Abstract: An axial tomographic scanner is provided with two separate chain-cable assemblies each carrying a fixed length of the cables leading to the scanner. One assembly includes a cable-incoming end anchored to the vertically arranged frame, the other end being anchored to the indexable rotatable plate. The other assembly also has one end anchored to this plate, the other, cable-outgoing end being anchored on the translatable yoke. Associated with and engaging each assembly is a translatable rotary member, which, when the plate is indexably rotated or the yoke is translated, is itself, respectively translated and serves to take up the slack that would otherwise form in the respective assembly.