Abstract: The present invention is directed to, in a general aspect, a nudger for a mixed mail feeder and, in particular, to an apparatus and method of providing and detecting proper position in a stack of mixed mail. The apparatus, generally, comprises a nudger arm for detecting proper positioning of the mailpiece and a lean detection arm for detecting proper lean of the mailpiece with respect to the nudger. The method comprises generally, a determination that when the lean detection arm and the nudger arm are in a position indicating that the lead mailpiece is in the proper position, the stack of mixed mail is decelerated and fed to, for example, a separator, for further processing. The deceleration is performed at a slow rate and provides for a predetermined amount of over travel by the stack of mixed mail. This ensures proper contact of the lead mailpiece with the nudger rollers for feeding the mailpieces for further processing.

Abstract: The apparatus of this invention is a buffering device for the transport of documents that comprises four variable pitch screws that have a tapered outside diameter and a tapered root diameter at the input portion of the screw. A upstream screw and a downstream screw are on the left hand side of the buffering device and a upstream screw and a downstream screw are on the right hand side of the buffering device. The upstream screw has its largest outside diameter on the top of the screw and its smallest outside diameter on the bottom of the screw. The downstream screw has its largest outside diameter on the bottom of the screw and its smallest outside diameter on the top of the screw. The screws on the left hand side of the buffering device have a left handed screw thread and the screws on the right side of the buffering device have a right handed screw thread, or visa versa.

Abstract: This invention provides utilizes a centering device located in the accumulation portion of mail production equipment to reduce jamming caused by the insertion of material into an open envelope. The apparatus of this invention is located in the accumulation area of production mail equipment before the inserter. The apparatus of this invention includes: two guides; a solenoid and a flexible wire cable. Two centering guides are actuated through a solenoid and move to a predetermined center position to align and deskew the accumulated enclosure contents (which may include printed and pre-printed folded sheets, business reply envelopes and other insert material). A flexible wire cable is used to provide highly efficient transfer of motion from the solenoid to the centering guides.

Abstract: This invention is directed to an envelope flap moistener that comprises a frame for supporting the moistener and an elongate substantially rectangular-shaped base removably connected to the frame. The base has a fluid outlet aperture and a plurality of pockets located at spaced intervals longitudinally across the base. The moistener has a plurality of brushes capable of upwardly transferring fluid by capillary action. The plurality of brushes include means for slidably engaging the plurality of brushes within the plurality of pockets located in the base. A cover is mounted onto the base. The cover has a fluid inlet aperture and a plurality of openings for exposing the plurality of brushes.

Abstract: An apparatus for properly positioning envelopes in an envelope inserting machine for receiving insert material is disclosed in which the envelope positioning apparatus feeds a first envelope along a prescribed feed path to a predetermined location which is beyond the normal location at which the throat of the envelope can be opened so that the envelope can receive a package of insert material, and then feeds the envelope in a reverse direction until a throat opening device is effective to open the throat of the first envelope.

Abstract: A power stacker provides for receiving lengthwise orientated envelopes projected longitudinally onto the power stacker at a receiving end of the power stacker from an envelope feed device. The power stacker has a base supporting both an elongated deck and registration wall, an envelope transport system for transporting envelopes along the deck from the receiving end to a stack end of the deck. The transport system includes a plurality of friction belts extending partly along the deck and a power stack wheel pivotally mounted to the registration wall. An upper deflection flap at having one end pivotally mounted to the registration wall at the receiving end of the deck at a vertical elevation above that of the longitudinal feed level of the feed device, the upper deflection flap to contact the deck at it other end at a predetermined nominal angle forward of the power stack wheel.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for buffering transport of freshly inked documents. The apparatus has a plurality of opposite, parallel, threaded conical screw conveyers. Each pitch of the screw conveyer creates a drying station for an inked document. As inked documents travel upon the threads of the screw conveyers, the conical shape of the conveyers maintain the document in a substantially central position. A lower deck is provided for receiving inked documents. The buffer apparatus has a pusher mechanism to control document movement from the buffer to a downstream document handler, such as an envelope flapper.

Abstract: An apparatus for buffering transport of freshly inked documents is comprised of an upper deck oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane. The apparatus has a plurality of opposite, parallel, threaded screw conveyers orthogonal to the upper deck. Inked documents travel upon the threads of the screw conveyers. A lower deck is provided for receiving inked documents. An eject pin mechanism causes the inked documents to be delivered from the apparatus.

Abstract: A mailing machine is disclosed having an elongate feed deck, means for feeding envelopes along the feed deck, and a postage meter mounted in the mailing machine and having a printing mechanism disposed in juxtaposition with the feed deck so as to print postage indicia on successive envelopes as they are fed along the feed deck. The mailing machine includes a tape feeding and cutting apparatus mounted above the feed deck and adjacent to the postage meter on the side thereof opposite to the direction of feed of envelopes along the feed deck for feeding successive finite lengths of tape to the postage meter for printing of postage indicia on a portion thereof and for cutting and ejecting the printed portion of the finite length of tape from the mailing machine. The tape feeding and cutting apparatus is constructed and arranged so that all of the tape storing, feeding, severing and ejecting mechanisms of the apparatus are all positioned entirely one one side of the postage meter.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying moisture to an envelope, having a body portion and a flap portion, the apparatus including, a substantially solid-rectangle-shaped pad made of a material capable of upwardly transferring fluid by capillary action, a device for supplying fluid to the pad, the fluid supplying device including a source of supply of fluid, the fluid supplying device including an elongate well having an elongate substantially rectangularly-shaped base wall, the well including a fluid inlet tube depending from the base wall and removably connected in fluid flow communication with the fluid supply source, the well including a pair of elongate substantially rectangularly-shaped and oppositely-spaced side walls, the well including a pair of substantially rectangularly-shaped and oppositely-spaced end walls extending between the side walls, the side and end walls extending upwardly from the base wall, the well including a plurality of upright posts located at spaced intervals longitudinally of the length of the

Abstract: The envelope drop stacking apparatus receives envelopes ejected from a mailing machine in a seriatim manner to the stacker. The mailing machine ejects envelopes from an exist along an exist plane to which the drop stacker entrance is aligned. The stacker has an elongated deck extending generally parallel to and vertically below the exist plane and an elongated registration wall extending vertically from the deck and lateral to the exist. A bi-sectional deflector strip has at one end pivotally mounted to the registration wall vertically elevated above the exist plane. A skew section translates the first section of the deflector section to the second section to produce a negative skew of the second section relative to the exist plane. The deflector strip is located to cause the deflector strip's second section to encounter an ejected envelope's leading edge and thereby produces a negatively skewed envelope trajectory.

Abstract: An envelope printing systems including a laser printer or similar printer operating under control of a micro-computer to print pairs of envelopes. The envelopes are printed with a FIM mark in a manner consistent with the requirements of the U.S.P.S. The envelopes are fed, two at a time, from a cassette which includes an identification mark. The envelopes are positioned in the cassette offset to one side and the printer is responsive to the identification mark to shift the image field to the opposite side so that the FIM mark is positioned on the upper edges of the envelopes, as required by regulation.

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 poster meter is insertable into and removable from a mail machine base receptacle. The postage meter includes a shutter bar which is slidably mounted to the meter. The shutter bar is positionable between a first position where the shutter bar is located opposite and blocking external access to the indicia plate of the meter and in a second position, the shutter bar is laterally positioned from said indicia plate. The receptacle is pivotally mounted to mailing machine base and includes a shutter bar locking mechanism for engaging the shutter bar in the shutter bar's first position and for slidably positioning the shutter bar between the first and second position. A brush assembly is mounted to the shutter bar for brushing or sweeping the indicia plate upon reciprocal displacement of the shutter bar between the first and second positions.

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: The improved tape advancing system includes a conveyor having a moving surface, a motor having an output shaft, means coupled to said motor for driving said moving surface. A frame is locate opposite said moving surface and includes a plurality of wheel assemblies rotatively supported by said frame for assuring positive communication between the tape shaft carrying a first and second wheel fixably mounted to respective ends of the shaft and are spaced apart, a distance such that said wheels will contact an edge portion of the tape which has not been printed upon by an associated postage meter.

Abstract: Apparatus for printing, folding, and sealing a one-piece form sheet to prepare a self-mailer. The apparatus includes a substantially conventional printer, which may be a laser printer, suitable for use with a personal computer. The printer is mounted above and outputs printed form sheets downwards to a folder sealer for folding and sealing to prepare a self-mailer. The folder sealer includes a folder having a central and peripheral rollers and curved, one-sided, open buckle chutes for folding the form sheet and delivering it to a transport which extends under the printer. The folder sealer also includes moistening apparatus for moistening areas on the form sheet to which a remoistable glue has been applied.

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: 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: Apparatus for printing, folding, and sealing a one-piece form sheet to prepare a self-mailer. The apparatus includes a substantially conventional printer, which may be a laser printer, suitable for use with a personal computer. The printer is mounted above and outputs printed form sheets downwards to a folder sealer for folding and sealing to prepare a self-mailer. The folder sealer includes a folder having a central and peripheral rollers and curved, one-sided, open buckle chutes for folding the form sheet and delivering it to a transport which extends under the printer. The folder sealer also includes moistening apparatus for moistening areas on the form sheet to which a remoistenable glue has been applied.