X-Ray film changer for the serial radiography

A radiographic mechanism comprising:

• (a) a housing structure defining spaced supply and collection regions and an exposure station there-between;
• (b) a light-tight film supply mechanism in the supply region and including a supply opening near the exposure station, the supply opening being for allowing unexposed film supply pouches to be transported from the supply mechanism to the exposure station;
• (c) a collection mechanism in the collection region and including a receiving opening for receiving an exposed film pouch from the exposure station;
• (d) a film feed structure to transport an unexposed pouch along a path of travel from the supply mechanism through the supply opening to the exposure station and concurrently transport a pouch having an exposed sheet of film from the exposure station through the receiving opening to the collection mechanism when there is a pouch containing exposed film at the exposure station at the commencement of a feed cycle;
• (e) an X-ray tube head;
• (f) X-ray tube control means to cause an X-ray tube in the head to be energized and emit a beam of X-rays only after a pouch with an unexposed film has been transported to the exposure station;
• and,
• (g) pressure applying means disposed transversely of the path of travel between the supply mechanism and the exposure station for applying a line of pressure across a pouch being transported along the path and for progressively applying pressure from a leading end of an advancing pouch and to maintain a line of pressure across a pouch positioned in the exposure station so as to expell air from the pouch and force film and intensifying elements of the pouch together in firm surface engagement.

A radiographic film changer comprising:

• (a) a housing structure defining spaced supply and collection regions and an exposure station therebetween;
• (b) a supply magazine in the supply region for storing and supplying film packs having unexposed sheets of X-ray film to the exposure station;
• (c) a collection magazine in the collection region for receiving the film packs after exposure in the exposure station;
• (d) first pressure applying means disposed transversely of the path of travel between the supply magazine and the exposure station for applying an air expelling line of pressure across a film pack being transported along the path and into the exposure station;
• and, second pressure applying means disposed between the exposure station and the collection magazine for sequentially gripping exposed film packs along their margins and for ejecting them in sequence into the collection magazine.

A radiographic mechanism comprising:

• (a) a housing structure defining supply and collection regions and an exposure station;
• (b) a film supply mechanism in the supply region for providing unexposed film supply pouches to be transported to the exposure station;
• (c) a collection mechanism in the collection region and including a receiving opening for receiving an exposed film pouch from the exposure station;
• (d) a film feed structure to transport an unexposed pouch along a path of travel from the supply mechanism to the exposure station and concurrently transport a pouch having an exposed sheet of film from the exposure station through the receiving opening to the collection mechanism when there is a pouch containing exposed film at the exposure station at the commencement of a feed cycle;
• (e) an X-ray tube head;
• (f) X-ray tube control means to cause an X-ray tube in the head to be energized and emit a beam of X-rays after a pouch with an unexposed film has been transported to the exposure station;
• and,
• (g) pressure applying means disposed transversely of the path of travel between the supply mechanism and the exposure station for applying a line of pressure across a pouch being transported along the path and for progressively applying pressure from a leading end of an advancing pouch and to maintain a line of pressure across a pouch positioned in the exposure station so as to expell air from the pouch and force film and intensifying elements of the pouch together in firm surface engagement.