Film-holder for exposing x-ray film

Claim 2

A vacuum film-holder adapted for mounting in a bucky tray of a radiographic table where it may be rapidly loaded with x-ray film to be exposed at the table, comprising 1) a shallow opentopped receptacle that comprises a rigid bottom plate and upwardly extending sidewalls which comprise at least at their upper extremity a resilient gasket member that extends continuously around the open top of the receptacle and whose upper edge defines a single plane; 2) an elastically bendable top plate attached to the receptacle in position to rest against the upper edge of the gasket member to close the receptacle and adapted to be drawn toward the bottom plate a uniform amount over the whole area enclosed by the gasket member; 3) a pressure plate supported above and parallel to the bottom plate; 4) first and second intensifying screens disposed between the pressure plate and the top plate; and 5) an exhaust port located in the receptacle or top plate for attachment to a vacuum source, whereby a vacuum may be formed within the film-holder to draw the top plate toward the bottom plate and tightly sandwich film between the two intensifying screens.

Claim 3

A film-holder of claim 1 in which the pressure plate is supported above the bottom plate by resiliently compressible means.

Claim 4

A film-holder of claim 1 in which the top plate is attached to the receptacle by hinge means fixed on the receptacle and extending through openings in the top plate so as to permit the top plate to move toward the bottom plate of the receptacle at the point of connection to the hinge means as well as to pivot with respect to the receptacle.

Claim 5

A film-holder of claim 1 in which holding means removably holds the top plate against the upper edge of the gasket member.

Claim 6

A film-holder of claim 4 in which the holding means comprises strips of magnet attached to sidewalls of the receptacle, and strips of magnet attached to the top plate that mate with the strips of magnet attached to the sidewalls so as to magnetically hold the top plate against the upper edge of the gasket member.

Claim 7

A film-holder of claim 5 in which the edge of the top plate opposite the point of attachment of the top plate to the receptacle comprises a metal strip that engages strips of magnet attached to a sidewall of the receptacle.

Claim 8

A film-holder of claim 5 in which the strips of magnet attached to the top plate comprise flexible polymer-based magnets.

Claim 9

A film-holder of claim 1 in which overlapping apertures are formed in the pressure plate and in the intensifying screen that is adjacent the pressure plate, and these overlapping apertures overlap a part of film in the film-holder; and a light-projecting panel is positioned in the aperture of the pressure plate and is adapted to project light through a data-bearing card laid over the panel, whereby the data on the card is imaged on the film.

Claim 10

A film-holder of claim 8 in which the light-projecting panel is the termination of a light pipe that extends underneath the pressure plate from a point adjacent a lamp.

Claim 11

A film-holder of claim 8 in which there is a slot between the pressure plate and the light-projecting panel into which part of the data-bearing card may be inserted.

Claim 12

A vacuum film-holder adapted for mounting in a bucky tray of a radiographic table where it may be rapidly loaded with x-ray film to be exposed at the table, comprising 1) a shallow open-topped receptacle that comprises a rigid bottom plate and upwardly extending sidewalls which comprise a rigid base wall and, mounted on the base wall to form the upper extremity of the sidewalls, a resilient gasket member that extends continuously around the open top of the receptacle and whose upper edge defines a single plane; 2) an elastically bendable top plate attached to the receptacle in positiOn to rest against the upper edge of the gasket member to close the receptacle, the top plate being attached to the receptacle by hinge means that permit the top plate to move toward the bottom plate of the receptacle at the point of connection to the hinge means as well as to pivot with respect to the receptacle; 3) a pressure plate supported above and parallel to the bottom plate by resiliently compressible means; 4) first and second intensifying screens disposed between the pressure plate and the top plate; and 5) an exhaust port located in the receptacle or top plate for attachment to a vacuum source, whereby a vacuum may be formed within the film-holder to draw the top plate toward the bottom plate and tightly sandwich film between the two intensifying screens.

Claim 13

A vacuum film-holder adapted for mounting in a bucky tray of a radiographic table where it may be rapidly loaded with x-ray film to be exposed at the table, comprising 1) a shallow open-topped receptacle that comprises a rigid bottom plate and upwardly extending sidewalls which comprise a rigid base wall and, mounted on the base wall to form the upper extremity of the sidewalls, a resilient gasket member that extends continuously around the open top of the receptacle and whose upper edge defines a single plane; 2) an elastically bendable top plate attached to the receptacle in positiOn to rest against the upper edge of the gasket member to close the receptacle, the top plate being attached to the receptacle by hinge means that permit the top plate to move toward the bottom plate of the receptacle at the point of connection to the hinge means as well as to pivot with respect to the receptacle; 3) a pressure plate supported above and parallel to the bottom plate by resiliently compressible means; 4) first and second intensifying screens disposed between the pressure plate and the top plate; and 5) an exhaust port located in the receptacle or top plate for attachment to a vacuum source, whereby a vacuum may be formed within the film-holder to draw the top plate toward the bottom plate and tightly sandwich film between the two intensifying screens.

Claim 14

A film-holder of claim 11 in which holding means removably holds the top plate against the upper edge of the gasket members.

Claim 15

A film-holder of claim 12 in which the holding means comprises strips of magnet attached to sidewalls of the receptacle, and strips of magnet attached to the top plate that mate with the strips of magnet attached to the sidewalls so as to magnetically hold the top plate against the upper edge of the gasket member.

Claim 16

A rapidly loaded vacuum film-holder for x-ray film comprising 1) a shallow open-topped receptacle that comprises a rigid bottom plate and upwardly extending sidewalls which comprise at least at their upper extremity a resilient gasket member that extends continuously around the open top of the receptacle and whose upper edge defines a single plane; 2) a top plate attached to the receptacle in position to rest against the upper edge of the gasket member to close the receptacle and adapted to be drawn toward the bottom plate a uniform amount over the whole area enclosed by the gasket member; 3) a pressure plate supported above and parallel to the bottom plate; 4) first and second intensifying screens disposed between the pressure plate and the top plate; and 5) an exhaust port located in the receptacle or top plate for attachment to a vacuum source, whereby a vacuum may be formed within the film-holder to draw the top plate toward the bottom plate and tightly sandwich film between the two intensifying screens.

Claim 17

A rapidly loaded vacuum film-holder for x-ray film comprising 1) a shallow open-topped receptacle that comprises a rigid bottom plate and upwardly extending sidewalls which comprise at least at their upper extremity a resilient gasket member that extends continuously around the open top of the receptacle and whose upper edge defines a single plane; 2) a top plate attached to the receptacle in position to rest against the upper edge of the gasket member to close the receptacle and adapted to be drawn toward the bottom plate a uniform amount over the whole area enclosed by the gasket member; 3) a pressure plate supported above and parallel to the bottom plate; 4) first and second intensifying screens disposed between the pressure plate and the top plate; and 5) an exhaust port located in the receptacle or top plate for attachment to a vacuum source, whereby a vacuum may be formed within the film-holder to draw the top plate toward the bottom plate and tightly sandwich film between the two intensifying screens.

Claim 18

A film-holder of claim 14 in which the pressure plate is supported above the bottom plate by resiliently compressible means.

Claim 19

A film-holder of claim 14 in which the top plate is attached to the receptacle by hinge means fixed on the receptacle and extending through openings in the top plate so as to permit the top plate to move toward the bottom plate of the receptacle at the point of connection to the hinge means as well as to pivot with respect to the receptacle.

Claim 20

A film-holder of claim 14 in which holding means removably holds the top plate against the upper edge of the gasket member.