Abstract: A moistening system suitable for mail handling systems comprises a moistening member mounted vertically on a water reservoir from which it is fed with water and on which it has a projecting part. The reservoir is mounted with the moistening member below the path, the length of the reservoir substantially corresponding to the width of the path. The reservoir is divided along its length into independent individual departments into which the moistening member dips.

Abstract: Device for unjamming mail items retained in the transportation path of a mail handling machine, the mail items being transported by several series of drive rollers distributed all along this transportation path and at least two series of rollers (12, 14) of which are placed, with respect to the direction of advance of the mail items, respectively upstream and downstream of means (16) for printing the postal imprint. This device comprises manual control means in order, in a first position, to partly clear the transportation path for the mail items by simultaneously lowering the upstream and downstream drive rollers, and in order, in a second position, to completely clear the transportation path for the mail items by completely withdrawing all of the drive rollers.

Abstract: The inverter makes it possible to use a very simple conveyor for coupling the outlet of a printer in a word processor system to the inlet of a folder-inserter, even though the printer outputs printed pages in an order that is unsuitable for direct insertion into envelopes. The inverter includes a read/write memory in which the sequence of binary words representing the text of a letter is stored as it is output by the word processor system, with the address of the beginning of each page of text being identified. These binary words are played back, page by page, with the pages being played back in inverted order of text pages, but with the characters making up the pages being played back within each page in their initial order. The invention is applicable to folder-inserters for preparing mail.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for moistening labels, each of which has a face that is pre-gummed, which device enables the gummed face of each of the labels to be moistened uniformly. The device comprises a moistening element constituted by a rigid bar whose top portion comes into contact with the gummed face of each of the labels and is provided with capillary action slots passing through said bar in the advance direction of the labels, slanting relative to said advance direction, and having respective bottoms immersed in a moistening liquid that is maintained at a constant level.

Abstract: A secure digital print module designed to be mounted on the base of a postage meter for the purpose of printing a postage imprint, the print module containing at least one standard ink cartridge for ink-jet printing, which cartridge is provided with electrical contacts, said print module having a rigid cartridge support for receiving said at least one standard ink cartridge, a protective casing entirely encasing said at least one standard ink cartridge and fixed indissociably to said rigid cartridge support, and a flexible link support provided with electronic integrated circuits and with a plurality of series of electrical contacts for connecting the integrated circuits respectively to the standard ink cartridge and to said postage meter base so as to enable said standard ink cartridge to be controlled directly from the base of the postage meter. Preferably, the cartridge support can receive two standard ink cartridges.

Abstract: A device for offsetting a postage imprint in a mail-handling machine, the device comprising detection means for detecting an edge of a mail item, print means for printing a postage imprint on the mail item, and monitoring and control means connected firstly to said detection means and secondly to said print means so as to control printing of said postage imprint on said mail item as a function of a predetermined standard offset &Dgr;0 on the basis of the detection of said edge of the mail item, the detection means for detecting an edge of the mail item comprising means for retarding the detection of the edge of the mail item as a function of the thickness of the mail item, which thickness is determined using said detection means for detecting an edge of a mail item.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a folding and/or inserting machine comprising a first path coupled upstream to a document entry and downstream to a first entry of a folding module, a second path coupled upstream to an empty envelope entry and downstream to a first entry of an insertion module itself coupled downstream of an exit of the folding module, a third path coupled upstream to an exit of the insertion module and downstream to a filled and closed envelope exit, and a fourth path coupled upstream to a first advertizing insert or reply envelope entry and downstream to a second entry of the insertion module, and a fifth path coupled upstream to a second advertizing insert or reply envelope entry downstream to the second entry of the insertion module, the routing of the advertizing inserts or the reply envelopes along the fourth and fifth paths between the advertizing insert or reply envelope entries and the second entry of the insertion module being effected through the folding module without passage thro

Abstract: A feed device for feeding a document folding and/or inserting machine with envelopes delivered by a general-purpose printer, said feed device comprising detection means for detecting the position of the envelope at the outlet of the printer and reorientation means for reorienting the envelope as a function of its position as determined by said detection means so as to enable documents to be inserted into the envelope. The detection means advantageously comprise a detector for detecting an edge of the envelope, and the reorientation means advantageously comprise a turntable.

Abstract: A mail item feed device adapted to be mounted on the upstream side of a franking machine and including in succession along a mail item transport path, a first or mail item feed area for receiving a stack of mail items, a second or mail item selection and transport area including a selector and transport module for separating the items one by one from the stack, and possibly a third or mail item closing area including a closing module for closing the mail items, the selector and transport module including independent selector means including selector rollers for separating the mail items one by one from the feed area and transport means including at least one set of transport rollers co-operating with the conveyor means in the selection and transport area to transport the mail items separated in this way towards an area farther downstream, and manual release means additionally being provided for raising the selector rollers if the mail items have a thickness greater than a predetermined thickness.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead for a franking machine for printing a postage imprint on an item to be franked, which item is displaced relative to the head in a movement direction, said printhead including: a plurality of nozzles disposed in two rows extending transversely to the direction of movement and mounted in respective modules which are mutually offset transversely and lengthwise relative to the direction of movement and which are spaced apart from each other by a distance D in said direction; a first mechanism for moving one module in a direction transverse to the movement direction; and a second mechanism for moving the other module through an angle relative to the direction transverse to the movement direction, which angle is determined so that during printing one end nozzle of one row coincides with one end nozzle of the other row.

Abstract: In a print head of a postage meter of the type having a rotary drum, said print head being provided with a set of engraved printing surfaces, which set has at least first print wheels for printing a postage value and second print wheels for printing a current date, and said postage meter including an inking support on which an inking roller is mounted for the purpose of inking the print head, firstly the inking roller is replaced with the cleaning roller, then the motor of the print head is actuated for a determined duration, and, at the end of said determined duration, the inking roller is put back into place after the cleaning roller has been removed. The invention also relates to a a corresponding cleaning system, and to a postage meter incorporating such a system.

Abstract: A folder and/or inserter machine of the type comprising a first path coupled to a document inlet and feeding a folder module, a second path coupled to an empty-envelope inlet and feeding an inserter module itself coupled to the folder module, a third path coupled to an outlet for stuffed and closed envelope and to the inserter module, and a fourth path coupled to an advertising leaflet and/or reply envelope inlet and feeding the inserter module via the folder module, an envelope and document main inlet further being coupled via a switching module firstly to the first document path and secondly to an alternative empty-envelope path.

Abstract: A mail item feed device having a first or mail item feed area, a second or selector area and a third or conveyor area and including a first plurality of sensors for identifying the various formats of the mail items present in said first area, a second plurality of sensors for detecting the passage of the mail items in said second and third areas, and a plurality of drive means for co-operating with the transport rollers of the first, second and third areas and actuated selectively in a predetermined sequence defined by control means in accordance with the state of each of the first and second plurality of sensors.

Abstract: A mail processing machine including a base, a mail item feed station and a station for storing said items after processing in the base, said base including a printhead adapted to print postage imprints on mail items from a magazine of the feed station and conveyor rollers for transporting said items along a transport path of said base to a magazine of the storage station, control means, display means and processing means being additionally provided for controlling said machine, and the transport path of the base of the machine is inclined at a particular angle to the horizontal, in the range a few degrees, preferably 10.degree., to a few tens of degrees, preferably 30.degree..

Abstract: An ink reservoir for feeding a print module of a print head of a postage meter, the reservoir being integrated in said print head and including intermediate storage means for containing a determined main volume of ink having a central zone of symmetry S, means for bringing the ink to the intermediate storage means from an ink supply situated in a base of the postage meter, and suction means for taking ink from the intermediate storage means and feeding it to the print module, wherein the reservoir further comprises means for defining a free surface of the ink at a distance from said zone of symmetry, and wherein the suction means penetrates into the intermediate storage means in the vicinity of said central zone of symmetry in such a manner that the suction means remains continuously immersed in the volume of ink whatever the inclination of the reservoir.

Abstract: A device for capping at least one ejection nozzle of a removable ink jet print head of a postage meter, the device including protection means for protecting the ink contained in the nozzle against drying out, the device protection means being mounted on support means capable of moving between a first position in which the protection means are retracted inside the print head and a second position in which the protection means cover the ejection nozzle(s) completely, said displacement being performed automatically while said head is being extracted from a base of a postage meter in which it is incorporated.The support means are U-shaped, having two parallel arms interconnected at one end by a link element receiving said protection means, and wherein they are capable of pivoting about a common axis secured to a frame of the device.

Abstract: A document guiding device for an automatic document feeder for a folding and/or inserting machine, the feeder being of the type including a feeder body support plate extending over a sheet inlet chute, at least two loading trays capable of cooperating with said inlet chute in various modes of operation, at least one of the trays including a tilting base capped by a die, constituted by a lip covered in a rough coating and capable of occupying either a closed position for automatic insertion of documents, or an open position for manual insertion, the device including first deflector means disposed upstream from a document feed roller, cooperating selectively with the tilting base so as to orientate each inserted document directly towards the inlet chute to eliminate any points where the lower edge of the document might catch on the roller, or on the feeder body.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning the outer surfaces of a row of ejection nozzles integrated in at least one print module of an ink-jet print head of a postage meter having a base including a cleaning member for wiping the ink ejection surfaces, the cleaning member being mounted on a support member which is movable, by actuating a drive member which is linked to a connecting-rod and crank system, between a first position in which the cleaning member is remote from the print module and a second position in which the cleaning member has wiped the outer surfaces of the ejection nozzles. The cleaning member is mounted on one end of a sweeping hinged lever and include a compensating support member, having respective springs, each carrying a set of independent wiping brushes, in order to transform the initial circular movement of the support member into a rectilinear movement of the brushes in contact with the ejection surfaces of the print module.

Abstract: A drive device for driving items of mail along a conveyor path of a postage meter base, the device being disposed upstream from a print mechanism and including first and second motorized feed rollers cooperating with associated moving backing-rollers mounted on hinged means which can pivot about a common hinge axis against return springs fixed to support means, at least one of the backing-rollers comprising a middle backing-wheel mounted on a lever hinged about the common axis and disposed between twin outer backing-wheels each mounted on a respective lever also hinged about a common axis, such that mail items inserted on the conveyor path come into contact with one only of the outer backing-wheels and the middle backing-wheel, or else with all three backing-wheels, depending respectively on whether or not the items are thinner or thicker than a predetermined thickness.

Abstract: The feed system is constituted by an ink reservoir and a peristaltic pump. The reservoir has a wall defining a chamber for containing ink and a flexible hose communicating between the inside and the outside of the chamber. The flexible hose has a portion of its length placed outside the chamber against the wall, serving as the suction duct for the peristaltic pump, and constituting a product that is discardable after the ink in the reservoir has been consumed.