A dyeing apparatus (10) for dyeing a continuous and moving textile support (100), the dyeing apparatus (10) comprising a single tank (12) which comprises in turn:
- at least one side wall (14), which is substantially vertical and completely surrounds said tank (12);
- at least one bottom wall (16), which has a convex outer surface;
- at least one first inner partition wall (18), which faces a first inner surface (14A) of said side wall (14) placed at an edge (22) for the entry of said textile support (100) into said tank (12), and at least one second inner partition wall (20), which faces a second inner surface (14B) of said side wall (14) placed at an edge (24) for the exit of said textile support (100) from said tank (12), wherein at least one dyeing compartment (26) of said tank (12) is provided between said first inner partition wall (18) and said second inner partition wall (20), wherein a first interspace (28) for the passage of said textile support (100) from said entry edge (22) to said dyeing compartment (26) is provided between said first inner partition wall (18) and said first inner surface (14A) of said side wall (14), and wherein a second interspace (30) for the passage of said textile support (100) from said dyeing compartment (26) to said exit edge (24) is provided between said second inner partition wall (20) and said second inner surface (14B) of said side wall (14);
- at least one upper lid (32), which engages in a mobile or removable manner on said first inner partition wall (18), on said second inner partition wall (20) and on the upper side channels of said tank (12), forming a perimeter system for watertight sealing of said dyeing compartment (26);
- a first hydraulic circuit (34, 36;
- 38, 40), which is designed to feed a first process fluid (B) into said tank (12), to circulate said first process fluid (B) inside said tank (12) and to discharge said first process fluid (B) from said tank (12), so that said first process fluid (B) can flow both in said dyeing compartment (26) and in said first interspace (28) and second interspace (30);
- and
- a second fluid circuit (42), which is designed to feed a second process fluid (N) into said dyeing compartment (26), to circulate said second process fluid (N) inside said dyeing compartment (26) and to discharge said second process fluid (N) from said dyeing compartment (26), so that said second process fluid (N) can only flow into said dyeing compartment (26) due to the watertight seal performed by said first process fluid (B) contained in said first interspace (28) and second interspace (30),
- wherein said first hydraulic circuit (34, 36;
- 38, 40) for feeding said first process fluid (B) into said tank (12), for circulating said first process fluid (B) inside said tank (12) and for discharging said first process fluid (B) from said tank (12) comprises:
- first means (34, 36) for entry/exit of said first process fluid (B), which are operatively connected to said tank (12) and are positioned at a first distance (D1) from the lower end of said bottom wall (16), so as to feed said first process fluid (B) up to a first predefined filling level (L1) both in said dyeing compartment (26) and in said first interspace (28) and second interspace (30);
- and
- second means (38, 40) for entry/exit of said first process fluid (B), which are operatively connected to said tank (12) and are positioned at a second distance (D2) from the lower end of said bottom wall (16), wherein said second distance (D2) is greater than said first distance (D1), so as to feed said first process fluid (B) up to a second predefined filling level (L2) both in said dyeing compartment (26) and in said first interspace (28) and second interspace (30), and wherein said second predefined filling level (L2) is greater than said first predefined filling level (L1).