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 invention relates to a device for moistening labels that have one face coated with adhesive, the device serving to moisten the adhesive-coated face of the labels in uniform manner. The device includes a moistening element constituted by a rigid bar whose top portion is in contact with the adhesive-coated face of the labels and which is split by capillarity slits extending in the running direction of the labels over the bar and whose respective bottoms are immersed in a moistening liquid maintained at constant depth.

Abstract: A print block cassette for franking machine print drums comprises a support having a block support side, longitudinal guide and support members perpendicular to the block support side and engaged in bosses on the support and a plurality of separate print blocks each mounted interchangeably on at least one longitudinal guide and support member.

Abstract: A control device for on the fly printing machines, especially machines for franking envelopes, comprises a printing device comprising a rotary print head actuated by a first motor and carrying on a portion of its surface a printing active part. A conveyor device for conveying the envelopes is actuated by a second motor and feeds the envelopes into contact with the printing device at a given conveyor speed and evacuates franked envelopes. The rotation speed of the first motor is optimized so that the tangential speed of the print head is held equal to the conveyor speed during a printing phase corresponding to the period during which an envelope is in contact with the active printing part and as close as possible to the conveyor speed during a complementary catch-up phase. The conveyor speed is optimized so that the conveyor speed is as low as possible whilst preventing overlapping of envelopes arriving on the conveyor device.

Abstract: The postage meter has a removable head on a base and includes a sheath carrying a print drum in the head. The sheath is rotatably mounted in the head. The bore in the sheath is accessible from a far side of the head. The meter further includes a spindle which is rotatably mounted in the base and which is coupled to an internal drive mechanism for driving the platen in the base, and whose "near" end portion receives the sheath when the head is installed on the base, for the purpose of driving the sheath and thus the drum from the base.

Abstract: Device for adjusting print wheels of a franking machine print head where said print head is removable from a base unit and comprises a print drum incorporating said print wheels and carried at a forward end of a sleeve having its rear end projecting from the rear of the print head. The base unit has a location at the front for the print head and comprises a drive mechanism, control circuits connected to the drive mechanism and a rotating shaft coupled to the drive mechanism and partially projecting into the location for the print head to receive the sleeve on it and to drive the print drum. The device comprises a drive system comprising at least one drive motor and at least one driving gear coupled to the control circuit. Driven gears are each coupled to a different print wheel mounted with it in the print head. Sliding rods with front and rear racks thereon are mounted in the print head with the front rack of each rod meshing with one of the driven gears to impart thereto movement from the drive system.

Abstract: First and second drive rollers and a slideway feed in an envelope to be opened. A third drive roller drives the body of the envelope in a direction parallel to the fold connecting the flap to the body of the envelope, the drive roller rolling over the face opposite from the face against which the flap of the envelopes folded down, without rolling over the region close to the fold. A counter roller situated facing the drive roller, rolls over the face against which the flap is folded down, without rolling over the flap. An idler wheel situated facing the drive roller has a rim which rolls over the flap close to the fold connecting the flap to the body of the envelope, and which penetrates into the cylindrical volume defined by the straight generator lines of the third drive roller, so as to arch the body about an axis approximately parallel to the fold. A freely rotatable cone moves the flap and the body apart by being inserted into the space created by the arching.

Abstract: A postage meter has a removable franking head and a stationary base on which said head is mounted at a defined location, with locking means coupled to an external control for locking the head in place on the base. The meter also has two complementary connector portions for electrically interconnecting the head and the base by one of said connector portions plugging into the other. One of said first and second connector portions is movably mounted to move between an unplugged first position and a plugged second position in which the connector portions are plugged together, and is connected to actuator means for ensuring that the connector portion is in said unplugged first position while said head is being installed on the base.

Abstract: A letter scale is adapted to be connected to a postal charge calculator unit and a printhead of a franking machine. It includes a horizontal plate adapted to receive a letter to be weighed and to move vertically due to the weight of the letter. A coding arm is mechanically coupled to the plate so as to move with it. This arm carries coding elements and fixed sensors face towards the arm to sense these coding elements as they move relative to the sensors due to movement of the arm. A processor unit connected to the sensors produces a measurement signal indicating one of a series of predetermined weight range within which the weight of the letter in question lies. A partly closed, flat, vertical casing houses at least the coding arm and the sensors. There is a vertical slot in an upper surface of the casing into which a letter is inserted to weigh it. The horizontal plate forms the bottom of this vertical slot. The letter scale constitutes a module connected and partly integrated into the franking machine.

Abstract: A device for holding flat objects comprises a motor on the output shaft of which is mounted a rotatable terminator assembly. A turbine is rotatable by the motor within the terminator assembly, which is partly partitioned forwardly of the turbine. The terminator assembly comprises a flat suction chamber open laterally and containing the turbine and a flat holding chamber forward of and communicating with the suction chamber. This has an open holding surface facing forwardly which is closed off by an object to be held. A separate motor-gearbox unit coupled to the terminator assembly controls its orientation relative to the turbine drive motor.

Abstract: A dispenser for flat products consists of a cabinet containing magazines for storing a plurality of products stacked according to predefined categories, with an outlet slot for a product selected from one of the magazines. A mechanism for extracting and dispensing the products in front of the magazines extracts the top product from a selected stack and transfers it to the outlet slot. This mechanism comprises a product holding device, individually controlled and motorized vertical and horizontal carriages carrying this device and a support for the device articulated to one of the carriages. The support assumes a holding position in which the device is placed against the top product in a selected stack and then moves to a position retracted against the carriages, holding the product. The magazines are inclined to the horizontal so that the stacks are offered up slantwise to the mechanism and the outlet slot is in a side of the cabinet, between the magazines and the mechanism.

Abstract: A device for inserting bundles into envelopes comprises a table fastened to a drive carriage for receiving the bundle and inserted with it into the envelope. A pair of retractable pusher fingers on support arms fastened to the carriage push the bundle on the table during the forward stroke of the carriage and retract during the return stroke of the carriage. The device is usable in automatic mail processing systems.