Abstract: A nudger including apparatus for applying a feed force to a lead mailpiece of the stack of mixed mail to feed the lead mailpiece of the stack along a mailpiece feed path, the applying apparatus being moveable between first and second positions; structure for biasing the applying apparatus against a face of the lead mailpiece thereby generating a stack force against a stack of mixed mail; and a stack advance mechanism for moving the stack of mixed mail so that the face of the lead mailpiece contacts the applying apparatus; wherein at times when the applying apparatus is in the first position the stack advance mechanism moves the stack of mixed mail in the direction of the applying apparatus causing the applying apparatus to move from the first position to the second position against the biasing structure such that the stack force increases causing a corresponding increase in the feed force; and further wherein at times when the applying apparatus is in the second position the stack advance mechanism stops movi

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking mailpieces received from a mail processing machine includes a deck; a sloped wall extending from the deck; a plurality of continuous belts each extending along the deck in a first direction and positioned at substantially equal intervals along a second direction of the deck, each of the plurality of continuous belts having a top surface which extends above the deck and which contacts the mailpieces received from the mail processing machine; structure for driving the plurality of belts in the first direction to move the received mailpieces along the sloped wall in a shingled configuration; a registration wall disposed on the deck to define a landing area on the deck for the received mailpieces, the registration wall being mounted for slideable movement along the deck in the second direction to change a size of the landing area to accommodate the receiving of different sized mailpieces from the mail processing machine; and structure, connected to the registration wall and the plurality

Abstract: A postage metering system includes a keyboard; a display; a device for receiving an external smart card; a print module for printing a postal indicia; an accounting module for accounting for the value of each postal indicia printed; a microprocessor including a clock chip which generates pulses on a periodic basis, at least one register having contents which are indicative of a real time, first structure for automatically updating the contents of the register based on the number of clock pulses generated, second structure for permitting resetting of the contents of the register by a user via the keyboard to indicate a new real time, third structure for detecting whether the external smart card has been inserted in the receiving means, for determining whether the inserted external smart card is a real time clock security card, and for inhibiting operation of the second structure such that a user cannot reset the contents of the register to be indicative of the new real time unless the third structure determine

Abstract: A document registration apparatus for use with a conveying device for transporting a document along a path from an upstream position to a downstream position through a document registration position, the document registration apparatus including an urge roller positioned adjacent to the path, the urge roller being moveable between a first urge roller position contacting the document and a second urge roller position out of contact with the document; apparatus for biasing the urge roller toward the conveying device; and a registration stop positioned adjacent to the urge roller and the path, the registration stop being moveable between a first registration stop position where the registration stop blocks transport of the document along the path and a second registration stop position away from the path where the registration stop does not block transport of the document along the path; wherein at times when the urge roller is in the first urge roller position and the registration stop is in the first registrat

Abstract: A method for ensuring for each postage transaction in a postage meter having a vault subsystem and a printing subsystem that debiting occurs prior to printing of a postal indicia includes authenticating the postage transaction as being valid, performing debiting within the vault subsytem, sending an encrypted debit certificate from the vault subsystem to the printing subsytem, independently recreating the encrypted debit certificate in the printing subsystem, comparing the encrypted debit certificate to the recreated encrypted debit certificate to ascertain if a predetermined relationship exists therebetween, and initiating printing of the postal indicia only upon determination of the existence of the predetermined relationship. An apparatus incorporates the method.

Abstract: A vending machine system for printing postage stamps, the vending machine system includes an enclosed housing having a front panel with an aperture therein; a camera, mounted in the housing, for receiving through the aperture an image of at least one person and for creating an electronic image of the at least one person based on the received image of the at least one person; a printer; a payment receiving device for accepting payment and for providing a payment signal indicative that payment has been made; a computer including a memory, the computer 1) causing the camera to create the electronic image of the at least one person upon receipt of the payment signal, 2) saving the electronic image of the at least one person in the memory, and 3) utilizing the electronic image of the at least one person for controlling the printer to print a first personalized postage stamp on a recording medium, the first personalized postage stamp including predetermined data required by a postal authority and a picture of the a

Abstract: A postage metering apparatus including a postage meter having a housing, a printing device disposed in the housing, an aperture in the housing exposing the printing device, a shutter bar mounted to the postage meter housing for movement from a closed position in which the shutter bar is disposed to cover the aperture and an open position in which the shutter bar is disposed away from the aperture, the shutter bar preventing access to the printing device through the aperture when the shutter bar is in the closed position and permitting access to the printing device when the shutter bar is in the open position; a base into which the postage meter is removeably inserted, the base including engaging structure for engaging the shutter bar; and driving structure for driving the engaging structure to move the cover between the closed and open positions, the driving structure including a motor, a drive shaft coupled to and driven into rotation by the motor and having a worm gear at one end thereof, a first pinion gea

Abstract: A mailing system includes a mailing machine having a printing mechanism for printing an indication of postage value on a mailpiece and structure for controlling relative movement between the printing mechanism and the mailpiece to ensure the mailpiece is properly positioned relative to the printing mechanism during printing of the indication of postage value; a meter vault having a securely sealed housing, and apparatus, within the securely sealed housing, for accounting for the printed indication of postage value, wherein the meter vault is removably mounted in the mailing machine for easy removal via a plug-in connector; and a printing mechanism control module for securely controlling printing by the printing mechanism based on data received from the meter vault, the printing mechanism control module being removably mounted in the mailing machine for easy removal via a quick disconnect connector; wherein the meter vault and the printing mechanism control module are in electrical communication via the mailin

Abstract: A postage meter includes a printhead for printing an indicia; a device for determining a total amount of ink consumed by the postage meter and for ascertaining when the total amount of ink consumed by the postage meter has exceeded a predetermined amount; and a controller having first structure for automatically performing maintenance on the printhead on a recurring basis in accordance with a normal maintenance program, and second structure, operative at times when the first structure determines that the total amount of ink consumed by the postage meter has exceeded the predetermined amount, for performing maintenance on the printhead in accordance with an ink conservation maintenance program instead of the normal maintenance program to reduce the quantity of ink consumed during maintenance of the printhead.

Abstract: A postage meter for printing an indicia image on a print surface of a mailpiece includes a print head having a plurality of nozzles through which ink is ejected to print the indicia image on the print surface during relative movement between the print head and the mailpiece; a registration plate having a registration surface against which the mailpiece is registered to define an operative gap between the nozzles and the print surface, the registration plate having an opening therein to expose the print surface to the nozzles to permit printing of the indicia image on the print surface; and a stop mechanism connected to the print head so that at times when the print surface of the mailpiece extends through the opening the stop mechanism prevents contact between the print surface and the nozzles during printing of the indicia image.

Abstract: A method for remotely removing funds from a postage meter includes the steps of establishing communication between the postage meter and a remotely located data center; sending current postage meter accounting register readings to the data center; validating at the data center the current postage meter accounting register readings; sending, from the data center to the postage meter, an instruction to debit the postage meter accounting registers by a predetermined amount without the postage meter dispensing an indication of value; effecting a funds refill process within the postage meter whereby remote refill keys within the postage meter are diversified.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is disclosed which has various operating components, and which includes a single sensing means for sensing certain operational characteristics of the operating components to monitor the operational status thereof for the purpose of either providing an operator perceptible indication that a certain operational characteristic of one of the operating components is not in a condition for normal operation of the printing apparatus.

Abstract: A moistening apparatus includes a moistening fluid supply means. A moistening means is connected to the moistening fluid supply means for applying the moistening fluid onto the glue line of an envelope flap or onto the glue area of a postage meter or parcel register tape. Excess moistening fluid collection means are positioned with respect to the moistening means such that excess moistening fluid collects in the excess moistening fluid collection means. The collected excess moistening fluid from the excess moistening fluid collection means is moved to the moistening fluid supply means. This recirculates excess moistening fluid back to the moistening fluid supply means.

Abstract: A method includes printing a dot-matrix pattern of a first one of an image on a recording medium; and printing a dot matrix pattern of a second one of the image on the recording medium which second one of the image is interlaced with the first one of the image such that a combination of the dot-matrix patterns of the first and second ones of the image result in a combined dot-matrix pattern of the image having a dot density which is greater than an individual dot density of the dot-matrix patterns of the first and second ones of the image.

Abstract: A postage metering capability is integrated in an automated teller machine. With minimal modification and using several components of the ATM to perform functions useful in dispensing of postage, the secured environment of an ATM is used to implement numerous postage metering functions. When used with a smart card, postage value is accounted for without reference to an internal vault of the apparatus or to a postal facility, by using a vault of the smart card. The smart card may be used to dispense postage by accessing a customer's postage account at a remote center to set into the internal vault a value to be dispensed, with communication secured in accordance with information provided by the smart card. Using such information, the customer's postage account may also be accessed to recharge the vault of the smart card, rather than the internal vault. Additionally, postage may be dispensed in accordance with value inputted directly by a customer, using cash, credit-, debit-, or money-cards.

Abstract: A mailing machine is disclosed in which a digital printing device, preferably of the ink jet type, is mounted for movement between one of two printing positions, in one of which the printing device will print a postage indicia direction on envelopes being fed through the mailing machine, and in the other of which the printing device prints the postage indicia on a strip of tape which is extracted from the mailing machine and affixed to an envelope which is incapable of being fed through the mailing machine. There is also a third position for the printing device which is a maintenance position to which the printing device is moved after each or some other predetermined number of printing cycles for the purpose of cleaning the ink ejecting portion of the printing device and/or maintaining a suitable high ink solvent vapor atmosphere adjacent to the ink ejecting portion of the printing device.

Abstract: A method for controlling energizing of an ink jet printhead includes the steps of generating encoder pulses to a motor to activate the motor to move the printhead at a desired speed over a recording medium; generating and sending fire pulses at a fire pulse frequency from an ASIC to an ink jet printhead driver chip to selectively energize ink jet printhead nozzles to eject drops of ink onto the recording medium based on a predetermine relationship between an expected encoder pulse frequency and the fire pulse frequency; compensating for variations in the speed of the ink jet printhead movement caused by variations in the encoder pulse frequency by using the ASIC for continuously comparing the encoder pulse frequency to the fire pulse frequency and for adjusting the fire pulse frequency based upon the variations to the encoder pulse frequency to maintain the predetermined relationship thereby synchronizing the ink jet printhead movement with the energizing of the printhead nozzles.

Abstract: A sealing device, for use in a mailing machine having a moistener for applying moistening fluid to flaps of envelopes being transported through the mailing machine, includes a first device, having a first surface, for applying pressure to a moistened envelope flap via the first surface; and a second device, having a second surface opposite the first surface, for applying pressure to the moistened envelope flap via the second surface. The first and second surfaces operatively cooperate together to apply pressure to and seal the moistened envelope flap. Furthermore, in the inventive device, moistening fluid is transferred on to the first surface from the moistened flap during sealing of the moistened flap by the first and second surfaces, and the first and second surfaces are aligned relative to each other such that at times when the moistened envelope is transported away from the sealing device moistening fluid is not transferred from the first surface to the second surface.

Abstract: A method for initializing a value metering device includes delivering the value metering device to a user. The user establishes communications between the user and a remote data center. The user communicates to the data center identifying data associated with the user ordering the value metering device. The user communicates to the data center user account identifying data. The data center verifies the order identifying data and the account identifying data as being valid. The data center upon determining that the order identifying data and the account identifying data are valid, communicates enabling data indicative of the physical location of the value metering device for enabling the value metering device to operate.