Spotfilming apparatus and method

In an X-ray spotfilmer having a carriage assembly supported for rectilinear, reciprocating motion within the housing, the assembly including a pair of cooperating clamp members, an operating method comprising the steps of:

• (a) translating said carriage assembly in a first direction, to a cassette load position within said housing;
• (b) decoupling said cooperating clamp members;
• (c) translating one clamp member away from the other clamp member in a second direction, substantially transverse to said first direction until said other clamp member reaches a predetermined spaced position while concurrently restraining the other clamp member;
• (d) driving said one clamp member towards said other clamp member, upon insertion of a film cassette into said housing, until said film cassette is gripped by said clamp members;
• (e) releasing at least partially, the gripping force applied to said film cassette by said members;
• (f) advancing said film cassette to a predetermined position along said clamp members;
• (g) driving said one clamp member toward said other clamp member to reestablish said gripping force;
• (h) recoupling said clamp members to provide concurrent movement in said members when said other member is driven.

A spotfilmer for use with an X-ray table, comprising:

• (a) a housing defining at least one film cassette receiving opening;
• (b) a carriage assembly movably mounted within said housing for transporting a film cassette between a park position and a plurality of exposure positions;
• (c) carriage drive means for effecting rectilinear motion in said carriage assembly in a first direction;
• (d) at least two cooperating clamp members movably supported by said carriage assembly for gripping said film cassette along two sides;
• (e) clamp drive means for effecting concurrent motion in said clamp members in a second direction, substantially transverse to said first direction;
• and,
• (f) clamp member decoupling means actuatable to release said clamp members thereby allowing one clamp member to move relative to the other clamp member when said clamp drive means is energized.

For a spotfilmer, a film cassette clamping and positioning apparatus comprising:

• (a) a carriage assembly movably mounted within a housing;
• (b) carriage support means supporting said carriage assembly for rectilinear motion in a first direction;
• (c) at least two clamp members movably supported by said carriage assembly for motion in a second direction, substantially transverse to said first direction;
• (d) carriage assembly drive means including a servomotor for driving said carriage assembly to a plurality of longitudinal positions within said housing;
• (e) clamp drive means for driving at least one of said clamp members in said second direction;
• (f) clamp member coupling means for interconnecting said clamp members so that said clamp drive means causes concurrent motion in both members when said coupling means is engaged;
• (g) cassette advance means including a servomotor for moving a film cassette held by said clamp members to a predetermined position along said clamp members;
• (h) cassette size detecting means operated by said clamp drive means and said cassette advance means.

An X-ray spotfilming apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a source of penetrative X-ray radiation;
• (b) a housing supported a predetermined distance above said source of radiation by a housing support means, said housing defining at least one film cassette receiving opening;
• (c) a carriage assembly supported for rectilinear motion within said housing;
• (d) drive means for reciprocally driving said carriage assembly between a park position and plurality of exposure positions;
• (e) a pair of clamp members slidably supported by said carriage assembly for motion in a second direction, substantially orthogonal to said first direction, said clamp members including means for gripping and translating a film cassette;
• (f) clamp member drive means connected to at least one clamp member and operative to reciprocally drive said clamp member in said second direction;
• (g) clamp member coupling means for interconnecting said clamp members so that said clamp drive means imparts concurrent motion to both members;
• (h) means for disengaging said clamp coupling means to allow relative motion between said clamp members.

A method of operating a spotfilmer, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a carriage assembly including a pair of transversely movable clamp members;
• (b) driving said carriage assembly to a cassette receiving position;
• (c) driving one of said clamp members to a cassette receiving position within said carriage assembly;
• (d) driving the one clamp member towards the other clamp member, after a film cassette has been inserted, until said cassette is clamped between said clamp members;
• (e) interconnecting said clamp members so that driving the one clamp member causes concurrent motion in said second clamp member.