Abstract: A self-mailing form suitable for use with laser printers and the like. The form is made from a single sheet of paper stock and comprises a rectangular upper portion and a rectangular lower portion joined by a connecting portion. The lower portion is printed with message information and the upper portion is printed with address information and the like. The form is then folded once about the upper edge of the connecting portion so that the obverse sides of the upper and lower portions are adjacent and then again so that the upper edge of the upper portion is brought to the lower edge of the connecting portion, so that the upper portion forms an envelope around the lower portion. Adhesive is applied around the edges of the upper portion to seal the resulting envelope. Perforation lines are provided transversely across the form so that after folding a tear-off strip is formed which includes the connecting portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing items in selected configurations and a system and method for controlling the same. More particularly, an apparatus for producing mail pieces and a system and method for controlling it to produce mail pieces in a variety of configurations are disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser printer and folding sealing apparatus controlled by a data processor. The folder sealer apparatus combines sheets printed by the laser printer with pre-printed sheets and envelope forms, which also may be printed by the laser printer or may be windowed envelopes, folds the sheets as necessary and folds and seals the envelope form about the folded sheets to produce a mail piece. A user inputs a configuration for the mail piece which is translated by the data processor into a data structure and transmitted to the controller of the folder sealer apparatus.

Abstract: A mailing machine comprised of a plurality of modules, each of the modules a particular process function on a delivered envelope. The modules are arranged with in a single process station. The comprising modules include a scale module having means for weighing a envelope, a transport module having means for positioning the envelope in the process station and ejecting the envelope from the process station, a meter module having printing means for imprinting an indicia on the envelope, a platen module having means for causing the envelope to contact the printing means of the meter module, and a inking module having means for causing printing ink to be deposited on the printing means of the meter module. The modules operate in a manner functionally independent of any other module and in a manner. A tape module is included having means for positioning a tape for indicia printing between the meter module.

Abstract: A mailing machine for high-speed processing of mixed mail, capable of high throughput, and of compact size. It includes mail piece processing at four main stations in a straight-through manner, under positive control at all times by separate drive units at each station, with the sequential processing actions timed to optimize mail piece throughput.

Abstract: A mailing machine comprised of a plurality of modules, each of the modules a particular process function on a delivered envelope. The modules are arranged within a single process station. The comprising modules include a scale module having means for weighing a envelope, a transport module having means for positioning the envelope in the process station and ejecting the envelope from the process station, a meter module having printing means for imprinting an indicia on the envelope, a platen module having means for causing the envelope to contact the printing means of the meter module, and an inking module having means for causing printing ink to be deposited on the printing means of the meter module. The modules operate in a manner functionally independent of any other module and in a manner. A tape module is included having means for positioning a tape for indicia printing between the meter module.

Abstract: A mailing machine in which the mail is directed to a weighing station and laterally deflected at the weighing station, to enable overlap in the feeding of mailpieces to the weighing station. The weighing station includes means for stopping the mailpieces from movement in the direction in which they had been transported thereto. The transport path of the mail in the machine may be vertically V-shaped, or horizontally in parallel paths that are preferably in opposite directions. The input feeder may include two serially coupled horizontal conveyors for conveying horizontal stacks or vertical oriented envelopes, with the first of the conveyors running a slower speed than the last conveyor. A vertical conveyor advantageous transports the envelopes from the last horizontal conveyor.

Abstract: In association with a blade cleaning arrangement supported for chiseling removal of toner from a charge retentive surface, an auger is provided to move toner to the edge of the charge retentive surface and simultaneously simulate a foam roll cleaner, known to have good abrasive characteristics in the presence of toner. An auger member having a roughened or sharpened surface in contact with a charge retentive surface is arranged slightly upstream and adjacent to a blade cleaning arrangement for the removal of residual toner accumulating adjacent to a cleaning blade after release from a charge retentive surface such as a photoreceptor in a reproduction machine. The auger member may be comprised of a foam material providing an abrading surface roughness. Other augering members simulate the abrading qualities of the foam roll cleaner, such as for example, a sharpened auger edge which lightly scrapes the charge retentive surface, or an auger of a polymeric material, with a roughed surface.

Abstract: A carrier bead pickoff device for removal of carrier beads adhering to a charge retentive surface in an electrophotographic device having at least one developer housing movable into and out of developing position includes a magnet supported on the movable developer housing of the type which is movable into and out of developing position with respect to the photoreceptor. When the developer housing is moved into developing position, the magnet is correspondingly brought into a position closely adjacent to a non-magnetic carrier bead catch supported closely adjacent to the charge retentive surface. Beads are collected at the bead catch and released upon removal of the magnet from proximity to the bead catch. The non-magnetic bead catch may be supported for movement into a bead catching position when the developer housing is brought into developing position, and to a bead releasing position when the developer is removed from developing position and the magnet is removed from its position adjacent the bead catch.

Abstract: The inking module includes a plurality of first links extending horizontally and parallel. One end of the first links are fixably mounted to an ink pad tray, the other end of the first links having formed thereat a tilting surface. A drive means causes the first links to displace the ink pad tray to and from the first and second position. A guide means guides the first links horizontally along a linear path and including abutting means for causing the first links to tilt vertically when the tilting surface contacts the abutting means to place the ink pad tray in the second position.

Abstract: A system for the preparation of items to be mailed, preparation of each item varying in accordance with selected values of pre-determined parameters. The system includes apparatus for marking each item with selected identification code values; apparatus for preparing each item to be mailed in accordance with stored parameters, the preparing apparatus having a detector for detecting and outputting identification values from the items; a data base system for storing selected values of the parameters in associated with the identification codes, a control system responsive to the output identification codes to access the associated selected values for output to the preparation apparatus. The preparation apparatus of the subject system includes an inserted system and the pre-determined parameters include parameters defining the inserts to be assembled with an item.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of determining the mass of an article by the shift of the period of oscillation of a flexibly mounted platform. An article whose mass is to be determined is placed upon the platform. The platform is caused to oscillate and the period of harmonic motion is calibrated. This period is compared against the period of harmonic motion when there is no article upon the platform, and the difference, or shift, in frequency, allows a determination of the mass of the article.

Abstract: In a document processing machine, apparatus for urging documents against a registration fence while simultaneously driving the documents along a conveying path determined by the fence. The apparatus includes a housing frame, a registration fence secured to the frame, a deck secured to the frame for receiving the documents seriatim, a pair of cooperating rollers rotatably mounted on the frame, the rollers having crossed axes, one of the rollers being mounted in perpendicular relationship to the fence, and capability for driving the one roller. The one roller includes an elastomeric covering having disk portions separated by grooves the disk portions being radially segmented to thereby form individual petals. The other of the pair of rollers is resiliently biased against the one roller, thereby exerting a normal force acting toward the one roller to provide resultant component frictional forces for causing lateral and longitudinal movement of the document along the fence.

Abstract: A processing station for use in electrophotographic printing machines to clean the photoconductive belt or develop the electrostatic latent image recorded thereon. A roller transports single component magnetic particles into contact with the photoconductive belt. The belt is deflected around the exterior circumferential surface of the roller to form an extended cleaning or development zone.

Abstract: In a drive system for a document feeder transport for a copier with a drive output normally driven at a high speed for document transport and driven at a lower speed for document registration at a registration position, the improvement wherein the drive system comprises a drive motor and a high speed drive normally driving the document feeder transport through a normally closed clutch in the high speed drive, and a reduction speed system also simultaneously driven by the drive motor, the reduction speed system including a normally over-driven over-running clutch connected to, but normally disengaged by, the high speed drive, and a system for automatically rapidly and smoothly switching the drive output to the lower speed, as the document approaches the registration position, by opening the normally closed clutch in response thereto, whereby the high speed drive is disengaged and shortly thereafter the reduction speed system automatically begins to drive the drive output at the lower speed by the automatic eng

Abstract: In a document feeder with a belt platen transport system for transporting document sheets over the platen of a copier under an imaging backing surface closely overlying the platen and into a registration position for imaging the document sheets, with a registration system for stopping the document sheets at the registration position, the belt platen transport system including plural spaced belts engaging the document sheet sufficiently to provide its transport into registration with movement of the belts, the belt platen transport system being adapted to allow slippage of the belts relative to the document sheet at the registration system, the registration system having document registration fingers insertable into the transport path of the document sheet at the registration position from between the belts, against which fingers the document sheet is driven by the belts for registration; the improvement wherein: the registration system includes energy absorbers, preferably a preloaded buckling column spring a

Abstract: In a document feeder for transporting document sheets over the platen of a copier, with a vacuum belt platen transport system, into registration means for stopping the document sheet at an imaging position on the platen, wherein the vacuum belt platen transport system comprises plural belts moving under a white vacuum plenum backing surface overlying the platen, and includes a vacuum source for applying a partial vacuum to a document sheet being transported by the moving belts, the improvement wherein: the vacuum belt platen transport system belts are transparent or highly translucent thin, low-frictional, non-elastomeric, plastic belts; the transparent or highly translucent belts being unapertured and the vacuum plenum backing surface being unapertured in the imaging position, so that the vacuum belt transport system is effectively invisible through a document sheet to the copier.

Abstract: A top vacuum corrugation feeder is disclosed that employs a moveable air blocking vane capable of redirecting the flow of air from an air knife. The moveable vane when in a first position allows air to exit the air knife toward a stack of sheets uninterrupted. Alternatively, when the vane is moved to a second position, air flow from the air knife is interrupted to thereby allow an increased vacuum in a vacuum means adapted to lift the top sheet off the stack for feeding.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting sheets under the bottom of a stack of sheets including a positive air pressure source that provides an air cushion between the bottom sheet in the stack of sheets and the stack tray. The air pressure source has articulated seal means attached thereto that are adapted to increase the efficient use of the air pressure source. Drive belts feed sheets under the stack of sheets in cooperation with a vacuum source that deflects sheets against the belts until they reach a point in their forward movement of coming under the influence of the positive air pressure source and are thereby floated up to the bottom of the stack of sheets.

Abstract: In a document feeder with a vacuum belt platen transport system for transporting document sheets over the platen of a copier under a white vacuum plenum backing surface closely overlying the platen and into a registration position for imaging the document sheet, with a registration system for stopping the document sheet at the registration position, the platen transport system including a vacuum source for applying a partial vacuum to a document sheet being transported sufficient to provide transport of the document sheet with movement of the belt transport into the registration system, and a system for automatically reducing the level of the partial vacuum in the vacuum plenum sufficiently to allow slippage of a document sheet relative to the belt transport at the registration system and to avoid damage to the document sheet by the registration system; the improvement comprising a system for prior detection of a document sheet of greater than a predetermined size to be registered by the registration system.

Abstract: In a document feeder with a vacuum belt platen transport system for transporting document sheets over the platen of a copier under a vacuum plenum backing surface closely overlying the platen and into a registration position for imaging the document sheet, with a registration system for stopping the document sheet at the registration position, the platen transport system including a vacuum source for applying a partial vacuum to a document sheet being transported sufficient to provide transport of the document sheet with movement of the belt transport into the registration system, and a system for automatically reducing the level of the partial vacuum in the vacuum plenum sufficiently to allow slippage of a document sheet relative to the belt transport at the registration system, and wherein the registration system comprises document engaging registration fingers movable into and out of the path of a document sheet being transported by the vacuum belt platen transport system, the improvement wherein the syste