Abstract: In a machine including structure for feeding an unsealed envelope downstream in a path of travel, wherein the envelope has a body portion and a flap portion folded in overlying relationship with the body portion and has a free edge, there is provided apparatus for unfolding the flap portion of an envelope.

Abstract: A system for processing batch mail in which the need for on-site inspection is unnecessary. A mail sender purchases postage from a central station thereby authorizing him to send mail equal to the amount of postage purchased. The mail sender processes batches of mail each batch being accompanied by a statement summarizing the type and number of mail pieces sent and amount of postage for that batch. The statement contains data that allows mail payment verification.

Abstract: A system for accounting for postage expended by a postage meter. The system includes a keyboard and display for entry of commands and postal information, a printer, a memory for storing account records and program data, the memory further including a non-volatile memory for storing account records and other data, an interface to an electronic postage meter, and a processor including a CPU. The processor controls an electronic postage meter through the interface in accordance with the program data and entered postal information to set the meter and then responds to signals from the meter to update account records. The processor may also edit selected account records in accordance with entered information. In one disclosed embodiment the system responds to an operator request to print the account data base by repetitively scanning the account data base and sequentially printing accounts.

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 The reel rotates as tape is withdrawn therefrom.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 The tape passes over the surface of the roller as the tape is withdrawn.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.

Abstract: The motor controller system controls the respective motors of a plurality of cooperative apparatus associated with a article processing system, the article processing system for performing a plurality of functions upon an article traversing the article processing system and comprises a motor driver board having a plurality of input channels and a plurality of respective output channels. The motors are in line communication with a respective one of the output channels of the motor driver board. A programmable microprocessor is in bus communication with the driver board's input channels. A plurality of sensors are respectively mounted to each of the apparatus and in bus communication with the programmable microprocessor, the sensors being strategically located on the apparatus to provide such information to the microprocessor as article size, position and velocity information and to provide apparatus operation information.

Abstract: The modular mailing machine has a plurality of modules mounted in such a manner as to form a single process station. At the process station, a meter module is mounted in spaced relationship to a platen module. A tape module is mounted in the mailing machine; such the tape module tape track is supported in a generally cantilevered manner. A tape positioner selectively positions a support from a home position to second position longitudinally removed from the home position to cause the tape track to be located between the meter and platen modules. A tape feed selectively feeds one of a plurality of imprinting tapes to and through the tape track such that the fed imprinting tape resides within the tape track when the tape track is in the second position.

Abstract: A system for accounting for postage expended by a postage meter. The system includes a keyboard and display for entry of commands and postal information, a printer, a memory for storing account records and program data, the memory further including a non-volatile memory for storing account records and other data, an interface to an electronic postage meter, and a processor including a CPU. The processor controls an electronic postage meter through the interface in accordance with the program data and entered postal information to set the meter and then responds to signals from the meter to update account records. The processor may also edit selected account records in accordance with entered information. In one disclosed embodiment the system responds to an operator request to print the account data base by repetitively scanning the account data base and sequentially printing accounts.

Abstract: In a mail-handling machine for processing mixed mail, a flap-stripper for opening the flap of an unsealed envelope is mounted for rotation to intercept and detect a mis-sealed envelope to avoid jamming the machine.

Abstract: A mailing system for metering batches of mixed weight mail. The system includes a demand feed for singulating mailpieces, a weighing module for weighing the singulated mailpieces and determining the appropriate postage amount and a postage meter responsive to the weighing module for metering such singulated mailpieces with the appropriate postage amount. A transport system sequentially transports singulated mailpieces from the feeder to the weighing module when the postage meter is set then stops during the weighing period. The postage meter is set for the next sequential mailpiece only after weighing and metering are both completed. In another embodiment a mechanical buffer is provided between the weighing module and the meter to allow overlapping of weighing time with meter setting time.

Abstract: An envelope transport means for driving an envelope in an inserter machine is disclosed. The transport means includes a driven roller, an idler roller which moves into and out of engagement with the driven roller, and a clamp for holding the envelope against movement. An actuator causes engagement and disengagement of the rollers and clamping and unclamping of the clamp means. The actuator is movable between a transport position (rollers and clamp means unclamped) and an insert portion (rollers disengaged clamp means clamped).

Abstract: A postage meter includes a printwheel setting mechanism which allows shortest path setting of the printwheel. Stepper motors are provided for each printwheel which drives the printwheels through a transfer gear having a large diameter and greater number of teeth so that there are multiple positions of the transfer wheel which correspond to a particular character to be printed by the printwheel. The stepper motors are microprocessor controlled and a routine calculates the shortest rotational path of the setting of a new character for printing.

Abstract: In a mail handling machine, mail thickness measuring apparatus associated with a singulator mechanism for measuring mail thickness as soon as individual mail pieces are separated by the singulator from a stack of mail pieces.

Abstract: A moistening apparatus for moistening a form sheet. The apparatus includes a body having a trough in its top portion and a reservoir in its lower portion. A capillary tube connects the trough with the reservoir and a roller co-extensive with the trough, is mounted so that its lower portion is substantially surrounding by the trough. The apparatus is connected to a source of fluid by a gravity feed. The fluid level in the source varies between a predetermined upper and predetermined lower level such that at the lower level, fluid is always maintained in the reservoir, while at the upper level the fluid does not rise substantially above the bottom of the trough. Thus, a meniscus of fluid is maintained in the trough only by capillary action. As a form sheet moves transversely across the roller, the roller rotates through the meniscus of fluid and a sheet of fluid is transferred to the form sheet to moisten a previously applied remoistenable glue on the form sheet.

Abstract: A mailing machine base comprising: a housing including an upper wall and a depending skirt wall, the housing including at least one bracket spaced below the upper wall and apart from the skirt wall, a hollow container made of a resilient plastic material, the container having a side wall, and the container dimensioned to be removably mounted on the at least one bracket against the resilient force exerted by container's side wall on the housing's skirt wall.

Abstract: In apparatus for thermally transferring ink from a ribbon, having backing and ink donor layers, to a letter, wherein the apparatus includes a frame, a thermal printhead, structure for controlling the printhead, and a roller rotatably connected to the frame for rotation when in engagement with a letter fed between the roller and a ribbon, there is provided an improvement for urging a ribbon and letter into engagement with one another. The improvement includes the printhead controlling structure including structure for disposing the printhead in a non-printing position permitting a ribbon to be located between the printhead and roller and in a printing position wherein the printhead is in engagement with the backing layer of a ribbon, and the printhead controlling structure including structure for resiliently supporting the printhead to urge the ink donor layer of a ribbon into contact with a letter when the printhead is disposed in the printing position.

Abstract: An item bearing bit-mapped indicia with information encrypted by a public key 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 an array of pixels, each pixel having a value selected from a predetermined set of values in accordance with a mapping of an encrypted message on to the array. Thus, a person having knowledge of the appropriate decryption key may scan the indicia to obtain the message and verify the status by decrypting the message. In one embodiment disclosed, the item is a mail piece and the status is the payment of postage. The indicia may have the form of a binary matrix transformed by matrix multiplication by a corresponding Hadamard matrix and the encrypted message may be encrypted using a public key encryption system.

Abstract: A communication system for processing information for distribution, including: a central data station, a plurality of user stations, a communication link interconnecting the user stations with the central data station, each the user stations including means for accessing the central station, the central station including a data base of usage information and billing data, the central station including means for accessing the user station usage data base, the central data station including means responsive to the user usage pattern for calculating a billing data means for transmitting the billing data to the station, the billing data including a billing plan based upon the usage information of the user and the projected usage calculated from the central station data base in accordance with the user data base.

Abstract: A system for processing batch mail in which the need for on-site inspection is unnecessary. The mail sender purchases postage from a central station thereby authorizing him to send mail equal to the amount of postage purchased. The mail sender processes batches of mail each of which is accompanied by a statement summarizing the type and number of mail pieces sent and amount of postage for each batch. The statement contains data that allows mail payment verification.

Abstract: A communication network comprised of a first, second and third controller node. Each of the controller nodes includes a microprocessor for generating and receiving data messages. The first nodes has a transmit pin in line communication with the receive pin of the second nodes and has a receive pin in line communication with the transmit pin of the second node. The third controller receive pin is in line communication with the transmit pin of the first node and its transmit pin is in line communication with the receive pin of the first node. The microprocessors are programmed to respond to and generate suitable formatted data message bytes. The microprocessors are further programmable to respond only to a unique address-command data message byte from the message source node. The microprocessor will then issue a reply message byte to the destination node. The transmitting node will then send a data message. Where the receiving node is the third node, a data message from the third node must then follow.