US1359300A - X-ray tube - Google Patents

Description

E. WANDNER.

X-RAY TUBE.' APPLlcArma-e FILED JULY 21, m9.

1,359,300- Emma Nw, 52

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND WANDNER. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

X-RAY TUBE.

Application'led July 21, 1919. Serial No. 312,194.

Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofI Illinois, have invented certain new and useful- Improvements in X-Ray Tubes; and l 'do declare the following to'be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to X-ray tubes, and it relates more specifically to an improved heating unit and associated regulator.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved X-ray device including a man'- ually controlled regulator by means of which a very steady or uniform vacuum can be maintained in the X-ray tube, and by means of which the vacuum can be lowered so as to prevent the tube-from being punctured, and from being distorted to such eX- tent as to destroy or impair the focus of the tube. c

Another object is to provide an improved device of this character which affords the operator an easy and direct control of the current and also provides a fine range whereby he can obtain a steady vacuum in the tube.

Another object is to provide for effectually regulating the electric current strength and thereby generating a greater or less quantity of metallic gases within the tube, according to varyingT circumstances.

Another object is to eiiciently heat the vacuum tube, vby the employment of a low tension current such as derived from an ordinary electric lamp socket.-

Another object is to provide for regulating the vacuum. without disconnecting the current, by simply varying the current.

Another object is to provide a device ofl this character which is extremely durable and thoroughly practical.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read the following details of description) in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved vacuum tube in connection with the lead for connecting it to'an external source or current of electricity.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, partly in longitudinal section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view ef the heating coil and its adj uncts.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, the vacuum tube comprises a transparent bulb 5 having diametrically opposite extensions (3 and 7 which contain the usual anode S and cathode .9, respectively, and the vacuum tube also comprises a hollow extension 10 which is formed integrally with the bulb 5 and with a tubular element 11 suclras illustrated Ain detail in Fig. 2. The parts 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11 are preferably formed integrally of glass, and are, therefore, both transparent and insulating.

Referring now particularly to Fig.v 2, it will be seen that a screw-plug 12, adapted t0 fit an ordinary electric lamp socket, receives the outer endA of the tubular element 11 where it merges with the outer end of the extension 10; and this plug 12 is also adapted to lit a regulator or rheostat-socket such as illustrated at'13 in Fig. 1, this socket being provided with a regulating handle 14 whereby the resistance and current strength may be regulated in the well known manner.

A"conducting wire is connected with the hollow elements 10, 11 and 12 in the following mannert'A. wire of relatively high resistance has its major portion coiled about the inner end of the tubular element 11 as indicated at 15,-a sheet of mica 16 being preferably disposed between the tubular element. 11 and the coil 15. The ends of this wire connect with terminal wires 17 and 18 at points indicated at 19, and an intermediate portion of this high resistance wire extends through an aperture 20,'thence toward the inner end of the tubular element and out through a notch 21 formed in the inner end of the said tubular element. This tubular element 11 is Aformed with a partition 22'at its middle portion, so that air or gas can 'pass therethrough, and at the opposite side of this partition from the aperture 20, the tube is provided with two apertures 23 through which the terminals 17 and 18 extend from the exterior` at 19, to the interior at 23, and these terminals connect respectively to the metallic shell of the screw-plug 12 and to the usual contact element 24, as indicated in Fig. 2.

It is understood, of course, that the inner end portions of the terminals 17 and 18 cornpletely fill and seal the apertures-:23.4 Although I have found it convenient to connect the high-resistance or heating wireto the terminals 17 and 18 as indicated in Fig.' 2, it is not beyond the scope of this invention to dispense with the joints 19 and extend the high-resistance wire into the screw-plug 12 in lieu of the terminals 17 and 1S.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the high-resistance wire 15, after passing outward through the notch 2l, is interlocked with the lower or inner turn of the coil as indicated at 25, and although this short-circuits the lower turn to a certain extent, it is advantageous in that it secures the coil in a deiinite and fixed relation to the tubular element 11. It is to be understood, of course, that any appropriate number of turns may be employed in the heating coil, and that the turns of the coil may be insulated from one another in any appropriate way.

Referring again to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the lower on inner end of the heating unit, shown in Fig. 2, terminates approximately at the central portion of the bulb 5, that is, approximately at the path of current between the anode and cathode 8 and 9, and therefore, this metallic resistance coil not only generates heat within the bulb 5, so as to regulate the vacuum, but it also generates the metallic gas which constitutes the conducting medium between the anode and cathode. Moreover, it will be seen that the regulator 13 is directly connected to the heating unit, and is located in the most convenient position for easy and effective control by the operator.

Although I have shown the element 1`6 disposed in contact with the tubular element 11, it is within the scope of this invention to dispose a metallic sheet or tubular element between the mica 16 and the adjacent part of the tubular element 11 so that the heating of such metallic element by the coil 15 would increase the generation of metallic gas, and this increase of the metallic gas can be predetermined by the thickness of the sheet of metal within the coil 15.

Although I have described this embodiment of my invention very specifically, itis to be understood that my invention is not limited to these exact details of construction and arrangement of parts, but I am entitled to make changes within the scope of the inventive idea disclosed in the foregoing description and following claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an X-ray device, the combination of an anode, a cathode, a transparent bulb provided with tubular extensions through which said anode and cathode coperate, a combined heater and regulator comprising a tubular element extending into said bulb at a point spaced from said tubular extensions, a manually controllable current-regulating means on the outer end of said tubular element, terminal wires electrically connected to said current regulating means and extending thence toward the opposite end of the tubular element, and a heating coil around the said opposite end of said tubular element and being electrically connected to said terminals.

2. In an X-,ray tube, the combination of an anode and a cathode, and an electric heating unit spaced from .said anode and cathode and extending from the exterior of the tube to its interior and having its outer end terminating in an ordinary screw plug to lit in and electrically connect with a lamp socket, the inner end of tlfe heating unit terminating adjacent to the center of the space bctween the anode and cathode.

In an X-ray tube, the combination of an anode, a cathode, a transparent bulb provided with tubular extensions through which the anode and cathode cooperate, a tubular element formed integrally with and extending from the exterior approximately to the center ot the interiorof the bulb, this tubular element being spaced from said tubular extensions, a heating and gas generating coil of wire encircling the inner end of said tubular element and supported by the latter, and conducting terminals extendin through the outer part of said tubular element and electrically connectible with aV source of electric current.

'41. In an X-ray tube, the combination ot an anode, a cathode, a transparent bulb provided with tubular extensions through which the anode and cathode cooperate, a tubular element extending from the exterior lto the 'interior of the bulb and being internally sealed to maintain the .vacuum in the bulb, this tubular element being spaced from said tubular extensions and having its inner end approximately at the center of said bulb, a heating and gas generating coil around and supportedby the inner tubular element, conducting terminals extending from the exterior to the interior of the tube and connecting with said coil, and a hollow' electric connector fitted on the outer end of said tubular element and having said terminals electrically connected thereto in insulated relation to one another and thereby adapted to be electrically -connected to a correspondin connector of an external source of electricity.

5. In an X-ray tube comprising a transparent bulb, a tubular insulating element extending from the exterior to the interior of the bulb and having an air-sealing partition in its intermediatc part and an aperture between the partition and the inner end of the tubular elf-ment, said inner end end portion of said Wires extending from the exterior to the interior of said tubular element at points outwardly beyond the partition and thence ein tendingr outward through said tubular eiement so that their .outer ends may he eonnected with Mexternal electric conductors, and a heating wire having its ends connected 'respectively to the inner ends of said terminal Wires, the major part of said heating Wire being coiled about the portion of the tubuiar member inward of its partition, a lninor part of the heating wire extending into the.

tubular element through said aperture and thence inward through Said tube to and through said notch.

G. The combination of a tubular eieinent having apartition intermediate of its ends and having apertures therein at one side of the partition and an aperture at the opposite side of the partition. and a notch in the end at the said opposite side, and conducting Wire comprising 'av coil around said. tubuiar element and a portion extending throufrh said notch and through the interior and t e l last said aperture of Said tubuiar eiement, said Wire also comprising terminaie which. extend through the first said apertures and thence through' the interior of said tubular element toward the end opposite the end containing said notch` In testimony whereof I`- have hereunto set my hand.

EDMUND WANDNEQ,

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