Abstract: A folder inserter machine includes a device for monitoring the passage of stationery items between a pair of feed rollers (32, 38). A first signal is output if a single item is between the rollers and a second signal is output if more than one item is between the rollers. in the illustrated embodiment the first signal indicates to the folder inserter control that the machine is ready to accept a second insert and the second signal indicates that a multiple feed has occurred and flags a warning to the operator.
Abstract: An electronic postal scale measures the weight of an item in metric or in avoirdupois units, at the user's election. The scale also calculates a postal or shipping rate for the item, in accordance with a stored rate table defined in either metric or avoirdupois units. When the user selects a class of service, the scale determines whether there is a stored rate table for that class in the currently elected weight units. If not, the scale automatically changes to the other weight units and calculates a rate according to a stored table in those other units.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 16, 1990
Date of Patent:
June 18, 1991
Assignee:
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Inventors:
Terry E. Raikes, William L. Kramer, John B. Howard, Wayne D. Moore, Louis Jackson, Jeffrey D. Kotecki
Abstract: A print drum for a postage meter has a drum structure provided with a plurality of recesses in its periphery. One of these recesses accommodates a print wheel assembly and at least some of the other recesses are provided with axially extending means whereby imprinting dies can be slid in and out. The movement in and out of the recesses is in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the print drum.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 10, 1986
Date of Patent:
June 18, 1991
Assignee:
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Inventors:
Raymond L. Bannister, Frederick C. Close, Peter J. Loeber
Abstract: An item bearing an indicia which verifies a status of the item and a method and apparatus for applying such indicia. The indicia represents an encrypted message and has the form of a number n base N number system represented by characters selected from an unambiguous machine-readable character set having n characters. The characters consist of connected graphs drawn on a predetermined grid and meeting certain selected requirements. A set of descripters is selected, including a number of type 1 and type 3 points in a character and a subset of characters is selected from the set of all possible characters meeting the requirements so that each character is unambiguously described in terms of the selected descripters. In one embodiment disclosed the item is a mail piece and the status is the payment of postage.
Abstract: A frequency-swept electromagnetic field is generated in an interrogation zone and signals received from the interrogation zone are processed to detect the presence of a marker with a resonant tank circuit in the zone. Detection is achieved by the use of averaging techniques of a plurality of sweeps wherein peaks above a defined level are stored in a persistence table. A symmetry test is made on the peaks and if the peaks are persistence and symmetrical the presence of a marker is indicated since background noise will not exhibit persistence and symmetry.
Abstract: Moisture applying apparatus comprising: a piece-part made of a resilient plastic material, the piece-part including a generally rectangularly-shaped portion having a longitudinally-extending side edge; the piece-part including at least one elongate upper hinge segment transversely-extending from said side edge, said at least one upper hinge segment including a first lower longitudinally-extending surface which is convexly-shaped in transverse cross-section and transversely extends from said side edge, said at least one upper hinge segment including a second lower longitudinally-extending surface which is inclined upwardly in transverse cross-section and transversely extends from said first lower surface; and said piece-part including at least one elongate lower hinge segment transversely-extending from said side edge, and said at least one lower hinge segment including an upper longitudinally-extending surface which is concavely-shaped in transverse cross-section and transversely extends from said side edge.
Abstract: A module for transporting, aligning, diverting and stacking a plurality of envelopes. The module includes: a housing frame; a registration wall secured to the housing frame; a fixed transport panel secured to the housing frame; a pivotable, envelope diverting transport panel situated upstream and adjacent the fixed transparent panel; a device for pivoting the pivotable panel between a horizontal plane and an acute angle with the horizontal plane; a stacking chamber secured to the housing frame situated beneath the fixed transport panel; and a roller assembly secured to the housing frame for transporting the envelopes in a downstream direction and for aligning the envelopes against the registration wall.
Abstract: A moistening arrangement for moistening the flap of an envelope includes a moistening device for moistening the flap of the envelope, a source of first signals that are a function of the width of the flap, a motor coupled to provide relative movement between the nozzle and the flap, and a control arrangement responsive to the first signals for controlling the motor to vary the relative positions of the flap and nozzle in a direction for moistening the flap at determined positions thereof. The control arrangement comprises an arrangement responsive to the signals for determining the rate of change of the first signals, an arrangement responsive to the rate of change below a determined rate of change for controlling the motor to move in a servo mode, and an arrangement responsive to the rate of change above the determined rate of change for controlling the motor to move in a torque mode.
Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining that a first unit of data associated with a first party has not been modified since a specified point in time. A method includes the steps of (a) providing the first unit of data and (b) generating a second unit of data from the first unit of data, the second unit of data being expressive of an information content of the first unit of data. The method further includes a step of (c) generating a time indication for specifying a point in time, the time indication being generated with time generation means having a time is settable by a second party other than the first party. That is, the time generation means is secured and cannot be altered or changed by the first party. The method further includes a step of (d) encrypting the second unit of data and the generated time indication to generate a third unit of data.
Abstract: An electronic postage meter has two non-volatile memories for storing postage meter accounting data under control of a CPU operating under a program in ROM. An accounting data recovery routine is stored in ROM. Prior to updating critical information in the non-valatile memories, a recovery address which calls the recovery program is stored in NVM and cleared after a successful update. At each power-up of the meter, the non-volatile memory is checked to see if the address is present and if it is, the accounting data is done again from the start of the accounting cycle.
Abstract: An incremental position encoder and method are disclosed herein for a close loop position control system, for example, for positioning a printing device in an electronic postage meter. The incremental position encoder and method includes three channels, first and second of which provide signals for coarse position determination and first or second and third of which provide signals for fine position determination.
Abstract: A postage meter module includes die protector blades to prevent fraudulent taking of postage meter imprints. A first plurality of die protectors are retracted to expose the adjacent printwheels when the meter makes a check on its internal condition. The remainder of the die protectors are retracted under different conditions while the first are still retracted in order to enable an imprint to be taken. Preferably the remainder of the die protectors are retracted only for a predetermined interval after a print signal has been received. The die protectors also serve to align the printwheels when the protectors are retracted.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 15, 1989
Date of Patent:
June 4, 1991
Assignee:
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Inventors:
Gilbert N. Riley, Richard S. Holodnak, Richard A. Malin
Abstract: A system for certifying correctly accounted postage payment, the system includes an input for entering transactional mail run data and a data processor coupled to the input. Documents to be certified are fed along a document feed path, and certain parameters for the documents are determined. A printer under the control of the data processor, then places a certification imprint upon the documents after necessary accounting is done.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 16, 1988
Date of Patent:
May 28, 1991
Assignee:
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Inventors:
Ronald P. Sansone, Raymond Keating, Joseph W. Wall, Robert T. Durst, Jr.
Abstract: A ferromagnetic marker for an electronic surveillance system is magnetically biased so that the magnetic fields of two different regions thereof extend in different direction, e.g. in opposite directions.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 16, 1990
Date of Patent:
May 21, 1991
Assignee:
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Inventors:
Robert A. Cordery, William L. Kilmartin, Claude Zeller
Abstract: A tape cutter for cutting postage imprinted tape is disclosed. The tape cutter includes a cutting wheel which is moved by a motor from one side of the tape across the tape to the other side of the tape to cut it. The motor moves the cutting wheel across the tape in a given direction regardless of the direction of rotation of the motor shaft.
Abstract: Amorphous ferromagnetic alloys having a niobium content in the range of 2.5 to 15 atomic percent have been conceived. These alloys are obtained directly in the amorphous state or as a mixture of amorphous and crystalline places. These alloys have superior properties relative to prior known amorphous and some amorphous alloys. The amorphous ferromagnetic alloys of this invention are readily produced by rapid solidification techniques with no need for subsequent treatment.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 29, 1989
Date of Patent:
May 14, 1991
Assignee:
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Inventors:
John O. Strom-Olsen, Piotr Z. Rudkowski
Abstract: Nickel rich amorphous ferromagnetic alloys having a nickel content in the range of 35 to 55 atomic percent have been conceived. These alloys are in the amorphous state and exhibit high permeability relative to prior known amorphous ferromagnetic alloys. These nickel rich alloys can be produced by rapid solidification techniques without the need of subsequent heat treating.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 29, 1989
Date of Patent:
May 14, 1991
Assignee:
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Inventors:
John O. Strom-Olsen, Piotr Z. Rudkowski
Abstract: A mailing machine comprised of a plurality of modules, each of the modules a particular process function on a delivered envelope. The modules are arranged with in a single process station. The comprising modules include a scale module having means for weighing a envelope, a transport module having means for positioning the envelope in the process station and ejecting the envelope from the process station, a meter module having printing means for imprinting an indicia on the envelope, a platen module having means for causing the envelope to contact the printing means of the meter module, and a inking module having means for causing printing ink to be deposited on the printing means of the meter module. The modules operate in a manner functionally independent of any other module and in a manner. A tape module is included having means for positioning a tape for indicia printing between the meter module.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 15, 1989
Date of Patent:
May 14, 1991
Assignee:
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Inventors:
Donald T. Dolan, Robert T. Durst, Jr., David W. Hubbard, Morton Silverberg
Abstract: A jam clearance device is incorporated in a sheetfeeding device. The sheetfeeding device includes a deck and registration wall set at a right angle to the deck. A plurality of drive rollers are rotatively mounted within the sheetfeeding device such that a portion of the drive rollers extend through respective slots in the deck slightly above the transport surface of the deck. The jam clearance device includes a support frame fixably mounted to the sheetfeeding device. A plurality of biasing wheels are rotatively mounted to the support frame such that the biasing wheels are biased in a home position against a respective one of the drive wheels and are positionable to a second position vertically displaced from the respective drive wheel. A handle is provided for positioning the biasing wheels in the home position or the second position.
Abstract: An electronic postage meter has two non-volatile memory devices, each of a different technology, CMOS battery-backed RAM and E.sup.2 PROM. The E.sup.2 PROM technology allows a limited number of rewrites. In order to provide real-time accounting in such a non-volatile memory over the life of the meter, a trip data counter is stored in a circular data store in addition to a separate account of other postage accounting data, including printwheel setting information. The trip data counter is used for calculations of postage meter register data. The separate account is updated at predetermined intervals using the trip counter data if necessary for data recovery.