X-ray source comprising plural removable modular units each having an anode targetand cathode

Claim 1

HIGH-POWER X-RAY TUBE APPARATUS FOR IRRADIATING SUBSTANCES TO CHANGE THEIR PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS WHEREIN THE SUBSTANCE TO BE IRRADIATED IS PASSED THROUGH A RADIATION ZONE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: TWO SPACED-APART TUBE MEANS ARRANGED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID REACTION ZONE, EACH TUBE MEANS HAVING EXTERNAL ANODE MEANS ADJACENT SAID RADIATION ZONE AND CATHODE MEANS SPACED FROM SAID ANODE MEANS FOR PROVIDING AN THE ANODE MEANS A PLURALITY OF FOCAL POINTS FOR ELECTRONS EMITTED BY SAID CATHODE MEANS, WHICH FOCAL POINTS ARE GENERALLY ALIGNED TO FORM, TOGETHER, AT LEAST ONE COMPOSITE FOCAL POINT WHICH IS BANDSHAPED AND EXTENDS IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID INDIVIDUAL FOCAL POINTS ARE ALIGNED FOR UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTING IRRADIATION ENERGY ONTO THE SUBSTANCE PASSING THROUGH SAID RADIATION ZONE, SAID TWO TUBE MEANS BEING ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO SAID RADIATION ZONE AND TO EACH OTHER SO THAT BY SUPERPOSITION OF THE RADIATION FIELDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL TUBE MEANS THERE IS OBTAINED A SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS RADIATION EFFECT IN THE SUBSTANCE TO BE IRRADIATED, EACH OF SAID TUBE MEANS BEING COMPOSED OF CONSECUTIVE MODULAR UNITS WHICH HAVE FLANGED AT THEIR ENDS AND WHICH ARE JOINED TOGETHER TO HAVE A COMMON VACUUM SPACE, EACH UNIT CONTAINING A PORTION OF THE ANODE AND CATHODE MEANS OF THE PARTICULAR TUBE MEANS OF WHICH THE RESPECTIVE MODULAR UNIT IS A PART, THEREBY TO ENABLE TO THE LENGTH OF EACH TUBE MEANS TO BE ADAPTED TO THE WIDTH OF THE RADIATION ZONE.