Automatic film loader for x-ray machine

Claim 1

An automatic film loader for a chest X-Ray machine comprising: a. a supply magazine adapted to hold a supply of cut film, each film of said supply being vertically disposed on one of its edges; b. an exposure station; c. a receiver magazine for receiving the exposed film; d. said supply magazine including an adjustable first pressure plate for pressing the supply of cut film together; e. film feed means including: 1. friction means for frictionally engaging one of said vertically disposed cut films in said supply magazine and feeding from said magazine; 2. film advance and transport rollers outside said supply magazine and disposed on vertical axes for receiving the cut film fed forwardly thereto by said friction means and for advancing and transporting said film therealong; f. first pusher means for pushing against the trailing vertically disposed edge of the transported cut film for pushing said film into final position at said exposure station; g. a vertically disposed second pressure plate at the exposure station; h. means responsive to said first pusher means having pushed said film into final position at the exposure station for moving said second pressure plate into holding position to hold said film; i. a manually operable switch for initiating the exposure of said film at the exposure station for a selected time period; j. film take-away means; k. means effective automatically at the termination of the timed exposure period for actuating said take-away means for taking the exposed film from the exposure station and moving it toward said receiver magazine; l. said take-away means including: 1. take-away rollers disposed on vertical axes; 2. means for further actuating said first pusher means for pushing against the trailing vertical edge of said exposed film to push said film beyond the exposure station into said take-away rollers; 3. second pusher means beyond the take-away rollers for pushing against the trailing vertical edge of said exposed cut film to push said film into said receiver magazine; m. means for reducing the pressure of said first pressure plate on the supply of edge stacked film during feeding thereof from said magazine; and n. means responsive to termination of said timed exposure period for retracting said second pressure plate from the exposed film at the exposure station.