US2105961A - Carriage for rontgen apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 18, 1938.

M. ANDREI'NI 2,105,961 CARRIAGE FOR RNTGEN APPARATUS Filed Feb. 21, l1935 2 sheets-sheet. 1

Flai

Jan. 18, 1938.

M. ANDRE|N| 2,105,961

CARRIAGE RoR 'RNTGRN APPARATUS Filed Feb. 21, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2y ffa. 5.

Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED `STA'l` Application February 21, 1935, Serial No. 7,605 :in Italy February 23, 1934 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for Rntgen'radioscopy, radiography and radiotherapeutic treatment, and particularly in the supporting devices or carriages thereof. These latter vcarry the X-ray emission tube, and also according to requirements a iiuorescent screen for radioscopy purposes, a film or plate holder for Xray photographs, or both of these. 'Ihe invention is applicable to such supporting devices or carriages irrespectively of their type, whether for use upon patients when standing or lying down, or for use with stationary objects. In these apparatus the tube is held in a frameshaped holder in vwhich also a screen lor a photographic plate or film holder may be mounted in such a way that displacement of the assembly in both longitudinal and transverse directions are possible to allow the center of observation or treatment to be brought to any point with regard to the patient or object. These displacements are made possible in the known apparatus by means of `two carriages, one of which carries the tube and holder assembly and runs transversely on the other carriage which is able to perform vertical movements. The carriage supporting the tube and holder assembly may in some cases be inclined so as to allow oblique radiations on the patients.

The structures built in this manner are very complex and bulky and comprise numerous parts connected with each other by joints which offer resistance to the desired displacements. They are consequently rather expensive, both in first cost and maintenance.

The present invention eliminates these disadvantages and consists inthat the tube and holder assembly is connected by means of universal joints with the end of a pivoted. lever system, which is preferably counterweighted and which is itself universally jointed to a stationary base cr carriage. By virtue of this mechanism with universal joints, the tube and holder can assume any position and inclination.

This arrangement provides relative transverse displacements of the tube and holder unit in polar instead of orthogonal co-crdinates; it allows the tube to be inclined without altering the parallelism of the two sides of the holder frame carrying the tube and observation or photographic means, whereby this holder can be made of simple construction.

In one form of the apparatus, the counterweighted lever system comprises a single bar, having at one of its ends a universal joint connected with a stationary base and at its other (Cl. Z50-34) end another universal joint to which the tube and helder frame assembly is attached and separately counterweighted, with regard to this joint.

In a modified arrangement, the lever system comprises four arms arranged in superposed pairs and forming two articulated parallelograrns, parallel to each other. In this case each arm is connected by a universal joint to the base and frame so that a higher number of universal joints becomes necessary, but the tube and holder assembly need not be counterweighted and the apparatus becomes more stable and manageable.

In both cases, the apparatus may be adjusted by direct manipulation of the tube and holder frame, because this assembly can be brought dire'ctly from one position to another without appreciable effort.

The counterbalancing may be done in any man- A ner, for example,`by means of stationary counterweights or sliding weights operated by cables and pulleys, or springs may be used instead of weights.

The two above-mentioned constructions are illustrated in the annexed drawings as applied to an orthoscope apparatus for observing a patient while standing.

In said drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are side and plan views of the single-arm apparatus.

Figs. 3 and 4 represent the same views of the articulated parallelogram apparatus.

In both cases, the Rntgen tube L is mounted in a holder CED of frame shape having telescopic joints E in its arms for enabling it to be enlarged. This assembly forms a -rigid unit connected in the form shown in Figs. l and 2, by means of a universal joint G with an arm F pivotally connected by means of a universal joint G' to a bracket A of a base A supporting a vertical table B for the standing patient to lean against. Ccunterweights I-i' attached to the frame member C on opposite sides of the arm F put the frame and tube L in neutral equilibrium about the point Gr. These weights are adjustable. The arm F is counterbalanced by a weight I-I which also balances the weight of the assembly LCED carried by the arm F. The weight I-I also may be adjustable or replaced by a spring.

It will be seen that by means of the two universal joints and counterweights, the operator can displace the tube and holder in any direction without appreciable elort.

The side C and the opposite side of the holder remain parallel to each other for any position given to the assembly. The apparatus is very simple and inexpensive, is completely rigid with regard to its base, and offers smooth operation.

In the case of larger apparatus, in which it is necessary to maintain an absolute precision of all movements, the arrangement represented in Figs. 3 and 4 may be adopted. In this case, the single arm F is replaced by four parallel arms F, each connected by means of a universal joint G with the base A, and to the tube and holder assembly CDEL by a universal joint G. In this case, the counterweights H for the assembly are no longer necessary as the arms form two articulated parallelograms ensuring parallel displacement of the tube and holder. This construction, however, requires eight universal joints, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

These constructional details can, of course, be altered if need be without, however, departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A Rntgen tube carriage, comprising a frame with tube holding means in one side thereof, a screen rigidly connected to and carried by said frame, a base, a lever system comprising a plurality of levers forming members of a link parallelogram system, a plurality of universal jointsconnecting said levers at spaced points' to the base, and a plurality of universal joints connecting said levers to the frame, said levers being four in number and vertically and horizontally spaced from each other and being counterweighted with respect to their joints to the base.

2. A suspension apparatus for a Rntgen tube holder, comprising a base, a lever, a universal joint for mounting said lever intermediate its ends on said base, a universal joint on one end of said lever, a Rntgen tube holder connected by said last-mentioned universal joint to said lever, a screen rigidly connected to and carried by said tube holder, and a counter-weight on the other end of said lever to maintain said lever in equilibrium in adjusted positions.

3. A suspension apparatus for a Rntgen tube holder, comprising a base, a lever, a universal joint for mounting said lever intermediate its ends on said base, a universal joint on one end of said lever, a Rntgen tube holder connected by said last-mentioned universal joint to said lever, a screen rigidly connected to and carried by said tube holder, a counter-weight on the other end of said lever to maintain said lever in equilibrium in adjusted positions, and means for maintaining said Rntgen tube holder in a given position relative to the horizontal during its displacements.

4. A suspension apparatus for a Rntgen tube holder, comprising a base, four levers, a universal joint for mounting each lever intermediate its ends on said base, a universal joint on one end of each lever, a Rntgen tube holder connected by said last-mentioned universal joints to said levers, a screen rigidly connected to and carried by said tube holder, the universal joints connecting said levers to said base and to said tube holder being positioned to hold said levers parallel to each other in the form of edges of a rectangular prism, and means carried by the free ends of said levers for counter-balancing the weight of the tube holder to maintain the levers in equilibrium in their adjusted positions.

5. A suspension apparatus for a Rntgen tube holder, comprising a base, a lever, a universal joint for mounting said lever intermediate its ends on said base, a universal joint on one end of said lever, a Rntgen tube holder connected by said last-mentioned universal joint to said lever, a screen rigidly connected to and carried by said tube holder, a counter-weight on the other end of said lever to maintain said lever in equilibrium in adjusted positions, and counter-Weight means for counter-balancing the Rntgen tube holder about the universal joint connecting it to the lever.

MICHELE ANDREINI.

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