Abstract: A mailing machine is disclosed which includes an apparatus for scanning the surface contour of mail pieces as they move along a feed path prior to being engaged by the printing device of a postage meter to determine whether the surface contour of the mail piece in the area where printing is to take place is suitable for printing and for actuating an instrumentality intended to prevent printing of the postage indicia in that area if the printing surface is not suitable for receiving a good quality print.

Abstract: A scheme has been devised for retrieving audio from a digital audio tape (DAT) that has been used in a device such as a digital audio logger wherein audio is recorded on a intermittent basis. An audio bit map is created on the DAT that represents a record of activity with a "1" bit representing audio and a "0" bit representing absence of audio. The channels of the logger can be searched for a next message or previous message. A predetermined sequence of "1's" and "0's" are used in the search for identifying a message.

Abstract: The position sensing assembly is employed in combination with a thermal printing postage meter having a base supporting a registration wall and a deck, and a thermal print head fixably mounted to the registration wall above a portion of the deck to define a print station for printing a postage indicia on an envelope. A position sensing-lever is mounted to a positioning support arrangement for providing supporting the position sensing lever support in a first position such that the position sensing lever has a home position where in a portion extending generally perpendicular to the deck to encounter the leading edge of the envelope positioned on the deck. The position lever encounters the envelope leading edge such that the leading edge deflects the position sensing lever when positioned in the print station and for repositioning the position sensing lever in a second position which removes the position sensing lever from encountering the leading edge of the envelope.

Abstract: A mailing machine, comprising a base including a deck, a postage meter removably mounted on the base, the postage meter including a rotary postage printing drum overhanging the deck, the base including means for feeding an envelope in a downstream path of travel to the drum, the base including means for selectively driving the drum for printing postage on an envelope fed thereto, envelope deflecting means including an elongate substantially rectangularly-shaped member having a predetermined length, the member including a substantially horizontally-extending first portion of the length thereof fixedly attached to the drum, the member including a second portion of the length thereof inclined downwardly from the first portion, the member including a third portion of the length thereof inclined upwardly from the second portion, the member including a fourth portion of the length thereof extending substantially horizontally from the third portion and disposed between and in sliding engagement with the drum and the

Abstract: The platen roller assembly is particularly suited for a thermal printing postage meter having a base supporting a registration wall and a deck, and a thermal print head fixably mounted to said registration wall above a portion of said deck to define a print station. A linking assembly is mounted in the base for rotatively supporting a platen roller in a home position below said deck when an envelope is to be received at said print station and biasing said platen in a second position above said deck in the direction of said thermal print head through an aperture in said deck during a print cycle. An ejection plate fixably mounted to said registration wall above said deck longitudinally in line with said thermal print head.

Abstract: A mailing machine comprising, a base and a postage meter mounted on the base, the postage meter including a rotary postage indicia printing drum, the base including structure for driving the drum at a desired constant indicia printing speed corresponding to a desired reference voltage, the base including structure for controlling the postage printing drum, the controlling structure including a microprocessor connected to the drum driving structure, the controlling structure including structure for sequentially sensing a commencement and a completion of constant printing speed of the drum and providing corresponding successive signals to the microprocessor, the microprocessor programmed for providing a predetermined reference voltage corresponding to the desired drum printing speed, counting a time interval in response to receiving the successive constant speed commencement and completion signals, determining whether the counted time interval and the desired time interval are substantially equal, and storing t

Abstract: The thermal printing postage meter includes a base supporting a registration wall and a deck, a micro controller and a thermal tape cassette detachably mounted to the registration wall. A position assembly is provided for causing a platen roller to assume a print position or a non-print position and for causing the ejection roller to assume an engaged or disengaged position. A single motor is under the control a micro controller. A linkage system is provided which communicates with the motor and a take-up spool.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for enabling an authorized user of the system to automatically apply customized rating adjustments to transaction charges. To this end, a structure is employed for supplying to a central processor information identifying criteria for rating and for customized rating adjustments. The central processor compares data entered through an input device with information stored in memory. The central processor, after correlating the identifying information with the entered input data, generates a base rate and a modified rate (which incorporates a customized rating adjustment) for a particular transaction and user. The calculated charges are made available for output to the user.

Abstract: Apparatus for recording a transaction where the transaction includes authenticating an identification card; the card having information pertaining to an object or other entity to be identified on a first portion in human recognizable form, and a coded representation of an encrypted signal comprising a representation of the information on a second portion. The apparatus includes a controller, a scanner for reading the coded representation, a decoder for decoding that representation, a decrypter for decrypting the decoded signal and a display for displaying the representation of the information.

Abstract: A mailing machine base comprising, structure for feeding a sheet having a leading edge and a trailing edge in a path of travel, the sheet feeding structure including a roller, the sheet feeding structure including structure for driving the roller at a desired sheet feeding speed corresponding to a desired reference voltage, structure for controlling the sheet feeding structure, the controlling structure including a microprocessor connected to the roller driving structure, the controlling structure including structure for sequentially sensing the leading and trailing edges of the sheet in the path of travel and providing corresponding successive signals to the microprocessor, the sheet having a predetermined length from the leading edge to the trailing edge thereof; and the microprocessor programmed for providing a predetermined reference voltage corresponding to the desired sheet feeding speed, counting a time interval in response to receiving the successive leading and trailing edge signals, determining whet

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: The envelope drop stacking apparatus receives envelopes ejected from a mailing machine in a seriatim manner to the stacker. The mailing machine ejects envelopes from an exist along an exist plane to which the drop stacker entrance is aligned. The stacker has an elongated deck extending generally parallel to and vertically below the exist plane and an elongated registration wall extending vertically from the deck and lateral to the exist. A bi-sectional deflector strip has at one end pivotally mounted to the registration wall vertically elevated above the exist plane. A skew section translates the first section of the deflector section to the second section to produce a negative skew of the second section relative to the exist plane. The deflector strip is located to cause the deflector strip's second section to encounter an ejected envelope's leading edge and thereby produces a negatively skewed envelope trajectory.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for adjustably leveling a machine base, such as a postal scale, wherein the machine base does not have to be turned over to accomplish the leveling adjustment. The apparatus includes a threaded support shaft having a non-circular configuration at one end and a leveling wheel having a threaded passage capable of receiving and mating with the threaded support shaft. A retaining structure is capable of retaining the rotational movement of the threaded support shaft and is capable of restricting movement of the threaded support shaft relative to the base.

Abstract: A method of initializing an optical scanning system by centering a benchmark code in an electrically adjustable benchmark window, the benchmark code being scanned by the optical scanning system while being transported through a paper handling machine. The improvement comprises the steps of providing an encoder for timing the machine cycles of the paper handling machine as a plurality of documents are processed therethrough; conveying a document containing a benchmark code to be scanned past a scanning device of the optical scanning system; enabling a counter at the lead edge of the electrically adjustable benchmark window; incrementing the counter once for every two encoder pulses; disabling the counter when the scanning device detects the benchmark code; displaying the count of the counter in a LED display; and adjusting the location of the benchmark window so that the benchmark code is substantially centered in the benchmark window based on the count displayed on the LED display.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating a plurality of pulse width modulated signals for separately driving a plurality of electrical loads, comprising, a microprocessor, a plurality of comparator means, each of the comparator structure including first and second input terminals and an output terminal, digital to analog converter structure connected to the microprocessor for control thereby, the converter structure including a plurality of output terminals respectively connected to a different comparator structure first terminal for providing separate control signals thereto, structure for generating a reference voltage signal having a variable amplitude, the signal generating structure connected to each of the comparator structure second terminals for providing the reference voltage signal thereto, a plurality of power amplifiers, a plurality of electrical loads respectively connected to a different comparator structure output terminal via a different power amplifier for receiving therefrom an amplified comparator structur

Abstract: A mailing machine base comprising, structure for a direction of the path of travel and feeding a sheet in a path of travel, a fence defining against which the an edge of a sheet is normally registered for alignment therewith and thus in the direction of the path of travel, structure for controlling the sheet feeding structure, the controlling structure including a microprocessor connected to the sheet feeding structure, the controlling structure including structure for sensing a sheet fed into and out of blocking relationship with the sensing structure and providing a corresponding signal to the microprocessor, the signal having a first magnitude when a sheet is not disposed in blocking relationship with the sensing structure, the signal having a second magnitude when a sheet is disposed in blocking relationship with the sensing structure, the signal having a variable magnitude between the first and second magnitudes for less than a predetermined time interval when a sheet is fed into blocking relationship wi

Abstract: The processing system controller is utilized in a mail processing system. The processing system controller provides process control over a plurality of processing subsystems which operate on a mailpiece traversing the processing system. The processing subsystems employing a plurality of prime movers controlled by the processing controller. The processing system controller includes a motor controller in bus communication with the prime movers for control of the prime movers. Sensors monitor the operating conditions and parameter of each subsystems and are in bus communication with a sensor controller. A random access memory (RAM) is in bus communication with the motor controller and the sensor controller. The motor controller and the sensor controller are programmed such that the motor controller can read from the RAM and the sensor controller can write to the RAM. The motor controller reads from the RAM at discrete time intervals and the sensor controller writes to the RAM at other discrete time intervals.

Abstract: A self-adjusting motor positioning system comprises a motor including a shaft extending therefrom, a disc coupled to the motor shaft and having at least first and second notches, rotating apparatus coupled to the motor shaft whereby the rotating apparatus is intermittently driven by the motor, a sensor adjacent the disc for detecting the first and second notches, and a control processor coupled to the sensor and the motor for receiving detection signals from the sensor and for turning the motor on and off. The control processor includes memory for storing a time delay count representing a time delay for the control processor to turn off the motor after the second notch is detected by the sensor. The rotating apparatus includes a starting position from which the rotating apparatus begins. The first notch in the disc corresponds to the starting position of the rotating apparatus. The control processor turns the motor off when the time delay expires after the sensor detects the second notch.

Abstract: Apparatus for stapling documents. The apparatus includes: a pair of side plates; a stitch head mounting bar secured to the side plates; a clincher mounting bar secured to the side plates; a stitch head mounted on the stitch head mounting bar; a clincher mounted on the clincher mounting bar; a pair of fixture plates secured to the side plates; a clincher actuating bar slidingly engaging the pair of fixture plates; a shaft seated in the fixture plates; a clincher actuating arm rotatably mounted on the shaft and engaging the clincher actuating bar; and a device for rotating the clincher actuating arm whereby the clincher is moved up into clinching position and down away from the clinching position.

Abstract: An improved platen roller is particularly suited for a thermal printing postage meter. The postage meter includes a registration wall, a print deck, a thermal print head mounted to the registration wall and extending over the deck to define a print station, a platen roller support assembly for supporting the platen roller parallel to the thermal print head and causing the platen roller to bias an envelope against the thermal print head and causing the envelope to traverse the thermal print head during a print cycle of the thermal postage meter. The platen roller is unitary in material construction of cellular urethane. The platen roller has a first and second end section, each section having a conical configuration a surface taper angle of between -2.0.degree. degrees and -3.0.degree. degrees.