Agfa-Gevaert Ag

Peter Hosel

Herbert Plaschke

An apparatus for loading and unloading of film cassette, in particular X-rays cassettes has a housing which defines a compartment in which the cassette is to be positioned, means for transporting the cassette into the compartment and for discharging therefrom, and means for removing the film from the cassette and loading the cassette with a new film. For recognizing the size of the cassette first and second identifying means are provided which determine the length and the width of the cassette. These determining means are in communication with comparing means which compare the determined values with nominal values corresponding to predetermined length-and-width values.

Apparatus for loading and unloading a film cassette, in particular an

An apparatus for loading and unloading a film cassette, in particular an X-ray film cassette, has a housing defining a compartment and includes a front face provided with an opening to the compartment through which opening the cassette is introduced. For transporting the cassette from the opening into the compartment, and for discharging the cassette, the apparatus is provided with at least one carrier roller extending parallel to the opening of the housing. The carrier roller transports the cassette to an unlocking station in which the cassette is unlocked. For removing the exposed film and loading of a new film into the cassette, second transport means are provided which move the cassette from the unlocking station into a removing station and subsequently into a loading station.

An arrangement for loading and unloading X-ray film cassettes is provided with a channel bounded by bottom, top and lateral walls. At one of its ends, the channel has an inlet opening for the cassettes, while it is provided with an abutment wall at its other end. A plurality of transporting rollers is accommodated in respective slots of the bottom wall, each of the transporting rollers slightly projecting above the bottom wall to engage and entrain the respective cassette resting thereon. A switching roller is situated in a recess of the bottom wall between the inlet opening and the first of the transporting rollers. The switching roller is supported on springs so that, when the cassette rests thereon, it is depressed into the recess, so that the respective spring activates an associated light barrier that issues a control signal. The control signal is used for energizing the drive for the transporting rollers, if de-energized, and for de-energizing the drive, if energized. A microswitch in the abutment wall de-energizes the drive when depressed by the cassette. A switching element sensitive to re-closing of the cassette re-energizes the drive, but in the opposite direction. A closing slide is used for light-tightly closing and for opening the inlet opening in cycle with the movement of the cassette.

Growing community of inventors

Munich, Germany

Peter Hosel