US3737661A

US3737661A - Portable x-ray radiation shielding device

Info

Publication number: US3737661A
Application number: US00120591A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Applegate
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-03-03
Filing date: 1971-03-03
Publication date: 1973-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-05

Abstract

A shielded x-ray adapting device for a portable x-ray apparatus comprising a collimator and a thereon rotationally and pivotally mounted container. The container has an upper part and hingedly attached edge overlapping bottom part which in a closed condition with one another provide two opposed apertures conforming with the periphery of an object so that a portion of the object to be xrayed can be completely enclosed. The bottom part has opposed slots for feeding x-ray film underneath the enclosed portion of the object. In addition, a definite closure switch and safety warning means is incorporated for insuring the complete enclosure of the portion of the object during the x-ray radiation operation.

Description

United States Patent 1 Applegate [54] PORTABLE X-RAY RADIATION SHIELDING DEVICE [76] Inventor: Robert L. Applegate, 13649 17th Avenue, S. W., Seattle, Wash.

[22] Filed: Mar. 3, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 120,591

[52] U.S. Cl ..250/65 R, 250/51, 250/105, 250/108 R [51] Int. Cl. ..G03b 41/16 [58] Field of Search ..250/51, 52, 65 R, 250/105, 108 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,600,867 9/1926 Coolidge ..250/105 X 2,456,816 12/1948 Daly ..250/52 2,687,477 8/1954 Pfaff ..250/52 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Great Britain ..250/105 51 june 5,1973

Primary Examiner-William F. Lindquist Attorney-Nicolaas De Vogel [57] ABSTRACT A shielded x-ray adapting device for a portable x-ray apparatus comprising a collimator and a thereon rotationally and pivotally mounted container.

The container has an upper part and hingedly attached edge overlapping bottom part which in a closed condition with one another provide two opposed apertures conforming with the periphery of an object so that a portion of the object to be x-rayed can be completely enclosed. The bottom part has opposed slots for feeding x-ray film underneath the enclosed portion of the object. In addition, a definite closure switch and safety warning means is incorporated for insuring the complete enclosure of the portion of the object during the x-ray radiation operation.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJU" 51m 3.737.661

SHEET 1 BF 2 INVE'NTOR ROBERT L.APP LEGATE BY AGEN PORTABLE X-RAY RADIATION SI'IIELDING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an adapter for a portable x-ray apparatus and more particularly to a shielded and fully adjustable x-ray adapter for completely enclosing a portion of installed objects to be x-rayed.

2. Description of the Prior Art X-ray inspection devices are well known in the industry; in particular where high quality control and nondestructive testing and examining of manufactured objects are concerned.

For instance, the U. S. Pat. No. 3,454,762 by Vollmer shows a typical set-up for x-ray viewing of electronic components; however, the x-ray radiation operation takes place in a separate lead-insulated room, because, as well known, the x-rays are very detrimental to the living cells and tissues of human beings.

Portable x-ray apparatus are therefore used with utmost safety precautions, and shielding devices are used to keep leaking of primary and secondary radiations to an absolute minimum. A typical example is the apparatus shown in U. S. Pat. No. 2,360,036 by Boucher, U. S. Pat. No. 2,436,279 by Wilson, and U. S. Pat. No. 3,508,059 by Vanderpool. However, it will be noted that these devices are specifically designed to emit xrays in a certain direction and that shielding is provided parallel or about the x-rays. Furthermore, it will be noted that these devices are not preventing secondary x-ray leakage so that the use of the devices is limited to operations during times that people are not around.

The same problem arose when x-rays were made of welded hydraulic tube joints, installed in-place within the Boeing airplane 747 structure. In order to inspect a tube joint by portable x-ray apparatus, the entire aircraft and immediate surroundings were completely evacuated. Rope barriers had to be set up and surveillance was maintained to prevent workers from entering the critical area of 2 mr/hr (milli-roentgens per hour) that was measured at the barriers 25 to 50 yards from the operating x-ray tube. The 2 mr/hr is the safety limit or maximum allowed radiation per health protection safety standards for non-occupational personnel. Obviously, with this method of inspection and safety precautions, it was impossible to keep up with the production. Tube welds were being made at the rate of seven to per day. To set up and x-ray each tube weld, it required an average of 25 minutes per weld joint.

The present invention solved the above problem and provided for such an absolute shielding that manufacturing personnel were allowed to continue their work in and outside the aircraft structure while the radiographic x-ray exposures were being made.

In one month, 400 x-ray radiations were made of tube welds and less than 2 mr/hr was measured at a distance of 3 feet from the x-ray operation, and each operation lasted less than 5 minutes, which includes the setup and exposure time of the x-ray film. Briefly, the shielded x-ray adapting device offers a minimum of radiation leakage and allows radiographic inspection of portions of objects installed in large structures by portable x-ray apparatus, without disturbing and interrupting environmental non-related activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The shielding apparatus is designed and built to safely usex-ray generating equipment in the fieldand factory areas, within the Radiation Health-Protection Requirements of less than 2 milli-Roentgens in any given hour to non-radiation personnel. The adapter is like an arm of a polyp and can reach in hard-to-reach places with its container acting as a tentacle, thus completely surrounding and enclosing a tube joint. The x-ray tube emission head is surrounded and enclosed by a collar and tube internally covered with a blanket of lead or any similar type of x-ray radiation shielding material. The tube is disposed parallel about the emitted radiographic rays and acts as a collimator. At the end of the collimator is a rotationally and pivotally mounted container. The container has a longitudinal shape and is disposed in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the collimator. The container has an upper part which is pivotally engaged with the collimator and a bottom part which is hingedly attached to the upper part. When both parts are closed together, their overlapping edges provide for a seal or leak-proof engagement, and in this closed condition, two apertures are caused which are oppositely located. The apertures are circular and supplement the tube periphery. The bottom part has a slit on opposite sides, and lead lined strip film material is thus fed into the closed container underneath the enclosed tube portion.

Since the meeting edges of the upper and bottom parts of the container overlap and the collimator is provided with a shielding collar overlapping the insert pivotal connected arrangement, leakage of primary radiation is impossible and leakage of secondary radiation is kept to a minimum.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for a shielded adjustable adapter for portable x-ray apparatus with means of completely enclosing a portion of a longitudinally installed object to be x-rayed with a minimum of secondary radiation leakage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a shielded x-ray adapting device which encloses completely a tube weld to be x-rayed, and which device is completely adjustable, allowing the x-ray beam to pass through the subject at an angle that permits adequate image projection on the x-ray film so that utilization in hard-to-reach areas is feasible.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a portable x-ray apparatus with an adapter as mentioned, and with insert means that complement closure of cross-sectional peripheries smaller than the aperture periphery of the enclosure means.

These, and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become readily apparent from the detailed description of the device taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a copy of an actual photograph showing a portable x-ray apparatus and thereon mounted shielding device;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shielding container in an open condition;

FIG. 3 is a sectional front view of the container;

FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the container;

FIG. 5 is a typical configuration of an insert means which enables radiography of smaller diameter tube joints.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, the perspective view in FIG. 2 illustrates most of the details of the shielding device which comprises a tubular housing or collimator 12 including a pivotally connected container 14.

The upper or first end portion 16 of the collimator 12 is mounted about the x-ray tube of the portable x-ray apparatus 18. This mounting is completely leak-proof and preferably in connection with a collar or bearing construction so that rotation about the collimator 12 longitudinal axis is possible. The lower or second end portion 20 of the collimator 12 is pivotally mounted within the container 14 by pivot means 22. The pivot- I ally mounted arrangement of the container 14 with the collimator l2 enables variation of the position of the container 14 with respect to the collimator axis. For instance, in FIG. 3 the dashed outline shows the varied angle of the collimator to the object, which is a tube joint 24 in the present illustrated application, to be itradiographed. Thus, in reality the operator pivots the collimator 12 with respect to the container 14 that is clamped about the tube joint 24 and exposes a film at, for instance, a angle from the collimator axis and thereafter one coincident with the axis. Of course, a variety of x-ray pictures at various angles can be made, all depending on the requirements.

Referring further to FIG. 2, the container 14 has an upper part 30 and a bottom part 32 which are hingedly attached by a piano-type hinge 34. The upper part is further equipped with a pair of closing bolts 36 and a micro-switch means 38 which has an accurate setting for assuring the appropriate closing torque on the bolts 36. As shown, the inner lining of the container and the collimator is made of a radiation shielding material such as lead 40, etc., and is arranged in a step-type fashion at the closing edges 42 and 44 of the upper 30 and bottom part 32, respectively, so that x-ray leakage is prevented when the container 14 is properly closed and the edges 42 and 44 are abutting with one another. The collimator portion that is enclosed inside of the upper part 30 has a pair of slots 46 with an end radius which complements part of the tube joint 24 circumference.

Since the slots 46 may cause a small amount of leakage towards the opening 50 which allows the entering of the collimator 12, a pair of lead-lined flanges 52 are mounted to the portion 20 which extend almost perpendicularly from the collimator 12, as shown in FIG. 3.

The bottom part 32 is provided with a lead contoured liner 54 that partly envelopes the tube joint 24 and a pair of oppositely located slots 56 in the fore and aft side respectively for passing through of a film strip 60.

These film strips 60 contain a leaded material, and in addition the slots 56 are in a downward and inward direction, as shown in FIG. 4, so that any type of primary or secondary radiation leakage is substantially reduced.

In order that various diameters of tube joints can be x-rayed, an insert means 70 comprising a male 72 and a female member 74 that fit closely inside of each

container part

30 and 32 has been designed as shown in FIG. 5; however, various other methods can be used, such as wrapping the tube with lead until the hole diameters of the container 14 is reached, or by using a onepiece insert having a U shape slot at each side end which fit closely about the smaller tube joint to be xradiographed.

In order to xray in hard-to-reach places, the collimator may have a telescoping arrangement 80, as shown in FIG. 1, and may also be provided with various pivotal or angular bending arrangements not shown herein.

Having thus described the operation and details of the present invention, it should be understood that various modifications and alterations to the preferred illustrated embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Now, therefore, I claim:

1. A shielded x-ray adapting device for portable x-ray apparatus, comprising:

a. a collimator made of a x-ray radiation absorbent material for providing external x-ray shielding, having a first and a second end portion and mounted by said first end portion about said x-ray apparatus output tube;

b. a container, made of a x-ray radiation absorbent material for providing external x-ray shielding, pivotally mounted, in overlapping fashion, about said second end portion;

. said container provided with an upper part and a hingedly connected bottom part;

said upper part and said bottom part each provided with a substantially vertically disposed left and right side, and each side provided. with a concave edge portion and whereby said concave edge portions of said upper and said bottom parts align with one another when said container is in a closed condition so that said aligned concave edge portions form at said container left and right an aperture complementing an associated to be x-rayed object periphery, and

e. said bottom part having a fore and aft side each provided with a slot for feeding through an associated x-ray film underneath said object.

2. A shielded x-ray adapting device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said collimator second end is provided with a flange projecting in said upper part of said container in a direction substantially perpendicular to said collimator axis so that associated x-rays are prevented exit through said second end pivotally mounted connection with said container.

3. A shielded x-ray adapting device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said upper part and said bottom part adjacent located edges are of a complementary step-in configuration so that x-ray radiation is prevented between said upper and said bottom part of said container when in said closed condition. I

4. A shielded x-ray adapting device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said bottom part fore and aft side slots are each cross-sectionally slanted downwards to said container inside.

5. A shielded x-ray adapting device as claimed in claim 4 having locking means mounted between said upper and said bottom part of said container and electrical switching means for assuring completely locked enclosure of said associated object so that said switching means upon said completely locked enclosure allows associated input power source connection to the x-ray tube.

6. A portable x-ray apparatus shielded adapting device for encapsulated x-radiography of tube joints or the like permitting operation in close proximity of the operator, comprising;

a. a collimator, constructed of x-ray shielding material, having a first and second end and mounted with said first end about said x-ray tube in a radiation shielding relationship;

b. said second end having an integrally connected c. a container, constructed of x-ray shielding material, pivotally mounted about said second end and flange for assuring a movable and radiation shielding relationship;

d. said container having a substantially rectangular configuration disposed perpendicularly to said collimator and provided with an upper part and a hingedly attached bottom part each having a right and left side and a fore and an aft side, said right side and said left side of said upper and said bottom part provided with a half circle shaped concave edge portion located in opposed alignment with one another so that said container left and right side is provided with a circular hole when in closed condition for completely enclosing an associated tube joint to be x-rayed and said fore and aft side of said container bottom part each provided with a substantially horizontally disposed crosssectionally downwardly slanted slot for preventing primary radiation leakage and for feeding associated x-ray film through said container internally along said bottom part underneath said joint, and

e. locking and safety switching means mounted between said upper and said bottom part for assuring completely locked-in and enveloped radiation shielded relationship of said tube joint in said container.

7. A portable x-ray apparatus shielded adapting device for x-radiography of tube joints or the like as claimed in claim 6 wherein said collimator and said container x-ray absorbent material is provided as an internally mounted layer of radiation shielding material.

8. A portable x-ray apparatus shielded adapting device for x-radiography of tube joints or the like as claimed in claim 7 wherein said upper part and said bottom part adjacent edges being in touching relationship with one another when said container is in closed condition have an overlapping relationship.

9. A portable x-ray apparatus shielding adapting device for x-radiography of tube joints or the like as claimed in claim 8 wherein said adapting device is provided with additional insert means having a male and a female part for insertion into said upper and bottom part respectively and wherein said parts together form a circular aperture at said right and said left container side of a smaller diameter than said container apertures so that associated tube joints of smaller tube diameters can belcompletely enclosed in said container.

Claims

1. A shielded x-ray adapting device for portable x-ray apparatus, comprising: a. a collimator made of a x-ray radiation absorbent material for providing external x-ray shielding, having a first and a second end portion and mounted by said first end portion about said xray apparatus output tube; b. a container, made of a x-ray radiation absorbent material for providing external x-ray shielding, pivotally mounted, in overlapping fashion, about said second end portion; c. said container provided with an upper part and a hingedly connected bottom part; d. said upper part and said bottom part each provided with a substantially vertically disposed left and right side, and each side provided with a concave edge portion and whereby said concave edge portions of said upper and said bottom parts align with one another when said container is in a closed condition so that said aligned concave edge portions form at said container left and right an aperture complementing an associated to be x-rayed object periphery, and e. said bottom part having a fore and aft side each provided with a slot for feeding through an associated x-ray film underneath said object.

3. A shielded x-ray adapting device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said upper part and said bottom part adjacent located edges are of a complementary step-in configuration so that x-ray radiation is prevented between said upper and said bottom part of said container when in said closed condition.

6. A portable x-ray apparatus shielded adapting device for encapsulated x-radiography of tube joints or the like permitting operation in close proximity of the operator, comprising; a. a collimator, constructed of x-ray shielding material, having a first and second end and mounted with said first end about said x-ray tube in a radiation shielding relationship; b. said second end having an integrally connected flange; c. a container, constructed of x-ray shielding material, pivotally mounted about said second end and flange for assuring a movable and radiation shielding relationship; d. said container having a substantially rectangular configuration disposed perpendicularly to said collimator and provided with an upper part and a hingedly attached bottom part each having a right and left side and a fore and an aft side, said right side and said left side of said upper and said bottom part provided with a half circle shaped concave edge portion located in opposed alignment with one another so that said container left and right side is provided with a circular hole when in closed condition for completely enclosing an associated tube joint to be x-rayed and said fore and aft side of said container bottom part each provided with a substantially horizontally disposed cross-sectionally downwardly slanted slot for preventing primary radiation leakage and for feeding associated x-ray film through said container internally along said bottom part underneath said joint, and e. locking and safety switching means mounted between said upper and said bottOm part for assuring completely locked-in and enveloped radiation shielded relationship of said tube joint in said container.

9. A portable x-ray apparatus shielding adapting device for x-radiography of tube joints or the like as claimed in claim 8 wherein said adapting device is provided with additional insert means having a male and a female part for insertion into said upper and bottom part respectively and wherein said parts together form a circular aperture at said right and said left container side of a smaller diameter than said container apertures so that associated tube joints of smaller tube diameters can be completely enclosed in said container.