Abstract: In apparatus for feeding respective sheets including framework and a deck mounted thereon for supporting a plurality of sheets in an upright stack thereof, wherein the deck defines a path of travel for respective lowermost sheets to be fed from the stack, and the stack has an upstream end and a downstream end, an improvement for facilitating feeding lowermost sheets from the stack, the improvement comprising a platform connected to the framework, the platform including a base wall portion having a longitudinal length extending upstream from the upstream end of the deck; a stack supporting member, the member including an upright upper wall portion having a lower end, the member including a lower wall portion extending upstream from the upper wall portion's lower end and forming therewith an elongate downstream marginal edge having a wedge-shaped transverse cross-section; and structure for adjustably mounting the stack supporting member on the platform, the mounting structure including first structure for movin

Abstract: Apparatus for drying ink on a sheet fed downstream therebeneath in a predetermined path of travel, the apparatus comprising; framework, structure for blowing air downwardly toward the path of travel of a sheet, the air blowing structure including an electrically operable axial fan connected to the framework, an elongate member connected to the framework for location thereof beneath the fan, the member including an elongate upper wall and elongate oppositely disposed side walls depending from the upper wall, the upper wall having a light reflecting inner surface, structure for providing infrared light, the light providing structure including an elongate electrically-operable infrared lamp connected to the framework for location thereof within the member, and the upper wall of the member including a plurality of elongate parallel-spaced louvers formed therefrom and extending transversely of the longitudinal length thereof, each of the louvers including an aperture and vane associated with each other, each of th

Abstract: The printwheel setting apparatus comprises a voice coil motor having a magnet reciprocating in a coil which magnet is connected by a flexible link to a picker link for advancing the printwheel. The picker link has a picker cam which cooperates with a cam stud to cause a tooth on the picker-link to engage a slot on the printwheel and to rotate the printwheel as the voice coil motor magnet moves to a position for again advancing the printwheel when the magnet moves in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A voice coil motor assembly for a voice coil motor printwheel setting apparatus comprises a plate having the voice coil motor coils mounted thereon. The plate is adapted for attachment to a printed circuit board by pins electrically connected to the voice coils. Picker links having voice coil magnets connected thereto are stacked in sequence and the final assembly is completed by enshrouding the voice coil magnets with the voice coils mounted on the plate.

Abstract: A postage meter has a print drum with print wheels which are shiftable to select the value of the postage. The positions of the print wheels are controlled by the positions of axially displaceable racks which in turn are controlled by a helical nut and pinion system which is driven by motor.

Abstract: A postage meter has a print drum with print wheels which are shiftable to select the value of the postage. The positions of the print wheels are controlled by the positions of rack gears. The racks are displaced by a pinion which is shifted from rack to rack. The racks are arranged in an arcuate or part annular array around the pinion.

Abstract: A postage meter has a print drum with print wheels which are shiftable to select the value of the postage. The print wheels are adjusted by displacing respective rack gears through an annular drive member and a pinion, and the print drum is rotated for printing the selected value on a workpiece. A shutter bar locks the print drum against rotation during value selection and locks the annular member against rotation during print drum rotation.

Abstract: A postage meter has a print drum with print wheels which are shiftable to select the value of the postage. The positions of the print wheels are controlled by the positions of a plurality of axially displaceable rack gears. The racks are displaced by a pinion which is selectively directly engaged with the racks one at a time and the racks are shifted with respect to a fixed position.

Abstract: A surgical stapler having a pivotable trigger in a housing and a cartridge of surgical staples, has a moving anvil which receives one staple at a time in its open configuration. A forming blade moves to engage and capture the staple between the forming blade and the anvil and drive the staple away from the cartridge allowing the user to see and place the points of the staple at a desired location on the tissue. Further movement of the forming blade pressing upon the top of the staple forces the staple legs to pierce and close joining adjacent edges of tissue. A detent prevents reversibility of the trigger and return of the staple after and the trigger reaches a pre-cock position, allowing the user to relax his hand while the staple remains exposed, until the trigger stroke is completed and the staple is closed and stripped from the anvil.

Abstract: A drive system in which a rack having orthogonal teeth is driven off a helically threaded drive gear through a pinion. In order to compensate for the angle between the helical thread of the drive gear and the teeth of the driven rack, the drive gear and the rack engage the pinion at diametrically opposed positions and the axis of rotation of the pinion is skewed relative to the teeth of the rack by half the angle and the teeth themselves are also skewed relative to the axis of the pinion by half the angle. This has the effect that the teeth of the pinion are parallel at one side to the helical thread and are also parallel at the opposite side to the teeth of the rack. The drive system may be used in a postage meter for adjusting the print value wheels.

Abstract: A weighing cell which is protected against overloading due to mechanical shock and delayed weight readout due to vibration. The weighing cell, which has a platform, a self-contained base and a load cell operatively connected therebetween, includes, in one embodiment, a plurality of posts connected to the base and separated from the platform by a gap to protect against overload forces applied to the non-axial region of the platform. Feet on the base of the weighing cell have an energy absorbing material thereon and are placed outboard of the load cell to provide quick damping of vibrations caused when a load is placed on the platform. The load cell is spaced at a partial gap from the base and platform to protect it from overload forces applied to the axial region of the platform.

Abstract: An apparatus for preventing the overload of a load cell used to measure deflection by providing a safety mechanism that will act upon the support of the load cell when an overload condition is reached. The invention is described in the environment of a leaf spring weighing scale that uses load cells to measure deflection of a load support.

Abstract: An automatic analytical balance is disclosed, which features a unique weighing structure. The scale comprises a flexibly pivotable shaft that pivots in one direction in response to a load being weighed, and that pivots in an opposite direction in response to a known movable weight movably disposed upon the shaft. A balance detector is operatively connected to the shaft to determine when the movement of the known weight has brought the shaft into a balanced condition. Means are provided to measure the movement of the known weight which is required to produce the balanced condition in the shaft. This measurement is indicative of the weight of the load being weighed.

Abstract: A coupling device for adjusting the contact pressure between a balance weight and a rotative lead screw in an analytical balance. The weight is threaded upon the lead screw, and is advanced along a balance beam as the lead screw is caused to turn. The balance weight is substantially supported in rolling contact with the frame of the balance beam, and therefore, adds very little contact pressure to the lead screw connection. A leaf spring operatively connected between the balance weight and the lead screw adjusts the force exerted between the lead screw and the balance weight to a predetermined level.

Abstract: A leaf spring weighing scale is described which uses load cells to measure the deflection of the load support. The load cells are arranged in tandem. One of the load cells is a low range deflection reading cell, and the other load cell is a high range measuring cell. Each of the load cells is bottomed before it reaches its deflection limit to prevent damage to the cell. A point contact connection between the load support and the load cells eliminates errors caused by lateral forces, and errors due to the non-linearities in the load support deflection. The leaf springs of the scale are constructed as thin strips to eliminate the effects of "oil canning", and to reduce structural and assembly inaccuracies.

Abstract: A stacking and feeding tray is described, which provides a fluctuating urging force upon a stack of mail. The fluctuating urging force provides a proper feeding of pieces of mail, such that a double feed of envelopes is essentially eliminated. The fluctuation in feed-in force is provided by a clutched drive, which is responsive to an optical sensing of the discharge of a piece of mail.

Abstract: A high speed weighing scale for use in a continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail. The system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail. Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path. Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and sealed. All the envelopes are stopped at a weighing station where they are weighed, and the postage corresponding to their particular weight is computed. The determined postage value is used to continuously reset a postage meter which imprints the required postage upon each envelope as it arrives at a metering station. The metering and weighing functions of the system are synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint the proper postage upon each piece of mail, despite the fact that several envelopes may be simultaneously in transit along the feed path.

Abstract: A mail transporting mechanism for transporting pieces of mail through a mail handling system. The mechanism comprises a frame supporting a number of rotative rollers. A friction belt is stretched over the rollers, and conveys a letter through the mechanism as the rollers turn. The rollers are mounted on a movable yoke assembly, which is spring biased to provide positive contact between the belt and the mail. The roller assemblies are pivotable from an engaging position to a non-engaging position, by means of a slidable bar carried on the frame. When the bar is made to slide, a bracket fixed to each of the roller assemblies is made to pivotably cam causing the roller assembly to disengage. The bracket has means for easily setting the engaged position of the assembly to a given level of contact with the mail.

Abstract: A flap separating mechanism and method for distending a flap from a body portion of an envelope.An envelope moving through a mail handling system may require its flap to be moistened and sealed. As a prelude to the moistening procedure, the flap of the envelope must be separated from the body portion. The separating mechanism disclosed herein comprises a pivotable elongated bar. An incoming vertically oriented envelope engages a dog-leg bend in the bar causing it to pivot to a deflected position. A weighted lever arm urges the elongated bar to pivot back to its original position, which provides a force to be applied to the back of the envelope. This force "breaks-the-back" of the envelope, which in turn results in distending the flap from the body portion thereof.