Abstract: A mail handling machine includes a mechanism for serially transporting along a main path sealed and unsealed close-flapped envelopes, some of which may be mis-sealed. The machine also inlcudes a mechanism for opening the flaps of the unsealed close-flapped envelopes. The flap opening mechanism includes a shaped blade pivotally mounted on the machine and located along the main path. There is also a shaped portion of a deck that includes a fixed guide edge located along the path and downstream of the blade. The blade strips open the flaps of the unsealed envelopes. A member is hingedly mounted to the trailing edge of the blade. The member is biased so as to obstruct the gap between the blade and the guide edge to prevent opened flaps from entering the gap.When a mis-sealed envelope engages the blade, causing the blade to move pivotally, the shaped portion cams up the member, which contacts the mis-sealed envelope and urges it out of engagement with the blade.

Abstract: A power stacker for collecting delivered articles such as envelopes from a mailing machine is comprised of a support housing having a deck fixably mounted along the housing. A registration wall is fixably mounted to the housing and extending generally perpendicular relative to the deck. A stack wall is slidably mounted to the housing at one end of the deck and has a reclined surface extended generally upwardly from the deck, the stack wall being slidably mounted to the housing such that the stack wall can be horizontally displaced relative to the deck. Support rods are provided for providing article support between the deck and displaced stack wall as well as between the registration and displaced stack wall. Threaded hubs are provided for causing the delivered articles to be collected against the stack wall and assume a generally parallel stacked orientation generally parallel to the reclined surface.

Abstract: Apparatus for turning an envelope, including: a housing; a transport deck secured to the housing for transporting an envelope from an upstream location to a downstream location, the deck including a device for moving the envelope; a vertically extending spindle located beneath the deck, the spindle being rotatable and reciprocable and having an upper end capable of extending above the transport deck; a device for raising and rotating the spindle; and a clamping arm assembly rotatably mounted to the housing situated above the transport deck, the clamping arm assembly having a device for applying a light, downward bias on the envelope against the upper end of the spindle, and a device for applying additional pressure to the envelope after the spindle is raised.

Abstract: A rechargeable ink pad having particular use with solution ink. The ink pad has a bottom layer of porous polychloroprene latex foam with pore sizes of 200.mu. to 500.mu. and a top layer of polyethylene foam with pore sizes of 10.mu. to 20.mu.. The two layers are secured to one another by a fusible web adhesive. A method of customizing the porous polychloroprene latex layer to obtain desired properties by felting has been discovered. Such felting renders the finished porous polychloroprene latex foam suitable for controlled ink flow required for printing purposes.

Abstract: An electronic postage meter is disclosed which includes a plurality of print devices each individually settable to a desired position so that the print devices may print a desired postage value; a plurality of d.c. motors, one for each of the plurality of the print devices, a different one of the d.c. motors being coupled to a different one of the print devices for setting the respective print device to a respective desired position; actual position sensing means for providing signals related to the actual positions of the print devices; and a microcomputer coupled to the d.c. motors and to the actual position sensing means. The microcomputer in response to signals from the actual position sensing means, a desired postage value and programming of the microcomputer sequentially controls the d.c. motors to set the print devices to respective desired positions for printing the desired postage value.

Abstract: Apparatus for marking an edge of an envelope moving in a first, substantially horizontal plane. The apparatus includes: a supporting arm; a mechanism for simultaneously rotating the arm in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane and translating the arm perpendicular to the second plane; and a marker for applying ink to the envelope edge secured to the supporting arm. The marker includes a roller for contacting the envelope edge, a reservoir for storing a supply of ink, and a device for feeding the ink from the reservoir to the roller, whereby at an appropriate time the marker may be rotated and translated from a nonmarking position into a marking position adjacent the envelope edge for marking the envelope edge.

Abstract: A combined microphone bar code sensor includes a hand-held housing and a microphone input mechanism provided in the housing for receiving voice signals and for generating electrical audio signals in response thereto. The microphone bar code sensor also includes a functional switch that is provided in the housing and is manually operable to control dictation functions, including record, play, stop, rewind and fast-forward. The microphone bar code sensor also includes a bar code sensor mechanism that is provided in said housing and is for optically sensing bar code indicia and generating electrical bar code signals representative thereof.

Abstract: A register system such as a carrier management system has a scale for weighing parcels, and a computer for determining shipping costs of the parcels. The computer has a memory including one or more accounting registers. A user PROM having a unique identification number therein is insertable in the system, and an initialization program stores this number in the system memory. Transactions cannot be accounted unless the numbers in the PROM and memory compare. A further PROM is insertable in the system in order to enable the initialization program.

Abstract: In a reversible collating machine for stacking sheets of paper fed seriatim thereto from a singulating feeder in the same or reverse order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder, the collating machine comprising a plurality of upper and lower belts suspended over a plurality of pulleys, each of the belts having an upper and lower reach wherein the lower reach of the upper belts and the upper reach of the lower belts frictionally engage and transport the sheets of paper, a plurality of upper ramp guide blocks secured to a frame, wherein each of the upper ramp guide blocks includes at least two idler rollers for defining a path for the upper belts, an improvement comprises a removable idler roller shaft having rotatably mounted thereto one of the idler rollers for each of the upper ramp guide blocks, wherein each of the upper ramp guide blocks has a first slot in which the idler roller shaft rests and a second slot perpendicular to the first slot in which the one idler roller rotatably fits when the idl

Abstract: An article of manufacture for use in letter processing apparatus, the article comprising; a frame including two elongate generally rectangularly-shaped side walls; a pair of axially parallel spaced rollers extending between the side walls of the frame and rotatably connected thereto, each of the rollers including an outer surface having formed therein a plurality of circumferentially-extending ridges which are respectively serrated in transverse cross-section; and an elongate endless belt including an inner surface having formed therein a plurality of longitudinally-extending ridges which are respectively serrated in transverse cross-section, and the belt looped about the rollers for disposing the belt ridges in meshing engagement with the ridges of the respective rollers.

Abstract: The improved coupler in combination with a mailing machine base having a postage meter base. A postage meter is insertable and removable from a receptacle. The receptacle is mounted within a base and includes a lock engagement assembly for locking the postage meter in the receptacle. The mailing machine also includes a tape feed assembly having a first drive assembly for positioning the tape feed assembly to a first position and a second position and a second drive assembly for motivating the tape feed assembly. The coupler includes a link coupled to the feed assembly at one end for translating lateral displacement of the feed assembly to rotational displacement of a cam surface formed on the other end of the link. A following lever rides along the cam surface and causes the lock engagement assembly to be coupled to the second drive assembly only when the feed assembly in the first position.

Abstract: A load cell supporting member includes a central portion formed to receive a load cell and to protect a load cell from overloading. A plurality of arms extends radially from the central portion. The supporting member is a single, integral piece of said material.A weighing scale includes a first supporting member, a load cell supported by the first supporting member. The scale also includes a second supporting member, that is identical to the first and supported by the load cell and is identical to the first supporting member. The second supporting member supports a scale platform.Another weighing scale includes three identical supporting members and two load cells. A first supporting member supports a first load cell. The first load cell supports a second supporting member, which supports a second load cell. The second load cell supports a third supporting member. The third supporting member supports a scale platform.

Abstract: A circuit for modulating or demodulating an input potential includes a first operational amplifier for receiving the input potential and a second operational amplifier for outputting an output potential. A resistor network is connected to the operational amplifiers. A switch with a first position and a second position is connected to the resistor network and to at least one of the operational amplifiers. The circuit also includes a mechanism for repeatedly driving the switch between its first position and its second position. When the switch is in its first position, the output potential equals the input potential. When the switch is in its second position, the output potential equals minus one times the input potential.

Abstract: An electronic postage meter is disclosed which comprises a plurality of print devices each individually settable to a desired position so that the print devices may print a desired postage value; a plurality of d.c. motors, one for each of the plurality of the print devices, a different one of the d.c. motors being coupled to a different one of the print devices for setting the respective print device to a respective desired position; actual position sensing means for providing signals related to the actual positions of the print devices; and a microcomputer coupled to the d.c. motors and to the actual position sensing means. The microcomputer in response to signals from the actual position sensing means, a desired postage value and programming of the microcomputer sequentially controls the d.c. motors to set the print devices to respective desired positions for printing the desired postage value.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a document feeder of an inserting machine. The feeder comprises a frame, a feed deck coupled to the frame, a separator wheel assembly for separating and feeding individual documents. The separator assembly includes a separator wheel disposed above the feed deck and a drive for the separator wheel. The separator wheel assembly can be adjusted to a position relative to the feed deck commensurate with the material being fed. The improvement comprises the separator wheel assembly being biased against a cam. The cam is located above the separator wheel assembly, wherein the separator wheel assembly is in a first position for singulating and feeding sheets when the cam is in a normal position, and wherein the separator wheel assembly raises to a second position when the cam is rotated to an eccentric position, whereby the singulating and feeding of individual documents is prevented when the separator wheel assembly is in the second position.

Abstract: A deactivable electronic article surveillance marker having elongated magnetically soft elements on a support in a criss-cross pattern with a plurality of magnetically semi-hard chips parallel to one another in rows with the rows being diagonally aligned relative to the elongated magnetically soft elements. In another embodiment, strips of magnetically semi-hard material are placed diagonally relative to the elongated magnetically soft elements. In both embodiments, the elongated magnetically soft elements can be in the form of a fiber.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system for certifying the accuracy of postage payments based on the weights of mail pieces. The expected weight of each mail piece is determined and a mail processing unit receives data relative to the contents to be inserted into an envelope that together form the mail pieces. A high speed weighing scale is located downstream from the mail processing unit to receive the mail pieces after the mail processing unit has inserted selected materials into envelopes. A comparison is made between the expected weight of each mail piece and its measured weight. If the measured weight of a mail piece is found different than the actual weight beyond certain tolerances, it could be rejected. If a large number of mail pieces exhibit a divergence between the estimated weight and the actual weight, the mail processing unit will be disabled and an examination made to determine what caused the discrepancies in the weights.

Abstract: Apparatus for printing, folding, and sealing a one-piece form sheet to prepare a self-mailer. The apparatus includes a substantially conventional printer, which may be a laser printer, suitable for use with a personal computer. The printer is mounted above and outputs printed form sheets downwards to a folder sealer for folding and sealing to prepare a self-mailer. The folder sealer includes a folder having a central and peripheral rollers and curved, one-sided, open buckle chutes for folding the form sheet and delivering it to a transport which extends under the printer. The folder sealer also includes moistening apparatus for moistening areas on the form sheet to which a remoistable glue has been applied.

Abstract: A carrier management system includes a scale for weighing parcels to be shipped, a computer connected to receive data from the scale related to the weight of a parcel thereon, and first input keys enabling the input of information. The computer has a data base for storing shipping charge data for a plurality of carriers and/or shipping classes, based upon the weight of a parcel of the scale. The computer is responsive to the operation of the first keys for determining shipping charges for predetermined carriers and/or shipping classes represented by data in the data base. The input includes auto-rate selection key, and the computer is responsive to operation of the auto-rate selection key for determining shipping charges of the least costly carrier and/or shipping class of a predetermined subgroup of carriers and/or shipping classes represented by data in the data base. In one operating mode, the computer may determined the next least costly shipping charges.