Automatic conveyor for dental film chip processing
OwnerErnst Zwettlerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental film processor for film chips comprises a series of developing, fixing and washing tanks having longitudinally extending moving endless belts disposed above the sides thereof. A towbar provided with side arms has a holder for film chips pivotally coupled to the lower end thereof. The side arms of the towbar are placed on the moving belts with the film holder suspended in the solution of the developing tank and the belts pull the towbar which, in turn, drags the film holder successively through the solution in each tank and over the end wall thereof into the solution of the following tank in the series.
Claims15
A processor for dental film chips comprising:
- a base;
- a series of tanks containing processing solutions positioned on said base;
- longitudinally extending vertical sidewalls disposed on said base on either side of said series of tanks;
- a pair of sprockets mounted on the inner upper front and rear corners of each of said sidewalls;
- endless belts looped about each of the pairs of sprockets;
- said belts having teeth on the outer surfaces thereof;
- a motor for driving said sprockets to advance said belts;
- a towbar having transversely disposed side arms;
- a film holder for film chips;
- said film holder pivotally coupled to the lower end of said towbar;
- and
- said towbar positioned with its arms lying on the teeth of the endless belts and with said pivotally held film holder suspended in the solution in the first tank of the series of tanks;
- whereby as said belts advance they pull the towbar and thereby drag the film holder through the solution of and over the end wall of each of the tanks into the following tank in the series.
A processor for dental film chips, the combination comprising:
- a series of tanks containing processing solutions;
- means for supporting endless belts to extend longitudinally along the sides of and above the series of tanks;
- said belts having teeth on the outer surfaces thereof;
- means for advancing said belts;
- a transversely disposed towbar having side arms;
- a film holder for film chips pivotally coupled to the lower end of said towbar;
- said towbar having its side arms supported on the tops of the teeth of said moving belts when said film holder is vertically suspended in a tank;
- whereby, as said towbar is pulled by said belts, when the film holder contacts the wall of a tank, the towbar tilts causing a corner of each of the side arms thereof to engage a space between the teeth on the belts;
- and
- whereby when the film holder clears the wall of the tank the film holder pivots downwardly in a vertically suspended position in the following tank and the arms of the towbar are again supported on the top of the teeth of the moving belts.
A processor for dental film chips, the combination comprising:
- a series of tanks containing processing solutions;
- means for supporting endless belts to extend longitudinally along the sides of and above the series of tanks;
- means for continually advancing said belts;
- towing means having side arms on the upper ends thereof engaged to be pulled by said belts;
- said towing means having leg members;
- and
- holder means for film chips;
- said holder means having its upper sides pivotally engaged on the lower ends of the leg members of said towing means;
- whereby as the holder means is dragged by said advancing belts over the end wall of a tank the holder means pivots on the lower ends of the leg members of the towing means to enable the holder means to clear said end wall and fall so as to become vertically suspended in the central portion of the succeeding tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.