, the said under liquid fabric transportation mechanism
characterized that the said bushing is mounted with a chain sprocket, and the chain
sprocket is driven by chain links which are connected to the driven mechanism.
3. The under liquid fabric transportation mechanism on a continuous open width washing
range according to claim 1, the said under liquid fabric transportation mechanism
characterized in that the driven shaft are installed in bearing housings mounted on both sides of the washing
compartment, and there are mechanical seals between the bushing and the driven shaft.
4. The under liquid fabric transportation mechanism on the continuous open width washing
range according to claim 3, the said under liquid fabric transportation mechanism
characterized in that there are ball bearings installed between the shafts and the bearing housings.