X-ray table with bucky elevator

Claim 2

IN DIAGNOSTIC X-RAY APPARATUS INCLUDING AN X-RAY PERMEABLE TABLE TOP ARRANGED FOR COOPERATING WITH AN X-RAY TUBE WHICH IS POSITIONABLE ON ONE SIDE OF SAID TOP FOR ACCOMMODATING A DIAGNOSTIC SUBJECT BETWEEN SAID TUBE AND TABLE TOP, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID TABLE TOP FOR BIDIRECTIONAL LATERAL AND LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENTS IN A PLANE TO THEREBY ENABLE A SUBJECT ON SAID TOP TO BE POSITIONED SELECTIVELY, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING FRAME MEANS EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID TOP AND DEFINING A SPACE THAT IS CLOSED ABOUT ITS PERIMETER AND HAS AN OPEN BOTTOM, SAID FRAME MEANS SUPPORTING SAID TOP ON A SIDE REMOTE FROM THE PATIENT SUPPORTING SURFACE THEREOF, A CARRIAGE MEANS MOUNTED FOR MOVING LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO SAID TABLE TOP BENEATH IT AND INDEPENDENTLY THEREOF, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A. SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE MEANS, SAID SUPPORT MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID TABLE TOP AND A SECOND POSITION CLOSER TO SAID TABLE TOP, B. CASSETTE TRAY MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR BEING MOVED LATERALLY TO ENABLE WITHDRAWAL THEREOF FOR EXCHANGING FILM CASSETTES, SAID TRAY MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO SUPPORT A FOLM CASSETTE, SAID TRAY MEANS SUPPORTING A FILM CASSETTE WITHIN SAID SPACE DEFINED BY SAID FRAME MEANS WHEN SAID SUPPORT MEANS IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION AND SAID TRAY MEANS SUPPORTING SAID CASSETTE BELOW SAID FRAME MEANS AND SAID SPACE WHEN SAID SUPPORT MEANS IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION, C. WITHDRAWAL OF SAID CASSETTE TRAY MEANS BEING INTERFERED WITH BY SAID TABLE TOP FRAME MEANS WHEN SAID SUPPORT MEANS IS IN ITS SECOND POSITION AND BEING CLEAR OF SAID FRAME MEANS WHEN IN ITS FIRST POSITION, AND D. SELECTIVELY OPERABLE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SUPPORT MEANS BETWEEN ITS FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIAGE MEANS.

Claim 3

The invention set forth in claim 1 including: a. grid means mounted on said support means in substantial parallelism with said tray means, said grid means being interposed between said cassette tray means and said table top and being movable with said support means jointly with said cassette tray means toward and away from said table top.

Claim 4

The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said selectively operable means includes link means mounted pivotally on said carriage means and engaged with said support means, and b. means for actuating said link means to pivot in selectively opposite directions to thereby effect said position changes of said support means.

Claim 5

The invention set forth in claim 3 including: a. motor means mounted on said carriage means, and b. means for coupling said motor to said actuating means.

Claim 6

The invention set forth in claim 1 including: a. longitudinally spaced apart pairs of elements each of which are pivotally mounted to said carriage means and the elements in a pair being spaced laterally from each other, b. means for engaging each of said elements with said support means, c. link means connecting said elements in each pair, respectively, for pivoting jointly, and d. selectively operable actuating means operatively connected with said respective link means to translate said link means and thereby pivot said elements and move said support means.

Claim 7

The invention set forth in claim 3 wherein said actuating means comprises: a. motor means mounted on said carriage means, b. drum means rotatable in selectively opposite directions by said motor means, c. sets of a plurality of sheave means supported on said carriage means, d. a first flexible element having its opposed ends attached to said drum means and running on one set of said sheave means, said first flexible element being engaged intermediate its ends with one of said link means, and e. a second flexible element having its opposite ends attached to another of said drum means and running on another set of said sheave means, said second flexible element being engaged intermediate its ends with the other of said link means.

Claim 8

In diagnostic x-ray apparatus including an x-ray permeable table top arranged for cooperating with an x-ray tube which is Positionable on one side of said top for accommodating a diagnostic subject between said tube and table top, means supporting said table top for bidirectional lateral and longitudinal movements in a plane to thereby enable a subject on said top to be positioned selectively, said supporting means including frame means supporting said top and defining a space on a side of said table top remote from the patient supporting surface thereof, a carriage means mounted for moving longitudinally relative to said table top beneath it and independently thereof, the improvement comprising: a. support means on said carriage means, said support means including a rear member, longitudinally spaced apart side members and a front member, said front member having an opening therein, b. longitudinally spaced apart track means extending from said opening in a lateral direction between said side members, c. cassette tray means including cassette clamping means for supporting a film cassette, said tray means being supported on said track means and being withdrawable through said opening to permit exchanging film cassettes clear of said table top, and d. means for selectively moving said support means between raised and lowered positions in respect to said carriage means, withdrawal of said tray means being prevented by said table top frame means interfering with said tray means when it is raised with said support means but said cassette tray means and a film cassette thereon being closer to said table top when in raised position for improving radiographic quality, said tray means being withdrawable without interference when said support means is in its lower position, e. radiographic grid support means supported from said support means between said cassette tray means and said table top, said grid support means being constructed and arranged to support a grid in substantial parallelism with said tray means, and f. said grid means support means being movable with said support means to maintain a constant distance between said tray means and grid means when said support means is in either its raised or lowered position.

Claim 9

In diagnostic x-ray apparatus including an x-ray permeable table top arranged for cooperating with an x-ray tube which is Positionable on one side of said top for accommodating a diagnostic subject between said tube and table top, means supporting said table top for bidirectional lateral and longitudinal movements in a plane to thereby enable a subject on said top to be positioned selectively, said supporting means including frame means supporting said top and defining a space on a side of said table top remote from the patient supporting surface thereof, a carriage means mounted for moving longitudinally relative to said table top beneath it and independently thereof, the improvement comprising: a. support means on said carriage means, said support means including a rear member, longitudinally spaced apart side members and a front member, said front member having an opening therein, b. longitudinally spaced apart track means extending from said opening in a lateral direction between said side members, c. cassette tray means including cassette clamping means for supporting a film cassette, said tray means being supported on said track means and being withdrawable through said opening to permit exchanging film cassettes clear of said table top, and d. means for selectively moving said support means between raised and lowered positions in respect to said carriage means, withdrawal of said tray means being prevented by said table top frame means interfering with said tray means when it is raised with said support means but said cassette tray means and a film cassette thereon being closer to said table top when in raised position for improving radiographic quality, said tray means being withdrawable without interference when said support means is in its lower position, e. radiographic grid support means supported from said support means between said cassette tray means and said table top, said grid support means being constructed and arranged to support a grid in substantial parallelism with said tray means, and f. said grid means support means being movable with said support means to maintain a constant distance between said tray means and grid means when said support means is in either its raised or lowered position.