US3254223A

US3254223A - Vertical radiographic unit

Info

Publication number: US3254223A
Application number: US230551A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry E Koerner; Horace E Lupton
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1962-10-15
Filing date: 1962-10-15
Publication date: 1966-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-31

Description

y 1966 V H. E. KOERNER ETAL 3,254,223

VERTICAL RADIOGRAPHIC UNIT Filed Oct. 15, 1962 AGENT a r e m me o N E V W r 0 H Horace E. Lupt n BYm A United States Patent O The present invention relates to Xvray apparatus and more particularly to a vertical radiographic unit.

A prime object of the present invention is to provide an improved vertical radiographic unit of the type comprising an X-ray tube and a film cassette holder movable to different angular and spaced-apart positions on a rockable arm which is pivotally mounted at its center on a vertical carriage which is movable to different vertical positions along a vertical column.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved vertical radiographic unit which greatly facilitates use of such unit in the numerous radiographic techniques of which such types of unit can be employed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: I

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the vertical radiographic unit embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are section views taken along the lines 11-11 and IIIIII, respectively, in FIG. 1 showing details of the X-ray tube and film cassette holder counterbalancing arrangements embodied in the improved unit; and

FIG. 4 is cross-sectional showing of an orientationlocking system for the film cassette holder embodied in the improved unit.

' Description Referring to FIG. 1 the improved radiographic unit of the present invention comprises in general, a rockable arm 1 which carries an X-ray tube 2 and a film cassette holder 3, and which is pivotally supported via a shaft 4 on a vertical carriage 5 which in turn is supported via counterbalance cables 6 on a vertical column 7 which, as shown in FIG. 1, is floor-mounted, but which may be otherwise mounted as on such as floor and ceiling tracks, etc. for mobility of the unit. Full vertical counterbalancing of the equipment supported by the vertical carriage 5 is effected by counter-weight means 8 within the column 7, via the cables 6. The X-ray tube 2 is suitably mounted for adjustable rotary movement about mutuallyperpendicular axes 9 and 10 on an X-ray tube carriage 11 suitably mounted for movement along the arm 1 in a direction perpendicular to each of the axes 9 and 10. The film cassette holder 3 is mounted via a shaft 12 on a cassette holder carriage 13 suitably mounted for movement to selected positions along the arm 1. The cassette holder 3 and shaft 12 are turnable in unison about the axis of such shaft which extends perpendicular to the direction of travel of the carriage 13. Sidewise movement of the cassette holder 3 perpendicular to the axis of shaft 12 and relative thereto may be effected via a crank handle 14 and an attached screw member 15 which extends in screw-threaded engagement with an internallythreaded member16 secured to the outer end of the shaft 12. Locking of the X-ray tube carriage 11 in a selected position along the arm 1' can be effected by a lock tab 17 which eifectuates a locking mechanism or brake of suitable type, while similar locks for the cassette holder carriage and the vertical carriage may be effectuated by lock tabs 18 and 19, respectively.

ice

In accord with the improvements of the present invention, the X-ray tube carriage 11 and the cassette holder carriage 13 are independently movable along the arm 1. This affords a greater degree of freedom in adjustment of the film cassette holder 3 relative to the X-ray tube 2 than heretofore possible which results in a significant reduction inset-up time in any of the numerous techniques which may be employed with the unit in the various angular and vertical positions of the arm 1, the relative angular positions of the X-ray tube 2 and cassette holder 3, as well as the dilferent relative separation distances of the latter.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, to permit such independent movement of the X-ray tube carriage 11 and the film cassette carriage .13 Without disturbing the balance of the arm 1, each carriage, including its supported load, is counterbalanced relative to shaft 4 by a respective counterweight 22 connected at its opposite ends to respective oppositely-extending

cables

23 and 24 extending through the arm 1, passing around

respective pulleys

25 and 26 rotatably mounted at opposite ends of the arm, thence to respective fixed connections at opposite ends of the particular carriage. The cable 24 for a particular carriage 11 or 13, as the case may be, may pass freely through.

an opening 27 extending lengthwise through the other carriage. As the arm 1 is viewed in FIG. 1, the two independently-movable counterweights 22 (hidden from viewin FIG. 1) will travel along respective parallel paths along opposite edges of such arm and at opposite sides of the shaft 4 which pivotally supports arm 1. I

As an aid in distinguishing elements 22 to 26 relating to carriage 11 from those relating to carriage 13, in the drawings, the numerals 22 to 26 relating to carriage 11 are given a subscript a in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, in accord with another feature of the present invention, the film cassette holder 3 may be locked to a particular rotary position about the axis of shaft 12 by depression of a cassette-orientationlock-control plunger shaft 29 mounted on the carriage 13, when the carriage is moved to the center of the arm 1, with the shaft 12 on which cassette holder 3 is mounted, brought into alignment with the shaft 4 on which the arm 1 is mounted, as shown in FIG. 4. This feature enables the cassette to be brought into contact with the patient at an area to be radiographed, and to be locked in such position while the arm 1 is moved to different angular positions about the shaft 1 to orient the X-ray tube 2 for a series of 'radiographs of the selected region of the patient from the several angles without requiring corresponding movements of the patient. This series ofradiographs taken from various angles being a common technique, for example, in X-ray examination of a patients head where the view may be obscured by the skull and an adequate, complete or true picturization can be obtained only by shots taken from selected angular positions.

Such cassette-holder-orientation-locking feature is ob tained, FIG. 4, in the aforedescribed center position when plunger shaft 29 is depressed, by an elongated gear element 32 which constantly'engages a gear element 33 secured to the end of the shaft 12 carrying the cassette holder 3 and is made to also engage a gear element 34 secured to the end of shaft 4 by such depression. In the position in which the parts are shown in FIG. 4, the nonlocked position, rotation of the cassete holder .3 about the axis of shaft 12 relative to the carriage 13 may be effected by turning the plunger shaft 29, which turns the cassette holder 3 via gear elements 32 and 33, shaft 12, and member 16 which is in transverse slidable engagement with inner surfaces of cassette holder 3. Indication of the selected rotary position is given by a dial 35 on the carriage 13 and encircling the outer end of the plunger shaft 29. When plunger shaft 29 is depressed, a selected angular position of the cassette holder 3 relative to an immobile patient is held automatically during angular movement of the arm 1 by locking action between the non-rotary gear element 34 and the gear element 33 as bridged by the gear element 32.

While the foregoing has described the invention in connection with an exemplification embodying certain details which may be preferred, it will be understood that the, invention as defined by the appended claims, embraces modifications and/or details which will become readily apparent to those versed in the art to which this invention pertains.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a vertical radiographic unit, the combination of an arm rockable about a horizontal pivot axis, an X-ray tube means on said arm movable therealong, a film cassette holder turnable about an orientation axis perpendicular to the direction of extension of said arm and movable therealong to a position in which said orientation axis coincides with said pivot axis, and means operable to maintain said film cassette holder in a selected angular attitude relative to a fixed plane containing said orientation axis while said holder is in said position and said arm is rocked about said pivot axis.

2. In a vertical radiographic unit comprising a vertically-movable carriage, an elongated arm, support means on said vertically-movable carriage pivotally supporting said arm substantially equidistant its ends for rockable movement about a pivot axis defined by such support means, an X-ray-tube-carrying carriage on said arm movable therealong, a film-cassette-holder carriage on said arm movable therealong relative to said X-ray-tubecarrying carriage, a substantially flat film cassette holder mounted on said film-cassette-holder carriage and turnable to different angular positions about an orientation axis perpendicular to the direction of extension of said arm, the foregoing being. constructed and arranged to permit said pivot axis and orientation axis to coincide when said film-cassette-holder carriage occupies a mid position on said arm, and means to maintain said film cassette holder in a selected angular position relative to a fixed plane containing the coincident axes, while said arm is rocked about such axes.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, further including means balancing said arm about said pivot axis in all independent longitudinal position of the X-ray-tubecarrying and film-cassette-holder carriages.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,957,720 5/1934 Nelson 25o 57 2,215,654 9/1940 Simon 250 5s 2,441,538 5/1948 Steinhaus 2s0 ss RALPH G. NILSON, Primary Examiner.

30 A. L. BIRCH, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

2. IN A VERTICAL RADIOGRAPHIC UNIT COMPRISING A VERTICALLY-MOVABLE CARRIAGE, AN ELONGATED ARM, SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID VERTICALLY-MOVABLE CARRIAGE PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID ARM SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIDISTANT ITS ENDS FOR ROCKABLE MOVEMENT ABOUT A PIVOT AXIS DEFINED BY SUCH SUPPORT MEANS, AN X-RAY-TUBE-CARRYING CARRIAGE ON SAID ARM MOVABLE THEREALONG, A FILM-CASSETTE-HOLDER CARRIAGE ON SAID ARM MOVABLE THEREALONG RELATIVE TO SAID X-RAY-TUBECARRYING CARRIAGE, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT FILM CASSETTE HOLDER MOUNTED ON SAID FILM-CASSETTE-HOLDER CARRIAGE AND TURNABLE TO DIFFERENT ANGULAR POSITIONS ABOUT AN ORIENTATION