Atomic irradiator

Claim 1

IN AN IRRADIATOR FOR SUBJECTING SPECIMENS TO ATOMIC RADIATION, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN IRRADIATION CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A SHIELD FOR SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF ATOMIC RADIATION FROM SAID CHAMBER, A WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING AN EDGE PORTION MOVABLE THROUGH SAID CHAMBER, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN FOR RECEIVING A SECTORAL PORTION OF SAID WHEEL, THE REMAINING PORTION OF SAID WHEEL PROJECTING OUTSIDE SAID HOUSING TO AN ACCESSIBLE POINT, SAID WHEEL INCLUDING SHIELDING MATERIAL FOR SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF ATOMIC RADIATION FROM SAID CHAMBER THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID WHEEL HAVING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SPECIMEN HOLDING NOTCHES IN THE EDGE PORTION THEREOF AND MOVABLE FROM SAID ACCESSIBLE POINT INTO SAID IRRADIATION CHAMBER BY ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL, EACH OF SAID NOTCHES HAVING A LOWER WALL THEREIN FOR SUPPORTING SPECIMENS TO BE IRRADIATED, A SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID WHEEL AND EXTENDING OUT OF SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATING SAID WHEEL, UPPER AND LOWER RADIOACTIVE PLATES IN SID IRRADIATION CHAMBER ABOVE AND BELOW THE EDGE PORTION OF SAID WHEEL, EACH OF SAID NOTCHES BEING MOVABLE INTO REGISTER WITH SAID PLATES FOR IRRADIATING THE SPECIMENS IN SAID NOTCHES, UPPER AND LOWER RECEPTACLES RECEIVED AROUND SAID UPPER AND LOWER PLATES AND FILLED WITH MERCURY SO AS TO IMMERSE SAID PLATES, EACH OF SAID PLATES HAVING AN OPERATING ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PLATE AND EXTENDING OUT OF THE CORRESPONDING RECEPTACLE, A FLEXIBLE METAL BELLOWS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID RECEPTACLE AND SAID ROD AND FORMING A SEAL THEREBETWEEN, AN ADJUSTING SCREW EXTENDING OUT OF SAID HOUSING, AND A SWIVEL COUPLING CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ADJUSTING SCREW AND SAID ROD, WHEREBY SAID SCREW IS OPERATIVE TO MOVE SAID PLATE IN SAID MERCURY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID WHEEL SO AS TO AFFORD VARIABLE ATTENUATION OF THE ATOMIC RADIATION PENETRATING THROUGH SAID MERCURY AND INTO SAID NOTCHES IN SAID WHEEL.