Automatic control system for an X-ray diffraction apparatus

Claim 1

A SLIDE CHANGING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH AN X-RAY DIFFRACTION SCANNING APPARATUS COMPRISING A ROTATABLE SLIDE MAGAZINE, MEANS OPERABLE BY A FIRST MOTOR FOR REMOVING A SLIDE FROM SAID MAGAZINE AND PLACING SAID SLIDE IN A POSITION TO BE EXAMINED BY SAID X-RAY DIFFRACTION SCANNING APPARATUS, SWITCHING MEANS ACTIVATED WHEN SAID SLIDE IS IN SAID POSITION FOR RETURNING SAID SLIDE REMOVING MEANS TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION, SWITCHING MEANS OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE RETURN OF SAID SLIDE REMOVING MEANS FOR INITIATING SCANNING OF SAID SCANNING APPARATUS, MEANS PROVIDING A SIGNAL AT THE END OF THE SCAN OF SAID SCANNING APPARATUS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SIGNAL TO OPERATE A SECOND MOTOR, MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID SECOND MOTOR FOR RETURNING SAID SLIDE TO SAID MAGAZINE, MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID SECOND MOTOR TO PROVIDE A SIGNAL INITIATING OPERATION OF A THIRD MOTOR, SAID THIRD MOTOR BEING OPERABLE TO INDEX SAID SLIDE MAGAZINE, SWITCHING MEANS OPERABLE TO STOP SAID THIRD MOTOR, SAID LAST-MENTIONED SWITCHING MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO INITIATE OPERATION OF SAID FIRST MOTOR, AND SWITCHING MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID SLIDE REMOVING MEANS WHEN NO SLIDE EXISTS IN THE POSITION IN SAID MAGAZINE SUCH THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED BY SAID SLIDE REMOVING MEANS, SAID LAST-MENTIONED SWITCHING MEANS INITIATING OPERATION OF SAID SECOND MOTOR AND RENDERING SAID SCANNING APPARATUS INACTIVE.