Fulling machine for textile material in continuous rope form or in hose form

In a fulling and washing machine for textile materials in continuous rope or hose form, including a tub having side walls and an at least partially sloping bottom wall, at least one pair of superimposed presser and dragger rollers rotatably mounted above said bottom wall, means to drive each pair of rollers rotatably about their own axes at the same surface speed, said rollers being adapted to receive and cooperatively drive between the rollers of each pair continuous endless bands of fabrics in continuous rope or hose form, the presser roller being held pressed against the dragger roller, a fulling channel downstream of said rollers having an entrance opening, a further channel between each pair of rollers and the entrance opening of the fulling channel, a reciprocating pusher operatively associated with and in said fulling channel to cause the fabric to be fed forward therethrough, drive means to reciprocate said pusher, a basin containing a fulling liquor to be applied to the fabric positioned upstream of said rollers, and a partitioning and guiding frame positioned upstream of said rollers to keep the fabric endless bands spaced apart from each other, the improvement comprising said further channel is an introductory channel into which the fabric is passed from said rollers, a second pusher mounted on said tub so that it is movable in said introductory channel to engage and feed forward said fabric coming from said rollers towards said entrance opening of the fulling channel, means to reciprocate said second pusher synchronously with the reciprocation of the pusher operating in the fulling channel so that it is positioned near the exit end of said introductory channel when the pusher in the fulling channel is in a position wherein it is at least substantially withdrawn from the fulling channel to establish a free communication for said fabric between the introductory channel and the fulling channel.