Diffractometer with a rotatable support to hold plural samples for automatic analysis of crystalline material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE AALYSIS OF CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS FOR DELIVERING AN X-RAY BEAM OF RADIANT ENERGY, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF SAMPLES OF CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL TO BE ANALYZED IN SPACED RELATION FOR MOVEMENT OF ONE SAMPLE AT A TIME TO A POSITION SUCH AS TO EXPOSE THAT SAMPLE IN THE DIRECT PATH OF SAID BEAM, MEANS OPERATIVE TO OSCILLATE THE SUPPORT THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE TO CHANGE THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE OF SAID BEAM, DETECTING MEANS SENSITIVELY RESPONSIVE TO THE IMPACT OF THE RADIANT ENERGY OF SAID BEAM WHICH IS DIFFRACTED BY THE SAMPLE THROUGHOUT OSCILLATION OF THE SUPPORT, REVERSIBLE DRIVING MEANS OPERATIVE TO EFFECT OSCILLATION OF THE SUPPORT, MEANS OPERATIVE TO EFFECT REVERSAL OF THE DRIVING MEANS, SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS BEING ADJUSTABLE TO CHANGE THE ANGLE OF OSCILLATION, AND OTHER MEANS OPERATIVE, CONCOMITANTLY WITH THE OPERATION OF THE REVERSING MEANS, TO EFFECT A PRE-DETERMINED AMOUNT OF ROTATION MOVEMENT OF THE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE SAMPLES.