Abstract: A method and system for printing an image such as a postal indicium. A sequence of graphic data blocks is formed, the sequence forming a bitmap representative of the image. The blocks are randomly reordered to form a new sequence, and the blocks are printed in the new sequence without substantial distortion. The blocks may be printed in varying directions, and the printhead may move at varying rates of travel and print at proportional rates as the blocks are printed so as to print the image without substantial distortion. The system may include a motor responsive to a programmable controller and mechanically coupled to the printhead for positioning the printhead, and the programmable controller and the motor can be enclosed in a secure housing so that no signals for controlling the motor are available outside of the housing.

Abstract: The present invention includes apparatus and methods for feeding a mailpiece along a feed path in a mailing machine. An endless drive belt has a lower belt run adapted to feed a mailpiece in a downstream direction. A plurality of pivot arms are mounted in a sequence below the lower belt run. Each pivot arm has a respective roller mounted on a free end of the pivot arm. A respective bias mechanism associated with each pivot arm biases the pivot arm in an upward direction such that the roller contacts the lower belt run. A first pivot arm actuates a second pivot arm in a downward direction when the first pivot arm is actuated in a downward direction by a mailpiece fed by the endless belt.

Abstract: An ink cartridge insertion/extraction mechanism includes a cover pivotally mounted to the housing of the ink cartridge holder. A pair of links are pivotally mounted to the cover and extend into the ink cartridge holder. The bottom of each link is provided with a boss that extends into the ink cartridge holder that contacts the bottom of ink cartridge. As the cover is rotated closed, a pushing rib on the cover contacts the top of the ink cartridge and pushes the ink cartridge further into the holder, causing the needles to puncture the septum of the ink cartridge. To extract the ink cartridge, the cover is rotated from the closed position to the open position, lifting the links until the bosses at the bottom end contact the bottom of the ink cartridge and lift the ink cartridge off of the needles.

Abstract: An ink cartridge insertion/extraction mechanism includes a cover pivotally mounted to the housing of the ink cartridge holder. A pair of links are pivotally mounted to the cover and extend into the ink cartridge holder. The bottom of each link is provided with a boss that extends into the ink cartridge holder that contacts the bottom of ink cartridge. As the cover is rotated closed, a pushing rib on the cover contacts the top of the ink cartridge and pushes the ink cartridge further into the holder, causing the needles to puncture the septum of the ink cartridge. To extract the ink cartridge, the cover is rotated from the closed position to the open position, lifting the links until the bosses at the bottom end contact the bottom of the ink cartridge and lift the ink cartridge off of the needles.

Abstract: A receiving assembly for an ink cartridge is provided. A replaceable ink cartridge is provided with one or more bosses that extend out from the ink cartridge. A lever is rotatively mounted to a housing for the ink cartridge. The lever includes a curved cam slot. During rotational movement of the lever, the cam slot operatively engages a respective boss and causes the boss to follow a cam formed by the sides of the cam slot. Following the cam form by the cam slot cause the boss to move either upward or downward, according to the direction of the rotational movement, and corresponding movement of the ink cartridge. Downward movement of the ink cartridge will cause a needle mounted to the housing to puncture a septum in the bottom of the ink cartridge, thereby allowing access to the ink contained therein.

Abstract: A receiving assembly for an ink cartridge is provided. A replaceable ink cartridge is provided with one or more bosses that extend out from the ink cartridge. A lever is rotatively mounted to a housing for the ink cartridge. The lever includes a curved cam slot. During rotational movement of the lever, the cam slot operatively engages a respective boss and causes the boss to follow a cam formed by the sides of the cam slot. Following the cam form by the cam slot causes the boss to move either upward or downward, according to the direction of the rotational movement, and corresponding movement of the ink cartridge. Downward movement of the ink cartridge will cause a needle mounted to the housing to puncture a septum in the bottom of the ink cartridge, thereby allowing access to the ink contained therein.

Abstract: A method and system for printing an image such as a postal indicium. In accordance with the present invention a sequence of graphic data blocks is formed, the sequence forming a bitmap representative of the image. The blocks are randomly reordered to form a new sequence; and the blocks are printed in the new sequence; a printer printhead being positioned and the blocks being printed so as to print the image without substantial distortion. In one embodiment the blocks are printed in varying directions. In another embodiment the printhead moves are at varying rates of travel and prints at inversely proportional rates as the blocks are printed so as to print the image without substantial distortion. In another embodiment the printhead returns to a home position after printing the image.

Abstract: A method and device for reducing the maximum torque to rollers mounted on a drive shaft of a drive roller assembly. By using a plurality of slip clutches, each for engaging an individual roller to the drive shaft and setting a maximum torque for the individual rollers, each roller is coupled to the drive shaft when the tangential force exerted on the roller does not exceed the maximum torque, and each roller is mechanically decoupled from the drive shaft when the tangential force exerted on the roller exceeds the maximum torque. Because each roller has a separate slip clutch, each roller can be mechanically decoupled from the drive shaft without affecting the other rollers coupled to the drive shaft.

Abstract: The moistening system is used in combination with a postage meter system, wherein the postage meter system includes a horizontal extend deck supported by a meter housing. A portion of the deck defines a printing station. The moistening system includes a housing defining a first chamber. A horizontally extending feed deck is detachably mounted to the housing enclosing the first chamber. A second chamber defined by the housing includes a latching mechanism for detachably mounting the housing and feed deck to the postage meter such that the feed deck is aligned contiguous to the deck of the postage meter. A reservoir container is removably mounted within the first chamber of the housing and has an aperture aligned to an aperture formed in the feed deck. A wick assembly includes a support brace is detachably mounted to the feed deck, a wick and a cap.

Abstract: A control system and method for ejecting an envelope having: a feeder for feeding the envelope out of the envelope handling device, a sensor for sensing the trailing edge of the envelope, and a microcontroller for controlling the feeder and in communication with the sensor the microcontroller causing the feeder to accelerate the envelope above a desired speed and decelerate the envelope after the sensor senses the trailing edge of the envelope so that the envelope is fed from the envelope handling device at the desired speed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling tension on a sheet material in a reel-to-reel transport system. The sheet material is feed along a defined path from a supply reel to a take-up reel. A motor is operatively connected to the take-up reel for applying a torque to the take-up reel while a sensor is positioned to detect rotation of the supply reel. A microcontroller enables the motor with an initial PWM pwm.sub.o to create torque on the take-up reel and then incrementally increases the PWM. When the sensor indicates that the supply reel has moved, the current PWM is stored in memory as pwm.sub.i. This pwm.sub.i is subsequently used by the apparatus to determine a desired tension on the thermal ribbon.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for controlling the operation of a mailing machine having a postage meter which includes a thermal printer which transfers wax ink from an ink ribbon to an envelope being fed through the mailing machine, in such a way that the printer cannot operate if the envelope is not is a proper position in the mailing machine to completely cover a feed roller which controls movement of the envelope and the ink ribbon.

Abstract: An improved thermal printing apparatus having a frame for supporting an elongate thermal print head extending opposite to an elongate print roller. The thermal print head being responsive to a microcontroller for printing on an article positioned between the thermal print head and the print roller. The improvement comprises: a drive housing pivotally mounted to the frame, the print roller rotatively mounted to the drive housing, an eject roller rotatively mounted to the drive housing parallel to the print roller, backing means located opposite the eject roller, means responsive to said microcontroller for causing said drive housing to pivotally displace to a first position biasing the print roller in the direction of the thermal print head and against the article for printing, and for causing the drive housing to pivotally displace to a second position biasing the eject roller in the direction of the backing means and against the article when the microcontroller has completed printing.

Abstract: An envelope positioning assembly for a postage meter. A typical postage meter includes a registration wall, a deck and a printing apparatus for printing a postage indicia on an envelope. The envelope positing assembly includes: (1) a pin fixably mounted to the registration wall and generally aligned perpendicular to the deck, (2) a stop having an obstructing surface and a cutout, (3) positioning apparatus and (4) a microcontroller in communication with the positioning apparatus. The stop is slidably mounted on the pin to move between a first position where the obstructing surface extends above the deck and provides an obstruction to the envelope and a second position where the cutout extends above the deck and does not obstruct the envelope. The microcontroller means causes the positioning apparatus to move the stop to the second position upon initiation of a print cycle.

Abstract: An improved thermal ribbon cassette is detachably mounting to a thermal printing postage meter. The thermal ribbon cassette has an opening, a plurality of posts. Some of which posts are located to each side of the opening, a take-up spool and a supply spool rotatively mounted in the housing, and a thermal ink transfer ribbon supply wrapped around the supply spool and extending to the take-up spool threaded from and between the post and extending through the opening. The opening is located to receive a thermal print head therein such that the transfer ribbon traverses below the print element of the thermal print head. Slots are formed in the respective forward and rear wall, a first post to the take-up side of the aperture is positionably mounted in the slots such that the angle downstream of the opening may be selectively changed.

Abstract: A flat belt transport for conveying flat item seriatim. The transport includes: an upstream pulley and a downstream pulley; a flat belt mounted on the upstream and downstream pulleys; a nested timing belt mounted on the central sections of the upstream and downstream pulleys, wherein for each pulley the diameter of the central section is smaller than the diameter of the outer sections; and a device for transmitting drive to the central section of the upstream pulley, whereby drive is transmitted from the timing belt to the downstream pulley and to the flat belt.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for guiding and controlling a discrete item through a turn in the feed direction. The apparatus includes: a stationary cylinder; a transport belt having an input end and an output end for conveying the discrete item halfway around the circumference of the stationary cylinder, the feed direction of the transport belt being oriented at an angle to the axis of the stationary cylinder, and wherein an intermediate portion of the transport belt wraps around the half of the cylinder circumference remote from both the input and output ends of the transport belt; and a device to support the transport belt and provide a gap between the transport belt and the stationary cylinder, whereby the discrete item is turned in the feed direction when conveyed by the transport belt halfway around the stationary cylinder.

Abstract: A rotatable guide finger for opening an envelope prior to insertion of documents into the envelope. The finger includes a pivotable arm and a sidewall defining a channel. The sidewall extends downstream from the pivotable arm and has an upper and a lower sidewall portion, each of the sidewall portions including an arc having a radius of about 0.16 inches and a line at an angle of about fifty degrees to a horizontal radius to the arc.

Abstract: Apparatus for aligning a document, the apparatus comprising: structure for feeding a document in a downstream path of travel, the document have a downstream edge relative to the path of travel; structure for registering the downstream edge of a document in a direction extending transverse to the path of travel, the registering structure including at least one member extending into the path of travel, the registering structure including structure for moving the at least one member downstream in the path of travel; and structure for controlling the feeding structure to urge a document into engagement with the at least one moving member.

Abstract: Document feeding apparatus, comprising: structure for registering an edge of a document; first structure for feeding a document in a path of travel; and second structure for feeding a document from the registering structure to the first feeding structure, the second feeding structure including a plurality of rows of independently flexible members rotatable into and out of engagement with a document.