Abstract: A system controls the downloading of images from a portable device into a postage meter so that the downloaded images can be subsequently printed by the postage meter. The portable device is useable in conjunction with a fixed number of meter serial numbers and can be used for downloading of images into any meter until the fixed number has been met and accounted for by the portable device. At this point in time, the portable device is only capable of downloading the image into the specific meters that previously had the images downloaded from the portable device.

Abstract: A two-stage sheet separating apparatus has a pair of corner separators and a top feed roller for initially separating a top sheet from a stack of sheets. A pair of retarding blades, one for each corner separator, are disposed downstream from the separators for finally separating the top sheet from any lower sheets which may have been carried along by inter-sheet frictional forces. The lower corners of the stack of sheets are supported by wedges in order to increase the beam strength of the sheets and thereby reduce the incidences where more than one sheet at a time is fed from the stack.

Abstract: In a copier including a photoconductor having a plurality of photoconductive sections connected in series with one another to form an endless strip-type photoconductor, and including suitable instrumentalities for successively feeding the photoconductive sections from a zig-zag folded stack of such sections through several processing stations and back to the stack, there is provided apparatus for storing the photoconductive sections in the stack. The storing apparatus includes a receptacle having oppositely disposed walls defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The walls relatively converge towards one another from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, for guiding the folds of the photoconductive sections progressively closer to the outlet opening than the mid-portions thereof in transit through the receptacle. A pair of tamping devices, movably mounted on the opposite receptacle walls, cooperate with the receptacle walls for guiding incoming photoconductive sections toward the stack.