X-Ray film package and method and apparatus for making the same

Claim 2

An X-ray film package for applying dimensional indicia on the developed X-ray film, said package comprising, a sheet of X-ray film having pre-exposed but undeveloped dimensional indicia thereon, and a cover completely enclosing said film, said cover being formed of material which protects said film from normal light but which is penetrated by X-radiation whereby, when the package is placed adjacent an object and subjected to X-radiation and the film thereafter is developed, both the object and said dimensional indicia appear on said film with the dimensional indicia being black on the developed film.

Claim 3

An X-ray film package as defined in claim 1 including a lead sheet lying against one side of said sheet of film and two opaque sheets with the film and lead sheets sandwiched between the opaque sheets, all of said sheets being of substantially the same size and all being enclosed by said cover.

Claim 8

Apparatus for pre-exposing a strip of X-ray film to dimensional indicia, said apparatus comprising, drive means for advancing a strip of unexposed X-ray film step by step through a position in which successive portions of predetermined length are disposed at said position, light means operable to expose each such length when disposed at said position to dimensional indicia, a control strip having a plurality of targets formed along its length with the space between adjacent targets being precisely correlated with said predetermined length, said drive means advancing said control strip in synchronism with said strip of film, sensing means disposed along said control strip and activated each time it senses one of said targets, and control means responsive to said sensing means and operable when said sensing means is activated first to stop said drive means thereby to stop the advance of said strips, then to operate said light means and then to restart said drive means.

Claim 9

Apparatus for pre-exposing a strip of X-ray film to dimensional indicia, said apparatus comprising, drive means for advancing a strip of unexposed X-ray film step by step through a position in which successive portions of predetermined length are disposed at said position, light means operable to expose each such length when disposed at said position to dimensional indicia, a control strip having a plurality of targets formed along its length with the space between adjacent targets being precisely correlated with said predetermined length, said drive means advancing said control strip in synchronism with said strip of film, sensing means disposed along said control strip and activated each time it senses one of said targets, and control means responsive to said sensing means and operable when said sensing means is activated first to stop said drive means thereby to stop the advance of said strips, then to operate said light means and then to restart said drive means.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said control strip is separate from said strip of film whereby the control strip may be reused to control the pre-exposing of successive strips of film.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said drive means advances in unison a plurality of strips of X-ray film and said light means being operable simultaneously to expose equal lengths of all the strips of film to said dimensional indicia.

Claim 12

Apparatus for pre-exposing a strip of X-ray film to dimensional indicia, said apparatus comprising, drive means for advancing a strip of unexposed X-ray film step by step through a position in which successive portions of predetermined length are disposed at said position, light means operable to expose each such length when disposed at said position to dimensional indicia, a control strip having a plurality of first targets formed along its length with the space between adjacent targets being precisely correlated with said predetermined length and a plurality of second targets, each of said second targets being spaced a predetermined distance behind one of said first targets, said drive means advancing said control strip in synchronism with said strip of film and operable to advance the strips at a high speed, an intermediate speed and a slow speed, sensing means including first, second and third sensors successively disposed along said control strip to sense in order each of said first targets, and control means responsive to said sensors and controlling said drive means to change the advance of said strips from high speed to intermittent speed when said first sensor senses one of said first targets, then changes the advance when said second sensor senses said first target and stops the advance when said third sensor senses said first target, the spacing between said second and said third sensor being equal to said predetermined distance whereby said second sensor senses the associated one of said second targets when said third sensor senses said first target, said control means being responsive to said second and third sensors sensing respectively said second and first targets first to operate said light means and then to restart said drive means to advance the strips at high speed.

Claim 13

Apparatus for pre-exposing a strip of X-ray film to dimensional indicia, said apparatus comprising, drive means for advancing a strip of unexposed X-ray film step by step through a position in which successive portions of predetermined length are disposed at said position, light means operable to expose each such length when disposed at said position to dimensional indicia, a control strip having a plurality of first targets formed along its length with the space between adjacent targets being precisely correlated with said predetermined length and a plurality of second targets, each of said second targets being spaced a predetermined distance behind one of said first targets, said drive means advancing said control strip in synchronism with said strip of film and operable to advance the strips at a high speed, an intermediate speed and a slow speed, sensing means including first, second and third sensors successively disposed along said control strip to sense in order each of said first targets, and control means responsive to said sensors and controlling said drive means to change the advance of said strips from high speed to intermittent speed when said first sensor senses one of said first targets, then changes the advance when said second sensor senses said first target and stops the advance when said third sensor senses said first target, the spacing between said second and said third sensor being equal to said predetermined distance whereby said second sensor senses the associated one of said second targets when said third sensor senses said first target, said control means being responsive to said second and third sensors sensing respectively said second and first targets first to operate said light means and then to restart said drive means to advance the strips at high speed.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said drive means includes a two-speed motor to advance said strips at the high and intermediate speeds and an auxiliary drive mechanism operable when energized to advance the strips at the low speed, said control means (a) being responsive to said first sensor sensing a first target to change said motor from its higher speed to its lower speed, (b) being responsive to said second sensor sensing said first target to stop said motor and start said auxiliary drive mechanism, and (c) being responsive to said third sensor sensing said first target to de-energize said auxiliary drive mechanism.

Claim 15

Apparatus for pre-exposing X-ray film to dimensional indicia, said apparatus comprising, a base, a plate having a portion of predetermined length which is opaque except for dimensional indicia, a first shaft mounted on said base adjacent one end of said plate, a second shaft mounted on said base adjacent the other end of said plate, a control strip initially wound on a first supply roll mounted on said first shaft, a first take-up roll mounted on said second shaft, said control strip extending from said first supply roll and along one side of said plate to said first take-up roll, a strip of unexposed X-ray film initially wound as a second supply roll mounted on said first shaft, a second take-up roll mounted on said second shaft, said film strip extending from said second supply roll and along said one side of said plate to said second take-up roll, said film strip being parallel to said control strip and passing along said opaque portion of said plate, a lamp mounted on said base on the other side of said plate and operable when energized to expose the portion of said film strip adjacent to said opaque portion to said dimensional indicia, power operated means for turning said second shaft and operable when energized to drive said second shaft thereby to advance said control strip and said film strip in unison from their respective supply rolls to their respective take-up rolls, a plurality of targets formed along said control strip with the space between adjacent targets being equal to said predetermined length, sensing means disposed along said control strip and activated each time it senses one of said targets, and control means responsive to said sensing means and operable when said sensing means is activated to de-energize said power operated means, then to energize and de-energize said lamp and then to re-energize said power operated means.

Claim 16

Apparatus for pre-exposing X-ray film to dimensional indicia, said apparatus comprising, a base, a plate having a portion of predetermined length which is opaque except for dimensional indicia, a first shaft mounted on said base adjacent one end of said plate, a second shaft mounted on said base adjacent the other end of said plate, a control strip initially wound on a first supply roll mounted on said first shaft, a first take-up roll mounted on said second shaft, said control strip extending from said first supply roll and along one side of said plate to said first take-up roll, a strip of unexposed X-ray film initially wound as a second supply roll mounted on said first shaft, a second take-up roll mounted on said second shaft, said film strip extending from said second supply roll and along said one side of said plate to said second take-up roll, said film strip being parallel to said control strip and passing along said opaque portion of said plate, a lamp mounted on said base on the other side of said plate and operable when energized to expose the portion of said film strip adjacent to said opaque portion to said dimensional indicia, power operated means for turning said second shaft and operable when energized to drive said second shaft thereby to advance said control strip and said film strip in unison from their respective supply rolls to their respective take-up rolls, a plurality of targets formed along said control strip with the space between adjacent targets being equal to said predetermined length, sensing means disposed along said control strip and activated each time it senses one of said targets, and control means responsive to said sensing means and operable when said sensing means is activated to de-energize said power operated means, then to energize and de-energize said lamp and then to re-energize said power operated means.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 10 including means for clamping and unclamping said strips against said one side of said plate, said control means controlling said clamping means to clamp the strips against the plate after said power operated means has been de-energized and then to unclamp the strips after said lamp has been de-energized.