Automatic conveying device

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC DENTAL X-RAY PLATE DEVELOPING APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) CONTAINING MEANS FOR A PLURALITY OF X-RAY DEVELOPING SOLUTION BATHS; (B) SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID CONTAINING MEANS FOR SAID BATHS; (C) ELEVATOR MEANS ADAPTED TO MOVE UP AND DOWN THROUGH A FIXED PATH OF TRAVEL, AND SUPPORT AND MOVEMENT GUIDANCE MEANS THEREFOR; (D) ELEVATOR DRIVE MEANS, INCLUDING PRIME MOVER MEANS AND MOTIVE POWER TRANSMITTING MEANS INTERCONNECTING IT WITH SAID ELEVATOR MEANS SO CHARACTERIZED AS TO INDUCE THE LATTER TO MOVE THROUGH ITS FIXED PATH OF TRAVEL UPON ACTUATION OF SAID PRIME MOVER MEANS; (E) HOLDING MEANS FOR DENTAL X-RAY PLATES SO SHAPED, SIZED AND POSITIONED AS TO HOLD THE PLATES IN ANY SPACE WITHIN SAID CONTAINING MEANS FOR SAID BATHS ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A BODY OF BATH SOLUTION, AND SO CHARACTERIZED AS TO PERMIT CONTACT OF BATH LIQUID SOLUTION THEREIN WITH SAID X-RAY PLATES DURING OPERATION OF SAID DEVELOPING APPARATUS; (F) SUPPORT AND CARRYING MEANS FOR SAID HOLDING MEANS ADAPTED TO REST ON SAID ELEVATOR MEANS AND RIDE IT, IN HORIZONTALLY SLIDING RELATIONSHIP, AS IT TRAVELS UP AND DOWN THROUGH ITS FIXED PATH OF TRAVEL, SAID SUPPORT AND CARRYING MEANS HAVING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS; (G) GUIDE MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS AND INDUCE THEM TO TRAVEL FORWARDLY A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE DURING EACH UP AND DOWN TRIP OF SAID ELEVATOR MEANS, THEREBY CAUSING FORWARD PROGRESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING THE SUPPORT AND CARRYING MEANS FOR SAID HOLDING MEANS. THE HOLDING MEANS PROPER AND ANY DENTAL X-RAY PLATES HELD THEREBY SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE WITH EACH UP AND DOWN TRIP OF SAID ELEVATOR MEANS DURING OPERATION OF THE DEVELOPING APPARATUS, COMPRISING: (1) A PAIR OF WALL-LIKE MEMBERS DISPOSED EITHER SIDE OF SAID SUPPORT AND CARRYING MEANS IN GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, THE FACING SURFACES OF SAID WALL-LIKE MEMBERS BEING DISTINGUISHED BY THE PRESENCE OF GUIDE-WAY CHANNELS FOR SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS, THE CONSEQUENT CHANNEL PATTERNS ON THE TWO WALL-LIKE MEMBERS