Agfa Gevaert Nv

Emile F Stievenart

Hendrik S Plessers

Georges J Neujens

Hugo F Deconinck

Julianus J Hellemans

Willy G Verlinden

Willy Gabriel Ceuppens

Yvan K Gilliams

Leo N Vackier

Leo Paul Van Bouwel

Leo Pa Van Bouwel

Single sheets are separated from a stack of sheets arranged in a housing having one open end in which at least one pair of separating rollers is disposed with the lower end of the stack resting in the nip thereof. One roller of each pair has a surface with a greater coefficient of friction relative to the sheet surface than that of the other roller and is rotated in a direction relative to the stack opposite to the other roller so that an outermost sheet is caused to slide from the remainder of the stack by frictional engagement of the one roller while the stack remainder is held from the oppositely rotating roller. Separation is greatly facilitated by the provision of hooks which support the lower edge of the remainder of the stack during separation and positively assist withdrawal of the stack remainder.

Method and device for separating a sheet from a stack of sheets

Daylight radiographic cassette unloader for rapid sequential unloading of cassettes. The device includes an intermediate storage magazine to which the films after removal from the cassettes are fed one by one at a high speed whereinafter they are individually dispensed towards a processing apparatus at a speed equal to that of the processing apparatus. The cassette-unloading time is substantially reduced, while the unloading capacity of the device is tripled compared with prior art machines. Operations may be automatic under the control of a microprocessor.

Device for unloading radiographic cassettes in daylight

An apparatus for positioning a radiographic film cassette at an operating station uses friction-coupled drive means to urge the cassette toward a front stop. Sensing means associated with the front stop then actuates a pusher which urges the cassette toward a side stop. The cassette cover is automatically opened when the cassette is correctly positioned against both stops.

Device for positioning radiographic cassettes

A reprographic camera suited for use in daylight conditions has a light-tight casing mounted on its rear-side in which casing is provided with dispensing means for dispensing the required amount of photosensitive material from a supply roll contained therein, a positioning mechanism for positioning the photosensitive material in the middle of the image plane and an optical processing station. The dispensing and positioning are controlled by synchronous motors which are energized for an adjustable period of time which depends on the length of sensitive material to be dispensed and positioned.

Daylight reprographic camera

A film cassette unloading apparatus comprises a cassette positioning mechanism located in a light-tight housing. Within the housing is provided a platform onto which the cassette is placed bottom side up. An unlocking mechanism, adapted for the particular type of cassette unlocks same. Then, an opening mechanism engages the rim of the bottom part and lifts the bottom part in upward direction, thereby performing a partial rotation around the hinge-point of the cassette. By mounting the platform in inclined position, the film which is contained in the cassette, falls out of the latter by gravity.

Apparatus for unloading radiographic cassettes in daylight

A radiographic cassette comprises a bottom and a cover capable of being locked together. The cover has a part of its normally rigid structure replaced by a flexible foil which, when vacuum is aplied to the interior of the cassette, exerts a pressure upon the film/screen combination contained within the latter. In this way an intimate contact between the film and the screen is established and at the same time the distance between the film/screen combination and the object to be radiographed is reduced to a minimum due to the small thickness of the foil. The cassette may be used in the field of high-definition radiography especially for mammography.

Radiographic film cassette

A daylight cassette unloader comprises a mechanism for unlocking and opening a radiographic film cassette introduced therein, and mounted in inclined position so that after opening the film is permitted to slide out of the cassette. At the outlet of the unloader a supplementary mechanism is provided in order to align the film in such a way, that it is reproducibly fed to the inlet opening of a film processor. Preferably the latter mechanism comprises a pair of rollers which start rotating only after the impact of the film on one of the rollers.

Sheet squaring device

An apparatus for liquid development of latent images on sheets or webs comprises a plurality of applicator stations which sequentially deliver processing liquid to the latent image bearing surface of the sheets or webs. The latter are transported above the respective applicator stations with the concerning surface in downward direction. A controlling mechanism provides for the arrestment of the liquid supply before the trailing edge of the sheet or web has passed over the respective applicator station for the provision of not wetting the backside of the latter. The apparatus is extremely suited for developing latent electrostatic half-tone images on a high polymeric support.

Processing apparatus

A method for fixing a liquid toner image on a thermo-adhesive layer of a recording material by irradiating such layer with high intensity short duration light pulses. The energy is sufficiently high to cause a partial melting of the layer so that the toner particles become absorbed thereon but the duration of the light pulse is sufficiently short to avoid a permanent deformation of the recording material itself. A favourable supplementary effect is that during irradiation a simultaneous evaporation of the residual toner liquid takes place.

Method for fixing electrophoretically formed toner images

A mechanism is disclosed for dispensing the uppermost sheet from a stack of sheets without excessive friction of the sheets against each other. The mechanism may advantageously be incorporated in a dispenser for radiographic film which may be installed in daylight conditions. In order to perform a loading cycle automatically, auxiliary expedients are described, particularly concerning the opening and closing of the radiographic cassette.

Dispenser for sheet-like material

An apparatus for unloading radiographic cassettes under daylight conditions comprises an inclined tunnel-shaped body which may be mounted at the front side of a processing machine. Within the tunnel-shaped body an automatic unlocking mechanism is provided which unlocks and opens the cassette to be unloaded so that the film falls out of the opened cassette under the force of gravity and is presented at the entrance slot of the processing machine in order to undergo the required chemical treatment.

Apparatus for opening radiographic cassettes

A photographic camera for printing two different kinds of data upon one sole image carrier comprises a pre-exposure station in which a mask is printed upon the image carrier. After such pre-exposure the image carrier is moved into the focal plane of two optical systems. The first of said systems projects an image of data located inside the camera (such as data printed or typewritten on a card) on a primarily unexposed area of the image carrier, whereas the second optical system projects an image of data located outside the camera (such as the image of a person) on another primarily unexposed area of the image carrier. The image carrier is subsequently developed in a processing station which itself may also be provided in the camera. Photographic materials of the diffusion transfer reversal type are used advantageously in combination with the camera.

Photographic camera

A radiographic film cassette suited for being used in combination with a daylight unloading system is presented. It comprises a cover and a bottom frame which are hingedly connected to each other in such a way that not only a rotation at the hinges occurs, but also a lifting up of the cover near the hinges. In this way the sheet of X-ray material becomes completely free. Further, two deformable pins are provided in the bottom part in order to permit the air to flow under the sheet, avoiding thereby a sticking of the latter to the screens. The cassette is advantageously used with a simple unloading device, placed in front of the entrance slit of a processing machine; the unloading device itself may be supplementarily equipped with means to print identification data on the sheet of X-ray material.

A mechanism is presented by means of which the uppermost sheet from a stack of sheets may be dispensed without excessive friction of the sheets against each other. It may advantageously be incorporated in a dispenser for radiographic film which may be installed in daylight conditions. In order to perform a loading cycle automatically, auxiliary expedients are described, particularly concerning the opening and closing of the radiographic cassette.

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Hoboken, Belgium

Emile F Stievenart