Gerald L Allison

US Patent:

51075300, Apr 21, 1992

Filed:

Jun 6, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/712144

Inventors:

Gerald L. Allison - Corvallis OR

Assignee:

The State of Oregon Acting by and Through the Oregon State Board of
Higher Education on Behalf of Oregon State University - Eugene OR

International Classification:

G21K 104

US Classification:

378160

Abstract:

A reliable shutter position indicator for an x-ray diffractometer utilizes an optical shutter position sensor for detecting the position of a shutter of the x-ray diffractometer. In one embodiment, a pair of optical isolators are utilized with an arm coupled to the shutter shifting to a position to interrupt a light beam of the optical isolators when the shutter is in either the open or closed position. The controller of the x-ray diffractometer then compares the detected shutter position with the expected shutter position to determine whether a shutter error is present.