Abstract: A packaging device for lifting a loosely spaced set of articles from a supply conveyor, compressing the set of articles by eliminating the excess space between them, and placing the compressed set of articles into a receiving container is characterized by a frame, a vacuum housing rigidly mounted on the frame, a plurality of pickup assemblies extending downwardly from the vacuum housing, and an apparatus for shifting the plurality of pickup assemblies between an expanded loading configuration which corresponds to the spacing of the set of articles on a conveyor and a compressed unloading configuration which corresponds to the spacing required for the set of articles to be deposited in a container.

Abstract: An inner side of a radiation entrance window in an X-ray detector is provided with an electrically conductive layer of gold, platinum, irridium or a mixture of these elements. Using such a layer, suitable electrical conductivity, a low radiation absorption for soft X-rays and a suitable mechanical stability can be achieved also in the case of a comparatively small layer thickness.