X-ray film cassette

Claim 1

A film sheet cassette comprising a frame to which is attached a substantially flat back plate and a substantially flat front plate and located therebetween a pressure plate for resiliently bearing against the said back plate when the cassette is in the closed position but raised from the back plate when the cassette is in the open position, there being present at one end of the frame, slot means for loading or unloading film into or out of the cassette, the said pressure plate having connected thereto along each side edge thereof at least one lifting tab, two push rods located one at each side of the frame for linear movement between a first position which corresponds to the cassette closed position and a second position which corresponds to the cassette open position, each push rod having associated therewith at least one round member which in the first position of the push rod rests on a flat end portion of a bellcrank member, each round member being located adjacent to a pressure plate lifting tab and a portion at least of the lifting tab being located over the portion of the bellcrank member on which the round member rests, whereby movement of the push rods from the first position to the second position causes the round member to move along the bellcrank members so causing the flat portion of the bellcrank member on which the round member rested to be pivoted upwards thus causing the lifting tab on the pressure plate to be raised so opening the cassette, together with light shielding means which prevents the ingress of light between the back plate and the pressure plate when the cassette is closed.