X-ray inspection device and method

Claim 1

Apparatus for the production and visual inspection of the moving fluoroscopic image of an article during movement of said article through said apparatus, comprising a shielded housing, an X-ray exposure station within said housing comprising an X-ray emission station, a fluoroscopic screen shielded against the transmission of X-rays and a baggage inspection station located between said emission station and said screen, said emission station comprising an X-ray emission tube adapted to emit a continuous beam of X-rays of low intensity through said inspection station and onto the surface of said screen, said X-rays being of such low intensity as not to damage photographic film, and a shielded focal member having an opening which focuses all of the X-rays emitted from said emission station as a divergent beams which strikes substantially only the surface of said screen, a television camera adapted to produce video signals corresponding to fluoroscopic images produced on said screen, intensifier means associated with said camera for converting the weak low-intensity X-ray images present on the fluoroscopic screen to video signals which are intensified by a factor of at least about 1000 times gain, a television monitor which is viewable outside said housing by an operator and is associated with said camera and is adapted to receive said intensified video signals and produce intensified television images on said monitor corresponding to the fluoroscopic images present on the fluoroscopic screen, conveyor means for continuously moving an article to be inspected into said X-ray exposure station through an entrance opening in said shielded housing, into said baggage inspection station and out of said shielded housing through another opposed exit opening therein to provide a continuous moving fluoroscopic image of said article passing through said baggage inspection station, sensing means in the area of said entrance opening to sense the entry of an article to be inspected and to activate the X-ray emission tube until a predetermined period of time after the article passes said means, and shielded flexible curtains means covering each of said opposed openings and adapted to retard the escape of X-rays from said inspection station while permitting said article to be conveyed therethrough, said flexible curtain means comprising two spaced banks, each of which comprises two superposed layers of vertically-slit leaded-vinyl plastic, the slits in one of said layers being offset from the slits in the other of said layers.