Patent US3032231A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3663812A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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X-ray spectrographic means having fixed analyzing and detecting means
Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corp
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Filing: 1969-02-27
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Granted: 1972-05-16
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Expires: 1989-02-27
Abstract
Abstract Means for analyzing the composition of materials including an excitation source of relatively high energy particles or radiations, and means for directing the particles or radiations from said source at a sample of the material to be analyzed so that X-rays of wavelengths that are characteristic of the sample constituents are given off. The subject means also include specially bent crystal means which are positioned to intercept and diffract the characteristic X-rays in an ordered manner, and detector means onto which the diffracted characteristic X-rays are directed, said X-rays producing responses at the detector means from which qualitative and quantitative information about the characteristic X-rays and hence about the constituents of the sample can be obtained.
Inventors
- 👤 Jude H Koenig
- 👤 James A Schoeffel
- 👤 Gene J Carron
- 👤 Lionel K Walford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 06:52
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N23/00; G01N23/20; G01N23/207; G01N23/2076; G01N23/22; G01N23/223
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
369 words
Spectrographic means for analyzing the elemental constituents of samples including housing means, means for supporting and exposing a sample therein, means for producing a beam of energy including means to direct said energy beam toward the exposed sample in the housing whereby the sample is stimulated by said energy to give off X-rays of wavelengths that are characteristic to the elemental constituents of which the same is constructed, the relative intensities of said X-rays depending in part upon the relative amount of each elemental constituent present in the sample, a crystal member fixedly positioned in said housing in position to intercept at least some of the X-rays given off by the sample, said crystal member having an arcuately curved crystalline surface the axis of which is oriented generally at right angles to the X-rays given off by the sample, said crystal member diffracting and focusing the X-rays of different wavelengths intercepted thereby to locations lying along a focal circle which is tangent to the curved crystalline surface, the radius of the focal surface being approximately equal to one-half of the radius of the arcuately curved crystalline surface, said sample supporting and exposing means being located to position at least part of the sample inside the focal circle for exposure thereat to the energy beam, means including an X-ray blocking member positioned in the housing means and extending to adjacent the crystal member on the side thereof that intercepts the X-rays given off by the sample toward the point where the focal circle and the arcuately curved surface of the crystal are tangent, the position of the X-ray blocking member relative to the crystal member defining an angular range of X-ray wavelengths that can be diffracted and focused by the crystal member onto the focal circle, and detector mean positioned on the opposite side of said X-ray blocking member from said sample, at least a portion of the detector means being located on the focal circle, said X-ray blocking member being spaced from the crystal member a distance such that substantially only those X-rays that are intercepted and diffracted and focused by the crystal member within the defined angular range of wavelengths will be able to reach the detector means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
369 words
Spectrographic means for analyzing the elemental constituents of samples including housing means, means for supporting and exposing a sample therein, means for producing a beam of energy including means to direct said energy beam toward the exposed sample in the housing whereby the sample is stimulated by said energy to give off X-rays of wavelengths that are characteristic to the elemental constituents of which the same is constructed, the relative intensities of said X-rays depending in part upon the relative amount of each elemental constituent present in the sample, a crystal member fixedly positioned in said housing in position to intercept at least some of the X-rays given off by the sample, said crystal member having an arcuately curved crystalline surface the axis of which is oriented generally at right angles to the X-rays given off by the sample, said crystal member diffracting and focusing the X-rays of different wavelengths intercepted thereby to locations lying along a focal circle which is tangent to the curved crystalline surface, the radius of the focal surface being approximately equal to one-half of the radius of the arcuately curved crystalline surface, said sample supporting and exposing means being located to position at least part of the sample inside the focal circle for exposure thereat to the energy beam, means including an X-ray blocking member positioned in the housing means and extending to adjacent the crystal member on the side thereof that intercepts the X-rays given off by the sample toward the point where the focal circle and the arcuately curved surface of the crystal are tangent, the position of the X-ray blocking member relative to the crystal member defining an angular range of X-ray wavelengths that can be diffracted and focused by the crystal member onto the focal circle, and detector mean positioned on the opposite side of said X-ray blocking member from said sample, at least a portion of the detector means being located on the focal circle, said X-ray blocking member being spaced from the crystal member a distance such that substantially only those X-rays that are intercepted and diffracted and focused by the crystal member within the defined angular range of wavelengths will be able to reach the detector means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
The means defined in claim 1 wherein said means for producing a beam of energy is an electron gun, said means to direct said beam of energy toward the sample including means for aiming said beam of electrons at predetermined positions on the sample, and means for establishing a substantially evacuated environment in said housing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
The means defined in claim 2 wherein said detector means include an X-ray sensitive element, and readout means connected to receive outputs therefrom, said readout means also being connected to said electron beam aiming means and being coordinated therewith and responsive to outputs from the X-ray sensitive element to produce readouts which are indicative of the wavelengths of the X-rays generated by the electron bombardment of the sample.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
97 words
The means defined in claim 2 wherein said detector means include an X-ray sensitive element, and readout means connected to receive outputs therefrom, and wherein said electron beam aiming means include means to move the beam to scan the exposed sample surface in a predetermined manner, said readout means being connected to said electron beam scanning means to correlate the position of the beam on the sample to the outputs from the X-ray sensitive element to provide readouts indicative of the wavelengths and intensities of the X-rays generated by the electrons bombarding the sample during scanning thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The means defined in claim 1 including a plurality of curved crystal members positioned in side-by-side relationship adjacent to said X-ray blocking member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
The means defined in claim 5 including X-ray impervious shield members positioned between adjacent curved crystal members and extending therefrom to the detector means to divide the detector means into portions each of which is exposed to X-rays diffracting off one of said crystal members and to prevent X-rays being diffracted by adjacent crystal members from producing responses on the detector portions associated with the other crystal members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The means defined in claim 6 wherein said sample exposing means include means for supporting a plurality of the samples in side-by-side relationship, said X-ray impervious shields extending from between adjacent crystal members to between adjacent samples.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The means defined in claim 1 wherein said detector means are located extending along an arc of the focal circle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The means defined in claim 1 wherein said detector means are located in a plane which intersects the focal circle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The means defined in claim 1 wherein said beam producing means include a radioisotope.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The means defined in claim 1 wherein said beam producing means include a proton gun.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The means defined in claim 1 including screen members capable of passing X-rays but not light positioned extending across the space between the blocking member and the crystal member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The means defined in claim 1 including means for adjusting the position of the X-ray blocking member relative to the crystal member.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The means defined in claim 1 including means for establishing predetermined controlled environmental conditions in the housing means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The means defined in claim 1 including means for establishing a predetermined temperature inside the housing means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
The means defined in claim 1 wherein said crystal member includes a plurality of parallel curved crystalline planes having radii R and a concave curved X-ray diffraction surface extending along the focal circle thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
254 words
X-ray spectrographic means for the elemental analysis of samples including a housing, an electron gun positioned to generate a beam of electrons in said housing, means for supporting a sample to be analyzed in the housing in position to be exposed to the beam of electrons, means to direct the electron beam at predetermined locations on the sample in such a manner that at least some of the electrons are photoelectrically absorbed thereby so the sample emits X-rays from the said predetermined locations of wavelengths that are characteristic of the elemental constituents thereof, non-movable X-ray diffraction grating means in said housing, said grating means having an arcuately curved surface of radius R in position to intercept X-rays emitting from predetermined locations on the sample and to selectively diffract and focus said X-rays on a focal circle that is tangent at one point to the arcuately curved surface of the diffraction grating means, said focal circle having a radius substantially equal to R/2, X-ray detector means positioned in the housing to intercept said diffracted X-rays, at least a portion of the detector means being located on the focal circle, and means to limit the angular range of X-rays from the sample diffracted by the diffraction grating means that are able to be intercepted by the detector means, said angular range limiting means including an X-ray blocking member positioned in the housing between the sample and the detector means and extending toward the said point of tangency of the focal circle and the diffraction grating means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
254 words
X-ray spectrographic means for the elemental analysis of samples including a housing, an electron gun positioned to generate a beam of electrons in said housing, means for supporting a sample to be analyzed in the housing in position to be exposed to the beam of electrons, means to direct the electron beam at predetermined locations on the sample in such a manner that at least some of the electrons are photoelectrically absorbed thereby so the sample emits X-rays from the said predetermined locations of wavelengths that are characteristic of the elemental constituents thereof, non-movable X-ray diffraction grating means in said housing, said grating means having an arcuately curved surface of radius R in position to intercept X-rays emitting from predetermined locations on the sample and to selectively diffract and focus said X-rays on a focal circle that is tangent at one point to the arcuately curved surface of the diffraction grating means, said focal circle having a radius substantially equal to R/2, X-ray detector means positioned in the housing to intercept said diffracted X-rays, at least a portion of the detector means being located on the focal circle, and means to limit the angular range of X-rays from the sample diffracted by the diffraction grating means that are able to be intercepted by the detector means, said angular range limiting means including an X-ray blocking member positioned in the housing between the sample and the detector means and extending toward the said point of tangency of the focal circle and the diffraction grating means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
The means defined in claim 17 wherein said predetermined locations on the sample are along a locus of points from each of which X-rays of a predetermined wavelength diffract off said grating means in an ordered manner.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
58 words
The means defined in claim 17 including means connected to said electron beam directing means and to said X-ray detector means for producing outputs which depend on the location at which the electron beam is directed and on responses of the X-ray detector means to intercepted X-rays, said outputs being indicative of the elemental constituents in the sample.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
45 words
The means defined in claim 17 including means connected to said electron gun and to said electron beam directing means to control the energy of the electrons in the electron beam in a manner dependent on the location where the beam impinges on the sample.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
299 words
X-ray spectrographic means for performing elemental analysis of samples including housing means, means for supporting and exposing a sample therein, means for producing a beam of energy directed at the exposed sample whereby the sample is stimulated to emit X-rays of wavelengths that are characteristic of the elemental constituents of which the sample is composed, crystal means fixedly positioned in the housing in position to intercept X-rays emitted by the sample, said crystal means having crystalline planes forming an X-ray diffraction grating which has an arcuate shape of radius R where R is the radius of a cylindrical surface whose axis is generally at right angles to the direction the X-rays are emitted by the sample and intercepted by the crystal means, said crystal means diffracting and focusing X-rays of different wavelengths intercepted thereby to positions on a focal circle, which focal circle has at least one point thereon that is coincident with at least one point on said crystalline planes, which focal circle has a radius equal to approximately one-half the radius R, said sample supporting and exposing means positioning the sample so that at least part of the sample is exposed to the energy beam at a location that is within the focal circle, means including an X-ray blocking member positioned in the focal circle and extending to a position spaced from but adjacent to said crystalline planes, and X-ray detector means positioned at least in part on the focal circle and on the opposite side of said X-ray blocking member from said sample, said X-ray blocking member being spaced from the crystalline planes a distance such that a preselected angular range only of X-ray wavelengths emitted by the sample and impinging on the crystal will be diffracted by the crystal and focused on the detector means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
299 words
X-ray spectrographic means for performing elemental analysis of samples including housing means, means for supporting and exposing a sample therein, means for producing a beam of energy directed at the exposed sample whereby the sample is stimulated to emit X-rays of wavelengths that are characteristic of the elemental constituents of which the sample is composed, crystal means fixedly positioned in the housing in position to intercept X-rays emitted by the sample, said crystal means having crystalline planes forming an X-ray diffraction grating which has an arcuate shape of radius R where R is the radius of a cylindrical surface whose axis is generally at right angles to the direction the X-rays are emitted by the sample and intercepted by the crystal means, said crystal means diffracting and focusing X-rays of different wavelengths intercepted thereby to positions on a focal circle, which focal circle has at least one point thereon that is coincident with at least one point on said crystalline planes, which focal circle has a radius equal to approximately one-half the radius R, said sample supporting and exposing means positioning the sample so that at least part of the sample is exposed to the energy beam at a location that is within the focal circle, means including an X-ray blocking member positioned in the focal circle and extending to a position spaced from but adjacent to said crystalline planes, and X-ray detector means positioned at least in part on the focal circle and on the opposite side of said X-ray blocking member from said sample, said X-ray blocking member being spaced from the crystalline planes a distance such that a preselected angular range only of X-ray wavelengths emitted by the sample and impinging on the crystal will be diffracted by the crystal and focused on the detector means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
52 words
The means defined in claim 21 wherein said detector means include an array of adjacent radiation sensitive elements positioned extending substantially along a portion of the focal circle, and readout means having connections to the sensitive elements in said array for producing output signals representative of the elemental constituents of the sample.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
15 words
The means defined in claim 22 wherein said readouT means include pulse height discrimination means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
The means defined in claim 21 wherein said detector means include a strip of X-ray sensitive film.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
283 words
X-ray spectrographic means for the elemental analysis of samples including a housing, a source of radiation energy positioned to generate a beam of electrons in said housing, means for supporting a sample to be analyzed in the housing in position to be exposed to the beam of electrons, means to direct the electron beam at the sample in such a manner that at least some of the electrons of the beam are photoelectrically absorbed by the sample whereby the sample emits X-rays of wavelengths that are characteristic of the elemental constituents of the sample, X-ray diffraction grating means fixedly positioned in said housing and having an arcuately curved surface in position to intercept some of the X-rays emitting from the sample, said grating means diffracting and focusing the different wavelength X-rays impinging thereon from the sample at different points along a focal circle depending on their wavelengths, said focal circle having at least one point that is coincident with a point on the arcuately curved surface of the diffraction grating means and having a radius that is approximately one-half the radius of the arcuately curved surface of the diffraction grating means, X-ray detection means positioned in the housing in position to be exposed to said diffracted and focused X-rays, at least a portion of said detection means being located on the focal circle, and X-ray shielding means positioned in the housing between the sample and the detection means, said shielding means extending to adjacent the curved surface of the diffraction grating means at the said one point where the focal surface is coincident therewith to control the angular spectrum of diffracted X-rays from the sample that are able to reach the detection means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
283 words
X-ray spectrographic means for the elemental analysis of samples including a housing, a source of radiation energy positioned to generate a beam of electrons in said housing, means for supporting a sample to be analyzed in the housing in position to be exposed to the beam of electrons, means to direct the electron beam at the sample in such a manner that at least some of the electrons of the beam are photoelectrically absorbed by the sample whereby the sample emits X-rays of wavelengths that are characteristic of the elemental constituents of the sample, X-ray diffraction grating means fixedly positioned in said housing and having an arcuately curved surface in position to intercept some of the X-rays emitting from the sample, said grating means diffracting and focusing the different wavelength X-rays impinging thereon from the sample at different points along a focal circle depending on their wavelengths, said focal circle having at least one point that is coincident with a point on the arcuately curved surface of the diffraction grating means and having a radius that is approximately one-half the radius of the arcuately curved surface of the diffraction grating means, X-ray detection means positioned in the housing in position to be exposed to said diffracted and focused X-rays, at least a portion of said detection means being located on the focal circle, and X-ray shielding means positioned in the housing between the sample and the detection means, said shielding means extending to adjacent the curved surface of the diffraction grating means at the said one point where the focal surface is coincident therewith to control the angular spectrum of diffracted X-rays from the sample that are able to reach the detection means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-16 | 1975-11-15 | 1976-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-16 | 1979-11-15 | 1980-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-16 | 1983-11-15 | 1984-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |