Process for smoothing and drying washed shaped articles of mixed fabric

A process for smoothing shaped articles of mixed fabric having both synthetic and natural fibers, comprising the steps of:

• (a) washing said articles at a first temperature;
• (b) suspending said washed articles from support apparatus;
• (c) heating said articles by conveying said suspended washed articles through a heating chamber until said articles are heated to a temperature at least equal to said first temperature and become substantially isothermal throughout by maintaining atmosphere within said heating chamber at a wet bulb temperature at least equal to said first temperature by introduction of steam and air therein;
• (d) drying said heated washed articles by conveying said suspended articles through a plurality of serially disposed drying chamber sections and directing drying air at said moving suspended articles within each of said drying chamber sections at sufficient velocity to agitate said moving suspended articles by:
• i. introducing drying air serially into said drying chamber sections in order reverse from that encountered by said suspended articles during conveyance thereof through said drying chamber sections;
• ii. heating said serially traveling drying air intermediate each of said drying chamber sections of said plurality;
• wherein said wet bulb temperature of said heating chamber is maintained by
• (e) introducing said heated drying air leaving a drying chamber section which is first encountered by said articles during conveyance thereof through said serially disposed drying chamber sections into said heating chamber as high humidity heating air by discharging said heated drying air through a steam environment into said heating chamber;
• wherein said drying air for introduction into said first drying chamber section is obtained by
• (f) discharging said high humidity heating air from said heating chamber
• (g) removing condensate from said high humidity heating air;
• (h) cooling said high humidity heated air thereby reducing relative humidity thereof to produce relatively dry cooler air;
• (i) heating said relatively dry cooler air to produce heated relatively dry air for repeated serial passage through said drying chamber sections according to substeps i. and ii.

A process for smoothing shaped articles of mixed fabric having both synthetic and natural fibers, comprising the steps of:

• (a) washing said articles at a first temperature;
• (b) conveying said washed articles through a closed heating chamber until said articles are a temperature at least equal to said first temperature and substantially isothermal throughout;
• wherein atmosphere within said heating chamber is maintained at a substantially uniform wet bulb temperature at least equal to said first temperature by introduction of air thereinto by passage of said air through a steam environment;
• (c) drying said heated washed articles by conveying said articles through a plurality of serially disposed drying chamber sections defining a closed drying chamber and directing drying air laterally at said articles within each of said drying chamber sections at sufficient velocity to agitate said articles and thereby tighten, smooth and dry said fabric by:
• i. introducing a stream of drying air first into the drying chamber section lastly encountered by said articles upon conveying through said drying chamber sections and thereafter serially into said drying chamber sections in order reverse from that traversed by said articles during conveyance thereof through said drying chamber sections;
• ii. serially removing said drying air from said respective drying chamber sections and heating said drying air intermediate each of said drying sections of said plurality;
• said introducing, removing and heating steps being performed in a closed system without the introduction of substantial additional air;
• iii. introducing said stream of heated drying air leaving a drying chamber section firstly encountered by said articles upon conveyance through said drying chamber sections into said heating chamber as high humidity heating air without the introduction of substantial excess air by discharging said stream of heated drying air through a steam environment into said heating chamber;
• iv. conveying said high humidity heating air from said heating chamber via a conduit to a heat exchanger;
• v. removing condensate from said high humidity heating air in said heat exchanger
• iv. conveying said high humidity air from which said condensate has been removed via a second conduit to a second heat exchanger
• vii. cooling said high humidity heated air in said second heat exchanger thereby reducing relative humidity thereof to produce relatively dry cooler air;
• viii. conveying said relatively dry cooler air back to said first mentioned heat exchanger via a third conduit;
• ix. heating said relatively dry cooler air in said first mentioned heat exchanger to produce heated relatively dry air for repeated serial passage through said drying chamber sections;
• wherein the steps of element c. are performed repetitively and serially in the order recited and define circulation of said heating and drying air about a substantially closed circuit open only to said steam environment and passageways for entry and exit of said articles to and from said heating and drying chambers.

A process for smoothing shaped articles of mixed fabric having both synthetic and natural fibres, comprising the steps of:

• (a) washing said articles at a first temperature;
• (b) conveying said washed articles through a heating chamber until said articles are a temperature at least equal to said first temperature and substantially isothermal throughout;
• wherein atmosphere within said heating chamber is maintained at least equal to said first temperature by introduction of steam and air therein;
• (c) drying said heated washed articles by conveying said articles through a plurality of serially disposed drying chamber sections and directing drying air at said articles within each of said drying chamber sections at sufficient velocity to agitate said articles and thereby tighten, smooth and dry said fabric, said drying air being directed at said articles in first and lastly encountered drying chamber sections at air velocity reduced from that in said drying chamber sections intermediate said firstly and lastly encountered sections, by:
• i. introducing a stream of heated drying air first into the drying chamber section lastly encountered by said articles upon conveying through said drying chamber sections and there after serially into said drying chamber sections in order reverse from that traversed by said articles during conveyance thereof through said drying chamber sections;
• ii. heating dry air intermediate each of said drying chamber sections of said plurality;
• iii. introducing said stream of heated drying air leaving said drying chamber section firstly encountered by said articles during conveyance thereof through said serially disposed drying chamber sections into said heating chamber
• iv. discharging said high humidity heating air from said heating chamber;
• v. removing condensate from said high humidity heating air;
• vi. cooling said high humidity heating air;
• prior to repeated serial passage through said drying chamber sections
• wherein the steps of element c are performed repetitively and serially in the order recited.

A process for smoothing shaped articles of mixed fabric having both synthetic and natural fibers, comprising the steps of:

• (a) washing said articles at a first temperature;
• (b) suspending said washed articles from support apparatus;
• (c) heating said articles by conveying said suspended washed articles through a heating chamber until said articles are heated to a temperature at least equal to said first temperature and become substantially isothermal throughout by maintaining atmosphere within said heating chamber at least equal to said first temperature by introduction of steam and air therein;
• (d) drying said heated washed articles by conveying said suspended articles through a plurality of serially disposed drying chamber sections and directing drying air at said moving suspended articles within each of said drying chamber sections at sufficient velocity to agitate said moving suspended articles, said drying air being directed at said articles in firstly and lastly encountered drying chamber sections at air velocity reduced from that in said drying chamber sections intermediate said firstly and lastly encountered sections, thereby tightening, smoothing and drying said fabric, by:
• i. introducing drying air serially into said drying chamber sections in order reverse from that encountered by said suspended articles during conveyance thereof through said drying chamber sections;
• ii. heating said serially travelling drying air intermediate each of said drying chamber sections of said plurality;
• wherein said temperature of said heating chamber is maintained by
• (e) introducing said heated drying air leaving said drying chamber section firstly encountered by said articles during conveyance thereof through said serially disposed drying chamber sections into said heating chamber;
• wherein said drying air for introduction into said first drying chamber section is obtained by
• (f) discharging said high humidity heating air from said heating chamber;
• (g) removing condensate from said high humidity heating air;
• (h) cooling said high humidity heated air for repeated passage through said drying chamber sections according to substeps i. and ii.

A process for smoothing shaped articles of mixed fabric having both synthetic and natural fibers, comprising the steps of:

• (a) washing said articles at a first temperature;
• (b) conveying said washed articles through a closed heating chamber until said articles are a temperature at least equal to said first temperature and substantially isothermal throughout;
• wherein atmosphere within said heating chamber is maintained at least equal to said first temperature by introduction of air thereinto by passage of said air through a steam environment;
• (c) drying said heated washed articles by conveying said articles through a plurality of serially disposed drying chamber sections defining a closed drying chamber and directing drying air laterally at said articles within each of said drying chamber sections at sufficient velocity to agitate said articles and thereby tighten, smooth and dry said fabric by:
• i. introducing a stream of drying air first into the drying chamber section lastly encountered by said articles upon conveying through said drying chamber sections and thereafter serially into said drying chamber sections in order reverse from that traversed by said articles during conveyance thereof through said drying chamber sections;
• ii. serially removing said drying air from said respective drying chamber sections and heating said drying air intermediate each of said drying chamber sections of said plurality by exposing said drying air to heat of steam flowing serially in the same direction as said drying air with respect to said drying chamber sections;
• said introducing the stream of drying air, removing and heating steps being performed in a closed system without introduction of substantial additional air;
• iii. introducing said stream of heated drying air leaving a drying chamber section firstly encountered by said articles upon conveyance through said drying chamber sections into said heating chamber;
• iv. conveying said high humidity heating air from said heating chamber via a conduit to a heat exchanger;
• v. removing condensate from said high humidity heating air in said heat exchanger;
• vi. conveying said high humidity air from which said condensate has been removed via a second conduit to a second heat exchanger;
• vii. cooling said high humidity heated air in said second heat exchanger for repeated passage through said drying chamber sections;
• wherein the steps of element c are performed repetitively and serially in the order rectied and define circulation of said heating and drying air about a substantially closed circuit open only to said steam environment and at passageways for entry and exit of said articles to and from said heating and drying chambers.