Abstract: A collating system having a plurality of feeders to release enclosure materials onto a deck and a plurality of pusher finger pairs moving along the deck for collating the released materials. The pusher finger pairs are mounted on a pair of moving belts at pre-determined positions. A sensing device is used to monitor whether any pusher finger is missing, broken or out of alignment, thereby rendering a pusher finger pair non-functioning. If a pusher finger pair is not functioning, the cell or pocket associated with that pusher finger pair will be marked “damaged” so that the feeders release enclosure materials only to the cells associated with functional pusher finger pairs.

Abstract: A connection device is provided for meshing of gears on disparate modules, such as those that form a mailing machine. A tongue having a rack can extend from a first module into a cavity formed in the second module. A spur gear is mounted to the second module and can engage the rack of the tongue received into the cavity. A mechanism controls movement of the first spur gear. The mechanism can include a drive gear meshed with the first spur gear and concentrically mounted on one end of a drive shaft with a worm gear mounted concentrically on an opposing end of the drive shaft. Rotation of the worm gear causes the spur gear and the drive gear to rotate and cause movement in the rack received into the cavity and separate or bring together the modules as a result of the movement in the rack.

Abstract: A method for certifying the public key of a user wishing to communicate using a public key encryption system by a plurality of certifying authorities. A plurality of certifying stations and a user station exchange information and the user station derives a public key from the exchanged information. The certifying stations also publish related information and their public keys. A third party can derive the public key corresponding to the user's private key by operating on the published information with a summation of the certifying station keys.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for preparing mailpieces. A inserter system for assembling mailpieces in a mailing job is controlled in accordance with mailpiece records in a corresponding mailing control file. The inserter system scans control inserts included in the mailpieces fed into the mailpiece accumulations at a downstream station to verify corresponding mailpiece records. Initially the inserter system reads an initial, dummy control insert to accesses the mailing control file to initialized the upstream stations of the inserter system.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention comprises an apparatus for preparing a matched mailing, the apparatus comprising: an input means for feeding a document downstream to a scanner station; a scanner for scanning the document to obtain information, the scanner providing the information to a controller; an printer for printing information obtained from the controller onto the envelope, whereby the information obtained from the controller comprises information obtained by the scanner and corresponding to the document matched to the envelope.

Abstract: A digital document delivery system and method for providing to a user an electronic primary document with associated secondary documents. The secondary documents can have relative priorities and are based upon user preference data. An electronic inserter, bill processing server and interactive bill presentation server are used to make the primary and secondary documents available for viewing by a user via the user's web browser, as well as to allow the user to interrogate the system and to respond to the primary document, such as to pay an account due as stated in the primary document. The digital document delivery system and method also notifies the user of the existence of a primary and secondary documents for viewing.

Abstract: A cryptographic device and method of operation for encrypting messages. The device can be incorporated into a postage metering system to provide cryptographically secured postal indicia. The device and method provide increased security against side-channel attacks such as differential power analysis (DPA). An encryption key is transformed with a first function to generate temporary key as a function of a random number. A message is encrypted with the temporary key to generate a modified message. The modified message is transformed with a second function to generate an encryption. The encryption generated is identical to a direct encryption of the message with the untransformed key. The temporary key is changed frequently to protect against side-channel attacks.

Abstract: A method for printing a label pair made up of a destination address label and a corresponding destination Information-Based Indicia Program (IBIP) indicia label on a label stock in a system for printing one or more labels uses a unique identifying mark for each label of the label pair. The unique identifying marks allow a user to match a destination address label to a corresponding destination address IBIP indicia label. The software defines the method used to generate the unique identifying marks and the positioning of the labels with respect to each other.

Abstract: A method of joining a first sheet-metal member to a second sheet-metal member in a right-angle relationship using an H-shaped interlocking member. An opening is provided near an edge of the second sheet metal member with a channel communicating the opening and the edge. The opening is sufficiently wide to allow the H-shaped member to be rotated therein so as to allow the upper and lower slots of the H-shaped member to engage with the second sheet-metal member. A tapped hole is provided in the center section of the H-shaped member, aligned with the channel, so as to allow a screw to be inserted through a hole on the first sheet-metal member and then the channel to engage with the tapped hole. After the screw is tightened, the surface of the first sheet metal member is securely joined to the edge of the second sheet metal member.

Abstract: The invention is a method and system for printing a postage meter indicia from a data processing system. The printing of the indicia is under control of an indicia control in an object linking and embedding (OLE2) environment. The method begins with instantiating an indicia control in the design application that will utilize the object control for indicia printing. The indicia control is attached to an application window for use by the application. Once established, the control will be passed a set of postage meter data from an interoperatively linked postage meter. The interface is enhanced by displaying an envelope representation on a monitor screen to a system operator, wherein the envelope display comprises design fields and wherein one of the design fields is a representation of the postage indicia. The postage indicia additionally comprises postage meter data such as available funds, a transaction value, and a postage meter identification.

Abstract: A system and method for performing a right angle transfer and for aligning stuffed envelopes in a high speed mail processing inserter system, whereby unwanted timing variation in the aligning process is lessened by using a moving vertical aligning belt as the aligning wall against which envelopes are impacted and aligned.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for preparing mailpieces. A inserter system for assembling mailpieces in a mailing job is controlled in accordance with mailpiece records in a corresponding mailing control file. The inserter system scans control documents included in the mailpieces to identify corresponding mailpiece records. Initially the inserter system accesses the mailing control file to identify set-up parameter values for the current mailing job.

Abstract: A method and system for moistening and sealing an envelope in a high speed mail processing machine including steps and components for heating a liquid to moisten the glue on the envelope flaps to more quickly soften the glue and provide an improved seal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for preventing components in an inserter machine from causing the inserter machine to stop or function less than optimally due to lack of proper attention from an operator. Accordingly, various component conditions are categorized based upon two or more levels of urgency, and each component having such a condition signals the category of urgency to an operator.

Abstract: A method for certification by a plurality of certifying authorities of the public key of a user wishing to communicate using a public key encryption system while asserting only a subset of rights. A plurality of certifying stations and a user station exchange information and the user station derives a plurality of private keys from the exchanged information. The certifying stations also publish related information and their public keys. The user communicates using a private key formed by summing selected ones of said plurality of private keys corresponding to asserted rights. A third party can derive the public key corresponding to the user's summed private key by operating on the published information with a summation of the certifying station public keys.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling the traveling direction of a piece of folded material in the feed path of a folding machine. A first roller nip is used to ingest the folded material into the front end of a turn chute. If the traveling direction is to be maintained, the folded material is allowed to move out through the rear end of the turn chute. If the traveling direction is to be reversed, a stop is used to block the rear end in order to keep the leading edge of the ingested folded material from leaving the turn chute through the rear end. At the same time, the trailing edge of the ingested folded material is caused to engage in a second roller nip located in the front end of the turn chute, in order for the second roller nip to move the folded material out of the turn chute, thereby reversing the traveling direction of the folded material.

Abstract: Envelope alignment of a vertical stack of envelopes in an envelope hopper is maintained by mechanically vibrating a preselected part of the hopper. In a first embodiment, the vibration is caused by a reciprocating shuttle having a wedge-shaped member attached to it. The reciprocating shuttle and wedge member are positioned at the bottom of the hopper so that the shuttle and wedge-shaped member support all of the envelopes. The reciprocation of the shuttle and hence the reciprocation of the wedge-shaped member continually jostles the envelopes. The wedge-shaped member ejects the lowermost envelope in the hopper when the reciprocating shuttle is displaced from a retracted position to an extended position. A motor is used to cause continuous reciprocation of the shuttle. In alternative embodiments, different parts of the envelope hopper are vibrated by any suitable vibration-causing member.

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: An apparatus and method for changing the orientation, height and direction of envelopes conveyed in an inserter system. The invention reorienting horizontally transported envelopes to a vertical position. The envelopes then being transported around a turning arrangement comprised of a length of driven belt urged against a large diameter idler wheel. A turning guide serves to aid the envelopes through the turning arrangement. A ramp module comprised of nips having toroidal outer circumferences elevate the vertical envelopes. The envelopes finally are turned 180 degrees to be sorted into sorting bins. The overall arrangement of the invention results in an output sub-system of an inserter system with a shortened footprint and ergonomically desirable layout. Also, features of the invention provide that envelopes avoid damage and jamming and that recently closed envelope flaps do not inadvertently open.

Abstract: An apparatus, and corresponding method, for accumulating and directionally reorienting the movement of a stack of sheets after first folding the stack, each sheet of the stack being fed from a feed conveyor along a feed path. The apparatus includes a turnplate, for receiving each of a series of sheets which are there accumulated into a stack of sheets. Stops protrude from a sheet-receiving surface of the turnplate, which holds the stack of sheets edge aligned against the stops.