Automatic machine to load and unload films in radiography cassettes of differing formats, comprising:
- a first operation station in which inserting means operate to insert the radiography cassettes, one at a time, in the machine and to expel the reloaded radiography cassette therefrom;
- a second operation station, arranged subsequent to the first station, having at least one conveying means and at least one pushing means, in operation for carrying the incoming radiography cassette to contact at least one striker element, with associated detecting means for detecting the radiography cassette format;
- an opening means for opening the radiography cassette, arranged alongside and above said conveying means, and withdrawing means for withdrawing from the opened radiography cassette the film contained therein and for transferring the film to transfer means for transferring the film to a developing apparatus;
- a third operation station, containing said transfer means;
- and
- a fourth operation station containing a magazine for containing different film formats to reload the radiography cassette inserted in the machine,
- wherein said fourth operation station is arranged alongside said second operation station, said magazine being arranged alongside said conveying means opposite to the side along which said opening means is arranged, said magazine being composed of a number of substantially identical film-holding cassettes, arranged at different levels, vertically displaced from one another, each resting on an associated carriage means which slides reciprocally in the direction of the second operation station;
- a supporting plate for a number of frames for said carriage means for said number of film-holding cassettes, said supporting plate mounted for sliding vertically on slides fixed to a frame of the machine for vertically moving said frames supported thereby, said number of frames substantially equalling the number of film-holding cassettes;
- said supporting plate being equipped with a stylus element located on a line joining a plurality of actuators of a series of level signalling microswitches, vertically displaced from one another and interspaced at distances substantially equal to those between the levels at which said film-holding cassettes rest on the associated carriage means therefor,
- said microswitches being connected along with the means for detecting the cassette format inserted in the machine, in a feed circuit of a geared motor through which upward and downward movement of said supporting plate and therefore of the whole magazine is obtained, to stop the vertical movement of the magazine when said stylus reaches a position of the level signalling microswitch relating to a specific film-holding cassette containing the films of suitable format to that detected in the radiography cassette, for positioning said specific film-holding cassette in correspondence with a second withdrawing means to withdraw a film therefrom and to transfer the withdrawn film into said radiography cassette, said second withdrawing means arranged alongside said conveying means and operating above the same conveying means.