Automatic film processor for dental x-ray film

Claim 2

A processor for film chips comprising: a series of tanks; transport means including a rear vertical wall having a pair of parallel, spaced, walls laterally extending therefrom, said spaced walls having curved portions thereof extending down into and up out of each said tanks and curved portions thereof extending from each tank over into the succeeding tank; a plurality of laterally spaced grooves formed on the opposing surfaces of said spaced walls, each groove on one wall associated with a groove on the opposite wall to form a pair of opposing grooves lying in a common vertical plane extending parallel to the plane of said rear vertical wall and forming a path through the spaced walls for a vertically oriented film chip; a lower laterally extending arm having a radial member mounted for rotation about an axis disposed normal to the rear vertical wall and substantially at the center of each curved portion of the spaced walls extending down into and up out of each of said tanks; and an upper laterally extending arm having a radial member mounted for rotation about an axis disposed normal to the rear vertical wall and substantially at the center of each curved portion of the spaced walls extending from a tank over into a succeeding tank; each said lower arm synchronized to rotate with an upper arm so that when said lower arm lifts film chips along their paths out of a tank the upper arm continues to lift the film chips and transfers them along their paths into the succeeding tank.

Claim 3

A processor for dental film chips comprising: a development compartment, a series of tanks in said development compartment, a channel formed of a pair of laterally extending, parallel, spaced walls having lower curved portions extending down into and out of each of said tanks and upper curved portions extending from each tank to the succeeding tank, a plurality of vee-grooves formed on the opposing surfaces of said spaced walls, each vee-groove on one wall associated with a vee-groove on the opposite wall to form a pair of opposing vee-grooves lying in the same vertical plane forming a path through the channel for a vertically oriented film chip, a lower lifter mounted for rotation about an axis substantially at the center of each lower curved portion of the channel extending down into and out of each of said tanks, and an upper lifter mounted for rotation about an axis substantially at the center of each upper curved portion of the channel extending from each tank to a succeeding tank, each said lower lifter timed to rotate with an upper lifter so that when said lower lifter lifts film chips along their paths out of a tank the upper lifter continues to lift the film chips and transfers them along their paths into the succeeding tank.

Claim 4

A processor for dental film chips comprising: a development compartment, a series of tanks in said development compartment, a channel formed of a pair of laterally extending, parallel, spaced walls having lower curved portions extending down into and out of each of said tanks and upper curved portions extending from each tank to the succeeding tank, a plurality of vee-grooves formed on the opposing surfaces of said spaced walls, each vee-groove on one wall associated with a vee-groove on the opposite wall to form a pair of opposing vee-grooves lying in the same vertical plane forming a path through the channel for a vertically oriented film chip, a lower lifter mounted for rotation about an axis substantially at the center of each lower curved portion of the channel extending down into and out of each of said tanks, and an upper lifter mounted for rotation about an axis substantially at the center of each upper curved portion of the channel extending from each tank to a succeeding tank, each said lower lifter timed to rotate with an upper lifter so that when said lower lifter lifts film chips along their paths out of a tank the upper lifter continues to lift the film chips and transfers them along their paths into the succeeding tank.

Claim 5

The invention in accordance with claim 2 including a drying compartment, a roller drive assembly for advancing said film chips along paths extending in parallel through said drying compartment, said roller drive assembly comprising a plurality of sets of spaced upper and lower rollers, each said roller having a plurality of vee-grooves thereon, each vee-groove on the upper roller being associated with a vee-groove on the lower roller to form a pair of opposing vee-grooves, and each said roller rotatably mounted to rotate on an axis normal to the paths of advancement of said film chips, the spacing of successive sets of said rollers along said paths being less than the length of a film chip, and each pair of opposing vee-grooves on the upper and lower rollers providing for engaging the upper and lower edges of a film chip to thereby simultaneously advance the film chips which have been transferred in parallel into said roller drive assembly by the upper lifter associated with the last tank in the series of tanks in said development compartment.

Claim 6

The invention in accordance with claim 3 including an upper gear on the eNd of each of said upper rollers, a lower gear on the end of each of said lower rollers, an upper idler gear for coupling adjacent upper gears together, a lower idler gear for coupling adjacent lower gears together, each said upper idler gear being further coupled to engage a lower idler gear, and a power gear coupled to engage a gear on the end of said rollers.

Claim 7

A processor for dental film chips comprising: a development compartment, a series of tanks in said development compartment, a channel formed of a pair of laterally extending, parallel, spaced walls having lower curved portions extending down into and out of each of said tanks and upper curved portions extending from each tank to the succeeding tank, a plurality of vee-grooves formed on the opposing surfaces of said spaced walls, each vee-groove on one wall associated with a vee-groove on the opposite wall to form a pair of opposing vee-grooves, each pair of opposing vee-grooves on said spaced walls lying in the same vertical plane forming a path through the channel for a vertically oriented film chip, a lower lifter mounted to swing through each lower curved portion of the channel extending down into and out of each of said tanks, an upper lifter mounted to swing through each upper curved portion of the channel extending from each tank to a succeeding tank, each said lower lifter timed to swing with an upper lifter so that when said lower lifter lifts film chips along their paths out of a tank the upper lifter continues to lift the film chips and transfers them along their paths into the succeeding tank, and wherein said lower lifter is provided with a pair of diametrically disposed lateral arms and said upper lifter is provided with a single lateral arm.

Claim 8

A processor for dental film chips comprising: a development compartment, a series of tanks in said development compartment, a channel formed of a pair of laterally extending, parallel, spaced walls having lower curved portions extending down into and out of each of said tanks and upper curved portions extending from each tank to the succeeding tank, a plurality of vee-grooves formed on the opposing surfaces of said spaced walls, each vee-groove on one wall associated with a vee-groove on the opposite wall to form a pair of opposing vee-grooves, each pair of opposing vee-grooves on said spaced walls lying in the same vertical plane forming a path through the channel for a vertically oriented film chip, a lower lifter mounted to swing through each lower curved portion of the channel extending down into and out of each of said tanks, an upper lifter mounted to swing through each upper curved portion of the channel extending from each tank to a succeeding tank, each said lower lifter timed to swing with an upper lifter so that when said lower lifter lifts film chips along their paths out of a tank the upper lifter continues to lift the film chips and transfers them along their paths into the succeeding tank, and wherein said lower lifter is provided with a pair of diametrically disposed lateral arms and said upper lifter is provided with a single lateral arm.

Claim 9

The invention in accordance with claim 5 including drive means for rotating said lower and upper lifters, said drive means providing for rotating said upper lifters four times faster than said lower lifters.

Claim 10

A processor for dental film chips comprising: a development compartment, a series of tanks in said development compartment, a channel formed of a pair of spaced walls having lower curved portions extending down into and out of each of said tanks and upper curved portions extending from each tank to a succeeding tank, said channel having an entrance passage, a plurality of vee-grooves formed on the opposing surfaces of said spaced walls, each vee-groove on one wall associated with a vee-groove on the opposite wall to form a pair of opposing vee-grooves, each pair of opposing vee-grooves forming a path through the channel for a film chip, a lower lifter mounted to swing through each lower curved portion of the channel extending down into and out of each of said tanks, an upper lifter mounted to swing through each upper curved portion of the channel extending from each tank to a succeeding tank, each said lower lifter timed to swing with an upper lifter so that when said lower lifter lifts the film chips along their paths out of a tank the upper lifter continues to lift the film chips and transfers them along their paths into the succeeding tank, a magazine for a plurality of said film chips positioned over the entrance passage of said channel, a gate member normally disposed to close the entrance passage of said channel, and drive means synchronized to move said gate member to open the entrance passage of said channel to said magazine each time said lower lifter swings through the lower curved portion of the channel extending down into the first tank of the series of tanks.

Claim 11

A processor for dental film chips comprising: a development compartment, a series of tanks in said development compartment, a channel formed of a pair of spaced walls having lower curved portions extending down into and out of each of said tanks and upper curved portions extending from each tank to a succeeding tank, said channel having an entrance passage, a plurality of vee-grooves formed on the opposing surfaces of said spaced walls, each vee-groove on one wall associated with a vee-groove on the opposite wall to form a pair of opposing vee-grooves, each pair of opposing vee-grooves forming a path through the channel for a film chip, a lower lifter mounted to swing through each lower curved portion of the channel extending down into and out of each of said tanks, an upper lifter mounted to swing through each upper curved portion of the channel extending from each tank to a succeeding tank, each said lower lifter timed to swing with an upper lifter so that when said lower lifter lifts the film chips along their paths out of a tank the upper lifter continues to lift the film chips and transfers them along their paths into the succeeding tank, a magazine for a plurality of said film chips positioned over the entrance passage of said channel, a gate member normally disposed to close the entrance passage of said channel, and drive means synchronized to move said gate member to open the entrance passage of said channel to said magazine each time said lower lifter swings through the lower curved portion of the channel extending down into the first tank of the series of tanks.

Claim 12

The invention in accordance with claim 7 wherein said drive means includes a cam synchronized to rotate with said lower lifters, said cam operating to move said gate member to open the entrance passage to said channel each time said lower lifter swings through the lower curved portions of said channel extending down into said first tank.

Claim 13

The invEntion in accordance with claim 7 including a slideable stopping plate on the bottom of said magazine, said stopping plate having an edge thereof extending under said film chips stored in said magazine to prevent said film chips from dropping out of said magazine, an indicating pin on said gate member, said stopping plate having an elongated slot for receiving the indicating pin on said gate member, and an indicia on said stopping plate adjacent the elongated slot thereof to indicate the period of time during the cycle of said lower rotating lifters that the edge of the stopping plate can be moved from under said film chips so that the film chips will be dropped out of the magazine when the gating member clears the entrance passage to said channel.