CR reader with integrated control mechanism

A computed radiography (CR) reader comprising: a cassette receiving station for receiving in a vertical orientation, a computed radiography cassette including a light tight cassette shell and an image plate supported by an extrusion closing of said shell, said image plate storing a latent radiographic image and being latched in said cassette shell; a first roller assembly located on one side of said cassette receiving station; a second roller assembly located on the other side of said cassette receiving station, cooperatively associated with said first roller assembly; means for mounting said second roller assembly for movement towards and away from said first roller assembly; an image plate unlatching and latching assembly; and a cam assembly operatively linked to said means for mounting said second roller assembly and to said unlatching and latching assembly, said cam assembly being operable in a first mode when a computed radiograhpy cassette is received in said cassette receiving station, to actuate said mounting means to move said second roller assembly towards said first roller assembly to clamp said cassette between said first and second roller assemblies and to actuate said unlatching and latching assembly to unlatch said image plate from said cassette shell; and in a second mode to actuate said unlatching and latching assembly to latch said image plate in said cassette shell and to actuate said mounting means to move said second roller assembly away from said first roller assembly to unclamp said cassette to allow removal of said cassette from said receiving station.