A NOZZLE SYSTEM TO BE USED FOR DRYING PURPOSES IN RAM

MACHINES The present invention relates to a nozzle system to be used for drying purposes in the ram machines, wherein the performance and efficiency of the drying process that is carried out in the ram machines are increased by using the said system.

The products that achieve moisture as a result of any process in textile need drying processes during the production steps. However, in order for the final moisture that should be present in the product depending on its type to vary and for the structural deformations that may come out generally in heat not to be emerged, it is needed that the dying process be continued under control and ceased when the desired values are obtained. In practice, drying machines are used for the said purpose, which operate depending on the methods classified according to their types of heat transfer and which are analyzed under the title of drying. The main drying machines which have more complicated structure than that of pre-drying methods operating mechanically, and which have first investment and enterprise expenditures can be produced in many different types depending on the special applications.

The most important example of drying machines is the ram machines. The rams are the drying machines, in which the fabrics are transversely attached from its edges by means of needles or lapels, the fabric is moved by means of double-moving chains, during which the hot air is transmitted to the fabric. Although the first investment and enterprise cost of the ram machines is quite high, they are the mostly-preferred drying machines since the dimensional form of the textile products can be controlled and they can be used in drying, condensation and thermofixing processes. In the ram machines, the fabric can be formed in desired width and length values, the wrinkles on the fabric can be removed, and the fabric-pass can be provided without touching anywhere other than the holders at the edge of the fabric. With the pressured hot air sprayed at the lower and upper surfaces of the fabric by means of the nozzles, the water present in the moist fabric evaporates and the air that contains water vapor is kept away from the fabric by means of a controlled exhaust fan apparatus, and therefore the fabric leaves the machine in a dried form. At the output of the ram machine, there are a cooling mechanism and wrapping equipments in order to prevent the dried textile product from extremely drying following the drying process.

In the ram machines, there are some divisions in a length of 1.5-3 meter, the number of which can be determined depending on the product type. Each division is heated in the desired temperature in a stabilized and equal manner. The temperature is kept under control by means of an automation unit. In these divisions, the fabric is moved by means of an air bag by being hold only from their edges without touching anywhere, and pressured hot air is sprayed from the nozzles onto the fabric surface. The fiber flies and the dusts that are separated from the fabric with the effect of pressured air during the drying process, are kept away from the environment by means of an absorbent apparatus with a special screen. Since the drying process should be carried out in low temperatures with slow air current in order for the fibers not to be damaged while drying the wools and woolen products, multi-layer ram machines are developed in which the fabric changes its direction one or several times in the dryer depending on its construction and goes out from the input part. For the knit products, on the other hand, the ram machines with conveyor belt are used; therefore the product can achieve the desired palpation. Since the palpation of the knit products is sensitive, the rams are used in the vertical chain construction, and the best palpation is achieved with the working speed determined depending on the type of the fabric in drying and fixing processes .

The ram machines are generally used in the fixing process following the finishing process, thermofixing process of the synthetic fabrics, in the drying and fixing process of the fabrics following the dyeing-pressure process, and the drying process following the other finishing processes.

The above-mentioned drying processes in the ram machines are carried out by means of the nozzles located in the cabins inside the ram machines. Thanks to the said nozzles, hot air is blown all-through the cabin and therefore the moist fabric located inside the cabin is dried. There are channels, on the surface of which are holes, which are qualified as nozzle. Therefore, hot air is continuously sent into the cabins by means of the said channels.

In order to spread the air into the cabin during the drying process carried out in the ram machines, some fans activating the hot air are used. The hot air activated by the fans is sprayed on the fabric which is on the move inside the cabin, in a pressurized manner by the nozzles. Due to the process planned inside the cabin, the process of blowing onto the fabric is carried out both from the bottom and upper part of the desired fabric.

In the nozzle systems of the ram machines that are used in the state of art, the hot air is given into the cabin from the same direction. The nozzles that are consecutively located at the same upper side of the cabins provide the hot air to the moving fabric in the machine, always beginning from the same side. However, in this system the fabric which is moving at the air-input part of the nozzle is dried excessively all the time, while the fabric that is moving at the opposite side of the air-input part of the nozzle cannot be dried completely. The pressure of the hot air going out of the holes that are located at the air- input part of the nozzle is much more compared to the pressure of the air going out of the holes located on the progressing parts of the nozzle. Therefore the fabric is dried inside the cabin, the hot air cannot affect the fabric homogenously, and the fabric cannot be dried homogenously . The fact that the fabric cannot be dried homogenously prevents to produce more qualified fabric in the next steps of the fabric production process.

In the nozzle systems that are used in the state of art, there is one single fan which directs the air to the nozzles. The air provided to both the upper and the lower part of the fabric is directed by means of one single fan. The blowing movement applied by means of one single fan is transferred to both the lower and the upper part of the fabric by using a separation system. However since there is only one single fan which induces air into the cabin, in the case that this single fan is broken, the cabin cannot be used. Moreover, in the case that different amount of air is desired to be blown onto the lower and upper parts of the system, the single-fan systems become dysfunctional. Furthermore, the possibility of the air-separating systems, which are used to direct the air received from one fan separately to the lower and upper part of the fabric, to become out of order is quite high. And in the case that these systems become out of order, the hot air cannot be provided into the cabin properly and the system stops.

Description of -the Drawings

1. The top view of the transverse nozzle system

2. The enlarged view of the nozzle air holes

3. The top view of the transverse nozzle blocks

4. The separate view of the nozzle system from both sides

5. The open view of the burner and fan system

Description of the Parts

1. Fan housings

2. The upper wing of the nozzle

3. The lower wing of the nozzle

4. Air holes of the nozzle

5. Fan case

6. Burner

7. Nozzle block

In the ram machines according to the present invention, there are at least 4 fans for each cabin inside a nozzle system that can be used for drying purpose. 2 of these fans direct the hot air to the lower part of the fabric, while the other 2 fans to the upper part. By this means, even if one of these fans gets out of order, the cabin can go on its drying process thanks to the other fans. Consequently, the risk for the ram machine to operate with missing cabin is eliminated. In the present invention, in order for the cabin to be disabled, 4 fans should be broken down at the same time. Moreover, in the 4-fan system of the present invention, since the air given to the lower and upper part of the fabric is supplied by separate fans, the amount of hot air can be adjusted by the user. In addition to these, since no separating system is used in order to direct the air and to separate the air into two nozzles, the problems experienced because of air-separating systems are also eliminated.

By using the 4-fan system according to the present invention, the hot air given into the cabin provides a more homogenous drying process inside the cabin.

By using the 4-fan system, the temperature inside the cabin during the intermediate stops of the ram machine can be kept stable with minimum circulation.

4-fan systems can operate in a more controlled way compared to the single-fan systems. Therefore the energy-consuming costs of the system decreases and the fan system achieves a 30%-energy save.

Since the nozzles of the nozzle system that can be used for drying purposes in the ram machines according to the present invention are arranged in each cabin in a direction opposite to that of the previous cabin, the hot air goes into each cabin from the opposite side and therefore a more homogenous drying process can be obtained. Consequently, following the drying process, it is provided that the whole of fabric surface be dried equally and a more qualified production is obtained in the next steps of the fabric production process.

The present invention relates to a nozzle system to be used for drying purposes in the ram machines, comprising preferably 4 fan housings (1) that are located in front of a burner (6), wherein there are 4 fans located inside the said fan housings (1) . Two of the said fans provide hot air to the upper wings (2) of the nozzles, while the other two fans provide air to the lower wings (3) of the nozzle. If it is desired, the fan system can be designed by making use of different number of fans, instead of 4 fans. However in this case, the number of fans in the said fan system needs to be an even number. In this case, when the total fan number is expressed as "2n", the n number of fans provide hot air to the upper wings (2) of the nozzle, while the remaining n number of fan provide hot air to the lower wings (3) of the nozzle.

The performance of the fans located on the front part of the burner (6) can be separately adjusted by the user and therefore different amounts of air can be provided to the upper wings (2) and the lower wings (3) of the nozzles. As a result, in the case that it is desired to dry the upper and lower parts of the fabric differently, different amounts of air is provided to the upper and lower parts of the fabric. The air provided separately to the upper wings (2) and the lower wings (3) of the nozzles by means of the fans is blown to the fabric by means of the nozzles. Thanks to the air provided from the nozzles, the fabric is dried on the system, between the nozzles and while moving. The air is transferred from the nozzles to the fabric by means of the nozzle air holes (4) that are located on the nozzles. The nozzle air holes (4) are put in a proper order all along the surfaces of the upper wings (2) and the lower wings (3) of the nozzles, which are facing the fabric.

In each cabin of the ram machine, there is a block nozzle upper wing (2) and nozzle lower wing (3) . In each nozzle block (7), there is equal number of nozzle upper wing (2) and nozzle lower wing (2) . The total number of nozzle wings that will be present in each nozzle block (7) will be determined depending on the characteristics of the process according to which the system will be used. Each nozzle block (7) is connected to the fan case (5) from one side. The other end of the nozzle block (7) is, on the other hand, located freely. The air input to the nozzle block (7) is provided by the fans by means of the channels positioned in the fan case (5) .

A nozzle system to be used for drying purposes in the ram machines according to the present invention comprises at least one nozzle block (7) located in each cabin. The nozzle block (7) located in each cabin, should be located in the opposite direction of the nozzle block (7) that is located in the previous cabin. While the fan case (5) to which the nozzle block (7) located in the first cabin is connected is fixed on one of the walls of the cabin, the fan case (5) of the nozzle block (7) that is located in the next cabin is fixed on the opposite wall of the cabin. All of the nozzle blocks (7) that are located all through the cabins positioned in the ram machine are placed in the opposite direction of the nozzle blocks (7) located in the previous cabin. Therefore, all of the nozzle blocks (7) located inside the ram machine are put in a transverse order, and while the drying process is more efficient on the one side of the fabric in a cabin, in the other cabin the other side of the fabric can be dried efficiently. As a result, thanks to the transverse nozzle system, a more homogeneous and efficient drying process is carried out in the ram machines.

A nozzle system to be used for drying purposes in the ram machines according to the present invention is suitable to be used not only in classical ram machines, but also in multi-layer ram machines for drying wool and woolen products and in the rams comprising a conveying belt to be used for knit products.