Abstract: A postage meter has a print drum with print wheels which are shiftable to select the value of the postage. The positions of the print wheels are controlled by moving gears (transmission members) connected to respective print wheels one at a time. A locking device locks each of the gears except the one one being displaced. All the gears may be locked during print cycling.

Abstract: A postage meter has a print drum with print wheels which are shiftable to select the value of the postage. The positions of the print wheels are controlled by the positions of gears. The mechanism for selecting a postage value is controlled by the same drive system that operates the print drum for printing the postage on a mailpiece.

Abstract: A postage meter has a print drum with print wheels which are shiftable to select the value of the postage. The print wheels are adjusted by displacing respective transmission members; e.g. gears, which are driven by a pinion which is shifted from gear to gear. Control means is provided for controlling the shifting of the pinion so that it is engaged during each value setting only with those gears whose print wheel requires adjustment from its previous setting.

Abstract: An electronic postage meter includes a printer mechanism for printing postage and a microcomputer system for monitoring the printing of postage by the printing mechanism. A secure housing protects the printing mechanism and the microcomputer system. A source of operating potential is provided and is external to the secure housing. The electronic postage meter includes a system for energizing the microcomputer system. A transformer is provided and is mounted within the secure housing. The transformer secondary winding is operatively connected to the microcomputer system. A controlling circuit is coupled to the transformer primary winding and also to the external source of operating potential. The controlling circuit controls the voltage applied to the transformer primary winding and operates to switch the voltage applied to the transformer primary winding between a first condition where the transformer primary winding is energized and a second condition where the primary winding is not energized.

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for limiting the erasing and writing of data in the non-volatile memory (NVM) of an electronic postage meter operated under microcomputer control to predetermined periods of time after the power up and during the power down cycles of the meter, comprising the steps and associated apparatus for providing an output power signal in response to the establishment of a power up voltage condition, generating an output pulse in response to the presence of the output power signal, presetting the width of the output pulse to provide sufficient time to erase the desired data words from the NVM, applying a bias enable signal to an NVM enable terminal during the duration of the output pulse, enabling the remaining terminals of the NVM during the duration of the output pulse to allow the erasure of data from the NVM, removing the output power signal in response to a power down voltage condition, interrupting the operation of the microcomputer in response to the removal of the output power

Abstract: A security system for a postage meter includes two memories, one of which is an electronically programmable READ-ONLY memory having non-volatile storage, while the second memory is a shadow RAM which is a composite memory having a first section composed of a volatile RAM and a second section composed of non-volatile storage. During a power outage, a computer strobes the second memory to transfer data from the volatile section to the non-volatile section. Upon restoration of the power, a transfer circuit which includes a detector of the incoming power directs the transfer of at least a portion of the stored data in each of the memories to the computer for a comparison to determine if any data has been altered by the loss of power.

Abstract: A system is provided for energizing the meter accounting circuit. The postage meter is of the type having a mechanism for printing postage and accounting circuits which account for postage printed by the printing mechanism. A secure housing means encloses and protects the mechanism, the accounting circuit and the system for energizing the accounting circuit. A source of operating potential external to the secure housing is also provided. A transformer is connected with its primary winding coupled to the source of operating potential and to the first and second electrode current path of a three terminal switching device to control the current flow through said primary winding. A timer circuit is provided and includes a first terminal which oscillates at a frequency depending on the voltage applied to the timer circuit second terminal. The timer circuit first terminal is coupled to the control electrode of the three terminal control device.

Abstract: A secured housing for an electronic device having an electronic memory mounted therewithin is provided which has as access aperture which provides tamper proof security and electro-magnetic interference protection while permitting access to the memory for reading the information maintained in the memory. Opening of the access aperture disables the electronic device from further operation by unlatching a switch which disconnects the electronic device from its power supply while preventing relatching of the switch to reactivate the electronic device. Use of the access aperture provides a visible indication of access to the interior of the housing. In one embodiment of the invention, the electronic device is an electronic postage meter and the electronic memory is a nonvolatile memory containing postage accounting information.

Abstract: An electronic postal meter, adapted to be driven by a meter base has a shutter for controlling the application of drive input to the meter, and a solenoid driven interposer for blocking operation of the shutter until conditions for printing postage are met. The solenoid is energized by way of a pair of serially connected transistors, which are in turn controlled by separate micro-processing systems. The separate micro-processing systems continually exchange messages concerning the operational status of the postal meter, whereby each of the controlling systems is responsive to conditions under which the postal meter should not be operative, to thereby control its respective transistor.

Abstract: An electronic postage meter includes an operating voltage variation sensing system. Protection is provided for preserving postage accounting information stored in the meter if the operating power for the meter fails. Control circuits are connected to the accounting circuit and to circuitry providing signal information representative of the power condition. The control circuit operates to maintain the accounting circuit in either an operative or inoperative state. The control circuits can be set to bring the accounting circuit from the inoperative state only when the signal information reflects a sufficient power condition. Once set to maintain the accounting circuit in the operative state, the control circuits continue to maintain the accounting circuit operative, independent of signal information reflecting a power failure.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing the feed frame of an automatic embroidery machine of the type incorporating two stepping motors which are drivingly connected with the feed or embroidery frame, each stepping motor bringing about a feed or advance of the feed frame in one direction. A control mechanism generates control pulses for each stepping motor as a function of the momentarily required feed displacement of the feed frame in each direction. The control mechanism embodies two switching circuits each of which is operatively associated with one of the stepping motors, and such switching circuits generate output pulses, the number of which is proportional to the number of pulses delivered to each switching circuit by a program storage and by means of which there is determined the magnitude of the momentarily required feed displacement in the corresponding direction.