Radiation photographing and reading apparatus

A radiation photographing and reading apparatus for producing images of an object, said apparatus comprising:

• an unexposed radiation image converting plate for absorbing X-ray energy in relation to the image of the object to become an exposed plate, said exposed plate emitting the absorbed energy as a stimulable light when exposed to a light beam;
• a radiation photographing device for radiation photographing the object, said radiation photographing device including first photographing device transfer means for placing said unexposed plate in a photographing position for radiation photographing the object, a movable base, a radiation tube for providing said X-ray energy to said base, and a photographing housing mounted on said base and facing said radiation tube, said photographing housing being disposed to move together with said base, said photographing housing containing a holder for said unexposed plate to face said radiation tube for irradiation of said plate with said X-ray energy, and said photographing housing including a first wall having a first opening;
• a reading device fixedly disposed adjacent to and spaced from said radiation photographing device for reading said exposed plate by scanning said exposed plate with said light beam, said reading device detecting and converting into an electric signal said stimulable light emitted from said exposed plate by scanning said exposed plate with said light beam, said electric signal corresponding to a fluoroscopic image of the object, said reading device including first reading device transfer means spaced from and aligned to cooperate with said first photographing device transfer means for transferring said plate from said reading device to said first photographing device transfer means, feed means for transporting said exposed plate to said first reading device transfer means, and a housing, said reading device housing including a second wall spaced from, adjacent to and substantially parallel with said first wall of said photographing housing, said second wall including a second opening aligned with said first opening;
• and
• coupling means movable along a direction substantially perpendicular to said first and second walls and enclosing said first and second openings for coupling said photographing housing to said reading device housing, said coupling means including shielding means for preventing said unexposed plate and said exposed plate from being exposed to external light while said plate is being transferred between said first and second openings by said first photographing device transfer means and said first reading device transfer means, and said coupling means further including resilient means to absorb shock and vibration from said radiation photographing device to prevent said shock and vibration from being transmitted to said reading device.