Abstract: A thermal ink ribbon cassette for holding an inked ribbon of indefinite length for use in a thermal transfer printing mechanism holds a spool of fresh ink ribbon which passes out of the cassette and across a thermal printing head, and then back into the cassette. The features of construction and arrangement of the cassette are such that the length of the portion of the normal feed path of envelopes through the mailing machine in which the ink ribbon and the envelopes travel coextensively is reduced to an absolute minimum to avoid unnecessary contact after printing take place. A slanted wall is provided for ensuring that the envelopes remain in their normal path of travel regardless of any tendency of the envelope to adhere to the ink ribbon after the point of normal separation, or if they are bulged and tend to jam on internal portions of the mailing machine.

Abstract: A thermal ink ribbon cassette for holding an inked ribbon of indefinite length for is in a thermal transfer printing mechanism is disclosed in which the cassette holds a spool of fresh ink ribbon which passes out of the cassette and across a thermal printing head, and then back into the cassette into a used ribbon chamber. A ribbon drive mechanism is mounted in the cassette adjacent the location on the cassette where the used ribbon normally enters the cassette so that if the ribbon breaks, the free broken end can be manually fed into the drive mechanism so that the remaining portion of the unused ribbon can be used. The cassette may also be provided with a removable front wall so that replacement ribbons can be inserted by a user, and a disposable container can be put into the ribbon take up chamber of the cassette so that a user does not have to handle the rumpled ink ribbon when changing to a new ribbon.

Abstract: A method of printing an image on an image receiving medium utilizing ink jet printing technology is disclosed. The image, particularly a postage meter indicia, is composed of two discrete portions, one having graphic information which need not be machine readable, the other having alpha-numeric information which must be machine readable and therefore must be water fast. The graphic information, however, must be printed with an ink that contains fluorescent material. The image is thus printed with two separate ink jet printing devices operating simultaneously, one of the printing device being supplied with fluorescent ink that is not water fast, and the other being supplied with water fast ink.

Abstract: An envelope printing system including a laser printer or similar printer operating under control of a microcomputer to print pairs of envelopes. The envelopes are printed with a FIM mark in a manner consistent with the requirements of the U. S. Postal Service. The envelopes are fed, two at a time, from a cassette which includes an identification mark. The envelopes are positioned in the cassette with their upper edges adjacent to the center line of the feed path and the printer controller is programmed to respond to identification of a cassette feeding pairs of envelopes to form an image containing two sub-images to be printed on corresponding envelopes. One of the sub-images is inverted so that the orientation of the printed information on the envelope will be correct.

Abstract: A program controlled automatic mail processor includes custom rates software to facilitate processing of mixed mail streams for posting via a plurality of classes, without manual sorting of the mail into classes or manual selection of classes during mail processing. A user defines a custom rates template, specifying classes and break point parameters (e.g. weight values) for controlling shifts between the selected classes. The mail processor uses the template and previously stored standard postage rate tables to develop a custom rates rate table for processing mail in multiple classes. Once the custom rates rate table is established, an operator can select any table from among the standard tables and one or more such custom rates rate tables. The operator then begins feeding mail through the mail processor. The mail processor checks a parameter value (e.g. weight) of each piece of mail and applies the appropriate postage value from the currently selected table.

Abstract: A postage metering capability is integrated in an automated teller machine. With minimal modification and using several components of the ATM to perform functions useful in dispensing of postage, the secured environment of an ATM is used to implement numerous postage metering functions. When used with a smart card, postage value is accounted for without reference to an internal vault of the apparatus or to a postal facility, by using a vault of the smart card. The smart card may be used to dispense postage by accessing a customer's postage account at a remote center to set into the internal vault a value to be dispensed, with communication secured in accordance with information provided by the smart card. Using such information, the customer's postage account may also be accessed to recharge the vault of the smart card, rather than the internal vault. Additionally, postage may be dispensed in accordance with value inputted directly by a customer, using cash, credit-, debit-, or money-cards.