Patents by Inventor Walter J. Kulpa

Walter J. Kulpa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4958782
    Abstract: A tape supply for supplying tape under constant tension is disclosed. The tape supply includes a mechanism for mounting a reel of tape. The reel rotates as tape is withdrawn therefrom. The tape supply also includes a roller mounted on a lever. The tape passes over the surface of the roller as the tape is withdrawn. The lever is pivoted to move the roller in opposite directions.The tape supply also includes a torsion spring having two ends. One end of the spring is fixed against movement. The second end is coupled to the lever by a coupling mechanism so that: (a) the spring urges the lever in a first of the opposite directions to apply tension to tape passing over the roller; (b) the lever moves in the second of the opposite directions in response to an increase in tension on the tape, thereby torsioning the spring; and (c) the lever moves in the first direction in response to a decrease in tension on the tape, thereby relieving the torsioning of the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1990
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Hugh S. Dannatt, Thomas W. Alesi, Jr., Walter J. Kulpa
  • Patent number: 4930764
    Abstract: The front feeder for a high speed machine for handling mixed mail, including a nudger drive assembly for advancing the mail pieces while maintaining registration, and for fluffing a stack of mail contributing to preshingling of the mail as it is advanced downstream, angled decks and a back prop for a guideless hopper region, a tamper subsystem for maintaining registration of flapped envelopes, and structure configured to guide open envelope flaps along a slot for downstream sealing purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Russell W. Holbrook, Walter J. Kulpa, James Morabito
  • Patent number: 4911268
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein provides a device which a non-linear force/distance relationship of spring or other device and linearizes it in a range of interest. In accordance with the invention, the device comprises a first gear section and a second gear section. The first and second gear sections are pivotally supported in a meshing relationship. The first gear section includes gear teeth extending about an arc of a first circle having a first center, and the second gear section includes gear teeth extending about an arc of a second circle having a second center. The mating pair of sections comprise a non-circular gearing pair. For limited ranges of motion the non-circular gears can be approximated by eccentrically mounted circular gears. The two gear sections thus pivot eccentrically with respect to each other such that a variable torque or force must be applied to one gear section to obtain a constant torque or force from the other gear section, and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Walter J. Kulpa
  • Patent number: 4744554
    Abstract: An improved deskewing device for a postage meter mailing machine comprising a support mounted over an upper surface of the mailing machine feed deck. A first feed roller is rotatably mounted on the support upstream from the postage meter with the axis of the first feed roller disposed at an angle within the range of 5 to 30 degrees to the registration guide and spaced laterally from the feed deck registration guide at approximately 0.75 inches. A drive rotates the first feed roller. Mounted in the feed deck is semispherical member directly below the first feed roller. A drag is mounted to the support upstream from the postage meter for encountering the envelope and applying thereto a drag force parallel to the registration guide and counter directional to the envelope traversing direction, the drag being spaced laterally from the registration guide approximately 3.0 inches therefrom and upstream from the first feed roller approximately 0 to 0.6 inches therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Walter J. Kulpa, Aaron M. Albert
  • Patent number: 4524965
    Abstract: An envelope stacking machine has a conveyor for feeding envelopes in a substantially vertical orientation along a predetermined path of travel. There is an elongate envelope stacking support for receiving envelopes directed to the support from a transfer device which pushes the envelopes against an envelope abutment member having a force converting apparatus attached thereto for maintaining a substantially uniform resisting force against the incoming stream of envelopes. The force converting apparatus contains resilient and flexible devices which operate in conjunction with a rotary displacement device to achieve the substantially uniform resisting force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1985
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Walter J. Kulpa
  • Patent number: 4433836
    Abstract: Within a recirculating sheet feeding apparatus capable of feeding sheets from a back to a stack support, a set separation device having an elongated separator member is arranged to distinguish between cycles of feeding a given stack of sheets. The separator member is mounted with respect to the stack of sheets so that it rotates alongside one edge of the sheets, and past the adjacent edge when the last sheet from the stack is fed. A drive mechanism enables the separator member to rotate beneath the sheet stack support back to the topmost sheet in the stack when the member passes through an aperture in the stack support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1984
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Walter J. Kulpa, John R. Paulik
  • Patent number: 4406448
    Abstract: A removable paper cassette for feeding different lengths of cut paper sheets seriatim to a machine operatively associated with the cassette. The cassette includes a chutelike base having a bottom panel, and a pair of sidewalls contiguous with the front wall and extending only along a portion of the bottom panel. The cassette further includes an upwardly biased paper elevating plate pivotably secured at its rearward section to the base, the plate having a pair of detents situated in the forward section thereof adjacent the sidewalls, and a cassette cover pivotably secured to the sidewalls of the base. The cover includes a pair of inwardly projecting camming fingers integral therewith, one on each side of the forward section thereof. The detents engage the fingers when the cover is raised to the open position whereby the cover is held in the open position and the elevating pate is maintained in a depressed position ready for paper loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1983
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Walter J. Kulpa, Leo Wologodzew
  • Patent number: 4405125
    Abstract: A levitating paper stacking device for stacking different length papers. The device includes a box-like receptacle having a bottom wall, a front wall, and a pair of sidewalls, and a fold-down, four bar linkage, perforated ramp. The ramp is movable between a raised position for stacking a shorter length paper and a stored position for stacking a longer length paper. The ramp includes three hinged segments wherein the forwardmost segment constitutes the rear wall of the receptacle when the ramp is in its raised position and wherein the forwardmost and middle segments constitute an addition to the bottom wall of the receptacle when the ramp is in its stored position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1983
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Walter J. Kulpa, John R. Paulik
  • Patent number: 4354672
    Abstract: In a receiving tray for sheet document material, a jogging apparatus is included to cause registration of the sheets to one or more registration walls. The jogging apparatus is comprised of an elongated strip of flexible material which is fastened to the structural framework of the tray, while being deflected from at least one end to form bow-shaped waves which engage the edges of the sheets in order to urge the sheets towards the registration wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1982
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Walter J. Kulpa, John R. Paulik
  • Patent number: 4190065
    Abstract: A laminated exothermic hair curler is described having a first sheet formed of a liquid impervious material which includes a plurality of apertures and a second non-perforated sheet of liquid impervious material which is sealed in assembly with said first sheet and provides an enclosure into which an activating fluid can enter through apertues in the first sheet. A liquid absorbent sheet is positioned within the enclosure adjacent the first sheet and chemically reactive means for generating an exothermic reaction are positioned between the absorbent sheet and the second laminate sheet. This laminate assembly is formed into an elongated curler body having an arc-shaped cross sectional configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1980
    Assignee: Remington Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Walter J. Kulpa
  • Patent number: 4169482
    Abstract: A hair roller is disclosed which is adapted to be expanded from a substantially flat configuration into a body having an elongated, cylindrically shaped configuration which is substantially resistant to bending and buckling. The hair roller comprises first and second generally planar shaped, flexible roller members which are hinge coupled along their edges. The roller members are deflectable into a body having a generally cylindrical configuration and a fastener means is provided for maintaining the configuration. The fastener means includes a fastener member which is hinge coupled to a first of the roller members and improved means integrally formed on the other roller member for engaging the fastener member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1979
    Assignee: Remington Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Walter J. Kulpa
  • Patent number: 4136705
    Abstract: A hair roller is described having first and second flexible, generally planar roller members which are hinge coupled and are deflectable from a generally planar configuration into a body having a generally cylindrically shaped configuration. Edge segments of the members are preformed to have arcuate cross sectional configurations for causing the hair roller body to conform to a circular cross sectional configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1979
    Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation
    Inventor: Walter J. Kulpa