Abstract: A water feed device for feeding water to a moistener for moistening envelope flaps that is incorporated into a mail handling machine, the water feed device comprising a reserve stock of water from which a quantity of water flows to a reservoir of water, said quantity of water being suitable for imbibing a piece of foam dipping in said reservoir of water, said device having at least two distinct water feed circuits for feeding water separately to two separate compartments of the reservoir of water from two isolated compartments of the reserve stock of water in a manner such as to define two distinct levels of water for the two isolated compartments of the reserve of water, and thus to define two different heights of water in the two corresponding separate compartments of the reservoir of water.

Abstract: A storage tray for storing mailpieces for a mail-handling machine, which storage tray comprises a support wall, a first jogging wall adjacent and perpendicular to said support wall, and a second jogging wall adjacent and perpendicular both to said support wall and to said first jogging wall, these three walls meeting at a single junction point, the support wall being provided with at least one first slot for allowing motor-driven feed members of the mail-handling machine to pass through.

Abstract: Provided is a storage device for a mail-handling machine. The storage device includes a mailpiece-receiving deck along a longitudinal edge of which a referencing wall extends, and through which a conveyor belt passes for the purpose of conveying mailpieces along the referencing wall from an inlet of the device towards a sloping surface against which the mailpieces accumulate, and a skid-forming part that is supported by a structure secured to the storage device and that comes to press against said stack of mailpieces substantially over the entire length of said stack, so as to jog the top of the stack.

Abstract: A method of selectively enabling data tables includes accessing data from a first data table, downloading a second data table, upon reaching a predetermined criteria, comparing corresponding data from the first and second data tables each time data is accessed from the first data table, prompting a user to accept the second data table for use if there is a difference between the corresponding data, charging an account of the user if the user accepts the second data table for use in response to the prompt, and performing alternate operations if the user does not accept the second data table for use.

Abstract: A sheet folder comprising input rollers, exit rollers and a fold box having a fold plate which is curved substantially along its whole length, wherein the curved fold plate is configured to induce a sheet to curve in two different directions during the folding process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for verifying the match of envelopes and documents in an automated matched mail system, by for a first envelope and a first document, scanning a face of the envelope and extracting envelope-addressee data indicative of the human-readable addressee information on the envelope; scanning the document so as to extract document data indicative of the content of the document; searching through the document data to locate a match to the envelope-addressee data and designating an area of interest within the document at the location at which the match occurs; for a further envelope and a further document, scanning a face of the envelope and extracting envelope-addressee data indicative of the human-readable addressee information on the envelope; scanning the document so as to extract document-addressee data at a location within the document corresponding to said designated area of interest and comparing the envelope-addressee data and the document-addressee data so as to verif

Abstract: A web-hosted shipping system is disclosed. The web-hosted shipping system includes a local host that executes an operating system and is in signal communication with a remote server. A display device is in signal communication with the local host under control of the operating system. A processor executes a web browser and web service provider under control of the operating system. A scale, productive of a weight signal, is in signal communication with the local host via the operating system. The web browser displays a web page provided by the remote server upon the display device and the web service provider is accessible to a web service call of the web page. The web service provider is responsive to the web service call to receive the weight signal from the scale and to transfer the weight signal to the web page.

Abstract: Prior to assembling mail pieces of which at least a number each comprise a main document and at least one insert of at least one type, one or more mini image files are stored, each defining a mini image of at least a part of a type of insert. The mini image of the respective insert defined by the mini image file is printed on each envelope for a mail piece including that type of insert for one or each of a number of the inserts.

Abstract: A mailpiece feed device designed to be mounted upstream from a franking machine, and comprising at least a mailpiece feed zone for receiving a stack of mailpieces of various formats supported by a first plurality of drive rollers and a separation zone for individually selecting the mailpieces and having a second plurality of drive rollers, at least first clutch means E3 being provided for actuating said first plurality of drive rollers, said mailpiece feed device further comprising at least one sensor CN for detecting passage of said mailpieces as they enter said separation zone, and control means for subjecting said first clutch means to forced deactivation followed by an activation/deactivation series so long as the sensor CN is not activated, so as to cause a rapid succession of horizontal movements generating jerky motion on said stack, conducive to facilitating mutual separation of said mailpieces.

Abstract: A storage device for a franking machine, which storage device comprises: a receptacle for receiving mailpieces ejected one-by-one by the franking machine; a longitudinal referencing wall extending over a longitudinal edge of the receptacle and against which the mailpieces rebound before they accumulate on the receptacle; and a vertical back wall extending along a side edge of the receptacle and that the mailpieces hit before they rebound against the longitudinal referencing wall; the vertical back wall forming an angle ? with a perpendicular to the longitudinal referencing wall; and the receptacle being inclined relative to the horizontal and towards the longitudinal referencing wall at an angle ? so that the angle ? between the receptacle and the longitudinal referencing wall forms an acute angle.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting documents in a paper handling system, comprising: a drive train; a document transport element connected to the drive train for moving documents; and means adapted to apply a relatively high voltage element to generate a high torque when the transport element is not loaded and to reduce the voltage and thus the torque a predetermined time after the transport element engages a document to be moved.

Abstract: When sheets (1, 2) with different sizes are processed to a mail item, sheets (1, 2) with different sizes in conveying direction are supplied along first and second conveyor tracks, gathered into a stack and then folded. The folding of the stacked set (7) takes place with at least one predetermined folding length (a). In response to a difference between the folding length (a) and the size of the sheet (2) of the second size, which is within a predetermined range, the conveyor tracks (5, 6) are controlled by the control structure (9) for combining at least the sheets (1, 2) with leading edges (10, 11) at a mutual distance in the conveying direction (3) and with trailing edges (12, 13) at a mutual distance in the conveying direction (3) to form the set (7). From the combining until the folding, the sheets (1, 2) are mutually fixed and during folding, at least one fold (14) is provided in the sheets (1, 2).

Abstract: This invention relates to a device alerting to the expiration of tariffs for a franking system, comprising a random access memory (RAM) for recording postal data including a first table of postal tariffs relative to postal products and services and a processing unit for updating these postal tariffs, this RAM further comprising a second table of postal tariffs and the processing unit comprising means for comparing the postal tariffs of the first and second tables and for emitting a message alerting to the expiration of tariffs when a date of application of the postal tariffs of said second table is identical to or earlier than a desired date of franking and when one of these compared postal tariffs has been changed.

Abstract: A feeder for feeding sheet items has at least one circulatable feeding surface for frictionally engaging a sheet item from a stack and at least one separation surface for frictionally engaging the sheet item or an entrained next sheet item from an opposite side. In a lateral direction transverse to the feeding direction, the at least one feeding surface is located between two of the separation surfaces and/or the at least one separating surface is located between two of the feeding surfaces. At least the feeding surface or the separating surface has a resilient zone and a stiff zone more remote from a laterally adjacent separating surface or surfaces or, respectively feeding surface or surfaces than the resilient zone.

Abstract: A mailpiece selector device including at least a first guide that is mounted above a support plate for supporting mailpieces, and that is made up of a plurality of moving shoes for selecting the mailpieces one-by-one and for transporting them downstream along a referencing wall, at least one of the moving shoes having a varying coefficient of adhesion that increases going towards the support plate, the top portion of the moving shoe having a low coefficient of adhesion and the bottom portion having a high coefficient of adhesion.

Abstract: A mailpiece selector device comprising a guide co-operating with at least one opposing selector roller to separate mailpieces one-by-one from a stack of mailpieces and to transport them downstream, said guide having at least two adjacent selector fingers having different lengths, it being possible for each of said selector fingers to pivot independently from the other(s) about a common pivot axis and against respective associated resilient return means.

Abstract: Systems and methods for shipping to be executed within the framework of a social networking system or social network using information managed within the social networking system through interfaces to carriers that perform the shipping are provided. Shipping registration information for a first user of a social networking system is received, wherein the shipping registration information includes a physical address and at least one authorized payment mechanism. A request by the first user to ship a physical item to a second user of the social networking system is received at the social networking system. Shipping information including a physical address is obtained from the second user. A shipping label for shipping the physical item is generated and provided to the first user for shipping the physical item to the second user.

Abstract: A postal item collating system is disclosed. The system includes a postal item feeding path (3), a plurality of grippers (8) receptive of a postal item (2) from the feeding path(3), and a drive (11) for driving the plurality of grippers (8) along a circulation path (10). A collector (12) is disposed downstream from the postal item feeding path(3) and removes a received postal item (2) from a gripper (8) as it proceeds past the stationary collector (12). A controller (21) in signal communication with the drive (11) is responsive to a property signal (31, 34) based upon a property of the received postal item (2) to adjust a velocity of the string of grippers (8).

Abstract: A method of measuring the maximum thickness of a mailpiece while it is moving through a mail-handling machine. The method includes: acquiring a thickness measurement; recording the measured value in a register; determining a maximum value and a minimum value of the register; determining a difference between said maximum value and minimum value, and comparing the difference with a predetermined threshold value; and if the difference is less than the threshold value, and if the maximum value is greater than a current maximum thickness value, taking the maximum value as the new current maximum thickness value for the mailpiece.

Abstract: An inserting apparatus is equipped with a circulatable member arranged downstream of an envelope feeding path and rotatable about an axis transverse to the envelope feeding path. The circulatable member has envelope flap catcher members, each having a free edge arranged for entering between a flap and a body of an envelope fed along the envelope feeding path for engaging the flap and for holding the flap while the circulatable member is circulated so as to turn the flap to an opened position. An envelope support is provided for holding an envelope of which the opened flap is held by one of the catcher members of the circulatable member in an inserting position.