Conveyor-driven horizontal fabric dyeing machine

Abstract

A conveyor-driven horizontal fabric dyeing machine includes a machine body that is set horizontal and has a bottom to which a liquid storage tank is mounted at a predetermined location and is lower, in position, than the bottom of the machine body. The liquid storage tank has a volumetric capacity that is large enough to accommodate all or most of the amount of dye liquid falling down and returning from a rear end of a dyeing tube so as to greatly reduce the amount of the dye liquid used. Further, alternatively or additionally, a heat exchanger or a filter may be separately mounted in the liquid storage tank or both the heat exchanger and the filter are mounted in the liquid storage tank to carry out temperature raising/lowering and filtration of the dye liquid. As such, the structure of the dyeing machine is simplified.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A conveyor-driven horizontal fabric dyeing machine, comprising a machine body in which a conveyor device is mounted for conveying the fabric to move forward, the machine body having a bottom to which a liquid storage tank is mounted, a pump being connected between the liquid storage tank and a nozzle such that the pump draws dye liquid contained in the liquid storage tank for supply to the nozzle and a dyeing tube to dye the fabric and thereafter, the dye liquid is conducted to directly fall back into the liquid storage tank;
 wherein the machine body set in a horizontal configuration and the liquid storage tank is mounted to the bottom of the machine body at a predetermined location, the liquid storage tank having a volumetric capacity sufficient to accommodate all or most of an amount of the dye liquid that circulates with the fabric to fall from the dyeing tube down back to the machine body during a dyeing operation in which the pump is in operation.   
     
     
         2 . The conveyor-driven horizontal fabric dyeing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid storage tank is provided therein with one of a heat exchanger and a filter. 
     
     
         3 . The conveyor-driven horizontal fabric dyeing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid storage tank is provided therein with both a heat exchanger and a filter.