Self-developing x-ray film cassette

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A SELF-DEVELOPING FILM ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN OPEN-ENDED ENVELOPE OPAQUE TO VISIBLE LIGHT AND ENCLOSING, RESPECTIVELY, A PHOTOSENSITIVE ELEMENT HAVING A RETAINING CLIP AT ONE END, A RUPTURABLE CONTAINER RELEASABLY-CONTAINING A PROCESSING LIQUID, AND A FILM MATERIAL FOR CARRYING A COMPLETED RADIOGRAPH, A CASSETTE FOR MOUNTING SAID FILM ASSEMBLY AND POSITIONING SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE ELEMENT THEREOF FOR EXPOSURE, SAID CASETTE COMPRISING A PRINCIPAL UNITARY BODY PORTION INCLUDING A PAIR OF RAISED FLANGE MEMBERS EXTENDING ALONG MARGINAL PARTS THEREOF, A FIRST RECESSED PLANAR AREA LYING INTERMEDIATE OF SAID RAISED FLANGE MEMBERS FOR POSITIONING AND IN PART SUPPORTING SAID FILM ASSEMBLY, A SECOND RECESSED AREA FORMED WITHIN SAID FIRST RECESSED PLANAR AREA FOR ACCOMMODATING PRESSURE PLATE MEANS OF SAID CASSETTE, A PLANAR PRESSURE PLATE HAVING AN INTENSIFYING SCREEN BONDED TO ITS OUTER SURFACE MOVABLY MOUNTED PARTIALLY WITHIN SAID SECOND RECESSED AREA FOR INWARD AND OUTWARD MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND BIASED FOR SAID OUTWARD MOVEMENT BY SPRING MEANS LOCATED WITHIN SAID SECOND RECESSED AREA, SAID INTENSIFYING SCREEN OF SAID PRESSURE PLATE THEREBY BEING ADAPTED TO BE BROUGH INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH AND TO BEAR FORCIBLY AGAINST SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE ELEMENT WHEN THE LATTER IS POSITIONED FOR EXPOSURE, A COVER ELEMENT COMPOSED OF A MATERIAL TRANSMISSIVE OF SAID X-RAYS BUT OPAQUE TO VISIBLE LIGHT, SAID COVER ELEMENT BEING MOVABLY ATTACHED TO SAID BODY PORTIONS AND ADAPTED, AT CLOSED POSITION, TO PROVIDE A LIGHTTIGHT CONTACT WITH SAID FLANGE MEMBERS AND TO FORM, WITH SAID FIRST RECESSED AREA, A SLOT AT ONE END OF THE CASSETTE FOR LOADING AND REMOVAL OF SAID FILM ASSEMBLY THERETHROUGH, LATCH MEANS RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID COVER ELEMENT AT CLOSED POSITION, CLAMPING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID BODY PORTION FOR COMPRESSIVELY ENGAGING A PORTION OF SAID RETAINING CLIP TO HOLD SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE ELEMENT FIXED THEREBETWEEN WHILE RELEASING THE OPEN END OF SAID ENVELOPE THEREFROM DURING MANUAL WITHDRAWAL OF THE LATTER, LIMIT STOP MEANS FOR ENGAGING COOPERATING MEANS OF SAID ENVELOPE AND LIMITING THE EXTENT OF SAID WITHDRAWAL, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE ACTUATING MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID CLAMPING AND LIMIT STOP MEANS.