Patent US4778557A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US2444638A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3919554A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Elevator mechanism and method for scintillation detectors
Assignee: Revvity Health Sciences Inc
•
Filing: 1973-06-11
•
Granted: 1975-11-11
•
Expires: 1993-06-11
Abstract
Abstract An elevator mechanism and method for raising and lowering radioactive samples through a shielded vertical counting chamber in a benchtop scintillation detector which has a practical limit on its height. The elevator mechanism adds little or nothing to the height of the detector by using an elongated flexible member such as a metal tape secured to the bottom of the elevator platform and extending downwardly through the counting chamber and its bottom shielding, where the tape is bent laterally for connection to a drive means. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the tape is bent laterally below the bottom shielding for the counting chamber, and then upwardly along or through one side of the shielding to a reel at the top of the shielding. The tape is wound onto the reel, and the reel is driven by a reversible motor which winds and unwinds the tape on the reel to raise and lower the elevator platform.
Inventors
- 👤 Edmund Frank
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:17
CPC Classifications
B; B66; B66F; B66F13/00; B66F13/005; G; G01; G01T; G01T7/00; G01T7/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
198 words
An elevator mechanism for raising and lowering radioactive samples through a shielded vertical counting chamber in a scintillation detector, said elevator mechanism comprising the combination of platform means mounted for vertical movement through said counting chamber and its top shielding, an elongated flexible member secured at one end to the bottom of said platform means and extending downwardly through said counting chamber and its bottom shielding, laterally away from said chamber below the bottom thereof, and then upwardly with said flexible member terminating with its other end at an elevation above said chamber, a reel rotatably disposed above the shielding of said chamber, said other member end being secured to said reel, said member being unsupported along the length of travel of said platform means and sufficiently rigid to support said platform means throughout said length of travel, said member also being sufficiently flexible to be bent around the shielding below said counting chamber, and reversible drive means coupled to said reel for winding and unwinding said member onto and off of said reel to shift said member through said counting chamber and thereby raising and lowering said platform means through said counting chamber and its top shielding.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
198 words
An elevator mechanism for raising and lowering radioactive samples through a shielded vertical counting chamber in a scintillation detector, said elevator mechanism comprising the combination of platform means mounted for vertical movement through said counting chamber and its top shielding, an elongated flexible member secured at one end to the bottom of said platform means and extending downwardly through said counting chamber and its bottom shielding, laterally away from said chamber below the bottom thereof, and then upwardly with said flexible member terminating with its other end at an elevation above said chamber, a reel rotatably disposed above the shielding of said chamber, said other member end being secured to said reel, said member being unsupported along the length of travel of said platform means and sufficiently rigid to support said platform means throughout said length of travel, said member also being sufficiently flexible to be bent around the shielding below said counting chamber, and reversible drive means coupled to said reel for winding and unwinding said member onto and off of said reel to shift said member through said counting chamber and thereby raising and lowering said platform means through said counting chamber and its top shielding.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
An elevator mechanism as set forth in claim 1 which includes a plurality of bearings spaced around the circumference of said reel for holding said tape on said reel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
An elevator mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein guide means extends laterally under said bottom shielding and upwardly to said reel for guiding said tape between said reel and said bottom shielding.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
An elevator mechanism as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said member is curved in the direction transverse to its direction of movement to provide the member with rigidity along its longitudinal axis.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of raising and lowering radioactive samples through a shielded vertical counting chamber in a scintillation detector having platform means mounted for vertical movement through said counting chamber and its top shielding, said method comprising the steps of connecting one end of an elongated flexible member to the bottom of said platform means and extending said member downwardly through said counting chamber and its bottom shielding, said member being unsupported along the length of travel of said platform means and sufficiently rigid to support said platform means throughout said length of travel, bending said member around the shielding below said counting chamber and then upwardly so that the other end of said flexible member is at a point above said counting chamber, coupling said other flexible member end to a reversible drive mechanism, and alternately actuating said mechanism first in one direction and then in the other direction to shift said member longitudinally through said counting chamber to raise and lower said platform means through said counting chamber and its top shielding.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of raising and lowering radioactive samples through a shielded vertical counting chamber in a scintillation detector having platform means mounted for vertical movement through said counting chamber and its top shielding, said method comprising the steps of connecting one end of an elongated flexible member to the bottom of said platform means and extending said member downwardly through said counting chamber and its bottom shielding, said member being unsupported along the length of travel of said platform means and sufficiently rigid to support said platform means throughout said length of travel, bending said member around the shielding below said counting chamber and then upwardly so that the other end of said flexible member is at a point above said counting chamber, coupling said other flexible member end to a reversible drive mechanism, and alternately actuating said mechanism first in one direction and then in the other direction to shift said member longitudinally through said counting chamber to raise and lower said platform means through said counting chamber and its top shielding.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said reversible drive mechanism is a reel and said member is alternately wound onto and unwound from said reel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said member is a flexible metal tape.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said reel is located above the shielding of said counting chamber, and a guide means extends laterally under said bottom shielding and upwardly to said reel for guiding said tape between said reel and said bottom shielding.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said tape is curved in the direction transverse to its direction of movement to provide the tape with rigidity along its longitudinal axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
177 words
An elevator mechanism for raising and lowering radioactive samples through a shielded vertical counting chamber in a scintillation detector, said elevator mechanism comprising the combination of platform means mounted for vertical movement through said counting chamber and its top shielding, an elongated flexible member secured at one end to the bottom of said platform means and extending downwardly through said counting chamber and its bottom shielding, laterally under said bottom shielding, and then upwardly so that the other end of said flexible member is at an elevation above said counting chamber, said member being unsupported along the length of travel of said platform means and sufficiently rigid to support said platform means throughout said length of travel, said member also being sufficiently flexible to be bent around the shielding below said counting chamber, and reversible drive means mounted at an elevation above said counting chamber and connected to said other flexible member end for shifting said member through said counting chamber and thereby raising and lowering said platform means through said counting chamber and its top shielding.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
177 words
An elevator mechanism for raising and lowering radioactive samples through a shielded vertical counting chamber in a scintillation detector, said elevator mechanism comprising the combination of platform means mounted for vertical movement through said counting chamber and its top shielding, an elongated flexible member secured at one end to the bottom of said platform means and extending downwardly through said counting chamber and its bottom shielding, laterally under said bottom shielding, and then upwardly so that the other end of said flexible member is at an elevation above said counting chamber, said member being unsupported along the length of travel of said platform means and sufficiently rigid to support said platform means throughout said length of travel, said member also being sufficiently flexible to be bent around the shielding below said counting chamber, and reversible drive means mounted at an elevation above said counting chamber and connected to said other flexible member end for shifting said member through said counting chamber and thereby raising and lowering said platform means through said counting chamber and its top shielding.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-10 | 1979-05-12 | 1979-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-10 | 1983-05-12 | 1983-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-10 | 1987-05-12 | 1987-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |