Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing metal alloys includes an electronic unit connected to a hand-held probe unit. The probe unit includes a radiation detector enclosed in a detector housing and a radiation source enclosed in a source housing. The detector housing is generally cylindrical in shape and has an aperture formed in its sidewall. The source housing is formed as a hollow, generally right triangular prism with an open base attached to the detector housing over the aperture and tapering to a tip having an aperture formed therein. The triangular shape of the source housing permits contact measurements in hard to get at places. A shutter drive mechanism is utilized to move a shutter means between a first position blocking radiation and a second position passing radiation from the source to the aperture in the tip of the source housing.

Abstract: A portable apparatus for analyzing a sample of material by the X-ray fluorescence method includes a hand-held probe unit connected to an electronic unit. The probe unit includes a radiation source for radiating the material sample and a radiation detector responsive to the X-ray radiation from the material sample for generating a plurality of sample signals representing the elements in the material sample. The probe and electronic units each include a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter for transmitting the sample signals from the probe unit to the electronic unit. The electronic unit includes random access memories for storing the sample signals and a library of groups of signals representing the elements of known materials. A keyboard is provided for adding signals to the library and/or storing the sample signals in the library. A microprocessor and associated circuitry compare the sample signals with the stored groups of signals and generate an identification signal if a match is found.

Abstract: A radiation analyzer which employs a single photodetector and a plurality of scintillators. Light filters interposed between selected ones of the scintillators selectively attenuate radiation of a predetermined energy range. Plural analyzers each associated with a single scintillator and each receiving electrical pulses from the photodetector attenuated to a different degree are adjusted to tabulate pulses of amplitudes which differ in accordance with the degree of attenuation of pulses received by the analyzers from the photodetector.

Abstract: A radiation analyzer which measures radiation from a plurality of radiation sources in a single measurement cycle to distinguish between the radioactivity level received from a plurality of radiation sources. The radiation level of one of the sources may be known so that that source serves as a radiation standard with which to compare the other sources. Alternatively, the sources may all be known and the comparative radioactivity levels utilized to obtain information concerning some other parameter, such as external attenuation.