Exchange mechanism for film plates in an X-ray recording or displaying apparatus

• US 3,927,327 A
• Filed: 03/18/1974
• Issued: 12/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gunnar Valfrid Bermas
• Original Assignee: Gunnar Valfrid Bermas
• Inventors: Bermas, Gunnar Valfrid
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawrence, James W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, B. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/451,781
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 250/468,469,470,471,475,491,521
• US Class Current: 378/172
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/045 apparatus for loading or unloading the holders

Abstract

An exchange mechanism in X-ray recording or displaying apparatuses for feeding rectangular or square shaped X-ray film plates from a first store to active position for exposure or irradiation opposite an opening in a support plate and from this position after exposure or irradiation to a second store at the same time as always a new film plate is fed-in from the first store, comprising two similar feeding devices each situated at a corner of the film plate, when this is in the correct position for exposure or irradiation, and each consisting of a swingable or rotatable grip device adapted to grip the respective corner of the film plate and produce feeding-in and feeding-out of the film plate by a swinging motion of the film plate about an axis, which is perpendicular to the plane of the film plate, after the gripping of the respective corner.

Claims

1. An X-ray film plate exchanger mechanism for moving individual unexposed x-ray film plates of rectangular shape into an active position where exposure thereof may occur and for removing film plates from said active position, comprising:

a feeding-in mechanism comprising gripping apparatus for releasably gripping a corner of a film plate urged thereto, said gripping apparatus being mounted adjacent a corner of said active position for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the gripped film plate, swinging the film plate within its own plane about the gripped corner into said active position;

means for urging a corner of an exposed film plate toward said gripping apparatus of said feeding-in mechanism;

a feeding-out mechanism substantially the same as said feedingin mechanism, but positioned adjacent a separate corner of said active position for releasably gripping a separate corner of a film plate in said active position, swinging the film plate within its own plane about said separate gripped corner out of said active position.

2. An X-ray film exchanger mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said feeding-in mechanism and said feeding-out mechanism each comprises opposed sleeves rotatively mounted about said axis perpendicular to the gripped film plate for movement toward each other to grip a corner of a film plate therebetween, a controlled force producing mechanism for urging said sleeves together, and means for rotating at least one of said sleeves.

3. An X-ray film exchanger mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein one of said sleeves is continuously rotated.

4. An X-ray film exchanger mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein said feeding-in mechanism and feeding-out mechanism operate simultaneously, said feeding-in mechanism swinging an unexposed film plate into said active position over any portion of an exposed film plate still within said active region.