System and method for spray dyeing fabrics

1. A system for dyeing fabric, the fabric being tubular, comprising:

(a) a fabric positioning station comprising:

(i) a spreader bar or former that opens and substantially flattens the fabric with a first outer surface of the fabric above the spreader and a second outer surface of the fabric below the spreader, the fabric having a width;

(ii) a roller downstream of the spreader for drawing the flattened fabric from the spreader, the roller having a plurality of raised ribs for maintaining tension in the fabric;

(b) a dye spray station downstream of the fabric positioning station for receiving the fabric comprising:

(i) a first dye supply manifold and a second dye supply manifold;

at least one spray nozzle in liquid communication with each dye supply manifold for spray dyeing the flattened fabric evenly across the width of the first and second outer surfaces of the fabric, respectively;

(c) a dye fixation station downstream of the dye spray station for receiving the dyed fabric, wherein the dye is chemically affixed to the fabric; and

(d) at least a first rinse station downstream of the dye fixation station for receiving the dyed fabric, wherein residual materials are removed from the dyed fabric.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a dye supply source;

(b) a fluid pump for transferring the dye from the dye supply source through a flow meter to regulate the flow of dye through the at least one spray nozzle; and

(c) a pressure regulator downstream of the flow meter to regulate the pressure of the dye to the dye supply manifold and through the spray nozzle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the dye fixation station comprises:

(a) a steam box for receiving spray dyed fabric from the dye spray station and exposing the spray dyed fabric to steam at atmospheric conditions; and

(b) a plurality of rollers arranged to move the spray dyed fabric through the steam box.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the steam box is configured for a temperature of between about 175 degrees Fahrenheit and 210 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of between about 60 percent and 90 percent.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of rollers define a fabric path of at least 8 linear yards.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of rollers are configured to rotate at a speed sufficient to expose the spray dyed fabric to steam for at least 3 minutes.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first rinse station comprises:

(a) a first pair of rinse spray nozzles, one of the pair directed to spray a rinse fluid downwardly onto incoming dyed fabric, and the other of the pair directed to spray a rinse fluid upwardly onto the incoming dyed fabric; and

(b) a pair of nip rollers downstream for the first pair of rinse spray nozzles for extracting the rinse fluid.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein one of the pair of rinse spray nozzles is directed vertically downward onto the incoming dyed fabric, and the other of the pair directed vertically upward onto the incoming dyed fabric.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a second pair of rinse spray nozzles downstream of the first pair of rinse spray nozzles and upstream of the nip rollers, one of the second pair directed angularly downward onto the dyed fabric toward the nip rollers and the other of the pair directed angularly upward onto the dyed fabric toward the nip rollers.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second rinse station downstream of the first rinse station, wherein the second rinse station comprises:

(a) a pair of rinse spray nozzles;

(b) a pair of nip rollers downstream of the rinse spray nozzles; and

(c) wherein one of the pair of rinse spray nozzles is directed angularly downward onto the dyed fabric toward the nip rollers and the other of the pair is directed angularly upward onto the dyed fabric toward the nip rollers.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a dryer downstream of the at least one rinse station.

12. A process for dyeing tubular knitted fabric, comprising:

(a) continuously moving the fabric in a machine direction;

(b) opening the fabric with a spreader bar or former to flatten the fabric, wherein the fabric has a first outer surface above the spreader and a second outer surface below the spreader, and a width;

(c) drawing the fabric over a roller having a plurality of raised ribs for maintaining tension in the fabric;

(d) advancing the fabric through a dye station and spraying the first and second outer surfaces of the flattened fabric with a dye evenly across the width of the fabric; and

(e) advancing the fabric through a fixation station and exposing the fabric to atmospheric steam to chemically react and affix the dye to the fabric.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the dye spray saturates the fabric to between about 65 percent and 85 percent.

14. The process of claim 12 wherein the atmospheric steam is between about 175 degrees Fahrenheit and 210 degrees Fahrenheit and between about 60 percent relative humidity and 90 percent relative humidity.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the fabric is exposed to the atmospheric steam for at least 3 minutes.

16. The process of claim 12 further comprising applying heat to the fabric to act as a catalyst to start the reaction of the dye with the fabric before advancing the fabric through the fixation station.

17. The process of claim 12 , further comprising advancing the dyed fabric through at least one rinse station and rinsing off unfixed dye from the dyed fabric, using a plurality of spray nozzles, after exposing the fabric to the atmospheric steam.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the roller having a plurality of raised ribs comprises a scroll roll having angled ribs diverging outwardly from a center of the roller toward opposed ends of the roller, the angled ribs formed to pull the fabric outwardly toward the opposed ends when the scroll roll rotates.

19. The process of claim 12 , wherein the raised ribs of the roller are angled to pull the fabric outwardly toward opposed ends of the roller when the roller rotates.