Pitney Bowes Inc.

Alfred Spath

Stephen J Rigo

Arnold Fassman

Richard A Malin

Pasquale Cuozzo

Value selection and printing apparatus comprising, structure for printing a value, the printing structure including a rotatable device and a drive shaft therefor, structure for selecting the value, the value selecting structure including a rack gear slidably movably connected to the device, the rack gear including a plurality of gear teeth formed therein, the value selecting structure including a drive gear and a first gear, the drive gear including gear teeth disposed in meshing engagement with the rack gear teeth, the first gear coaxially fixedly attached to the drive gear for rotation therewith and including first gear teeth, the value selecting structure including a value printing wheel, the printing wheel including a circumferentially-extending periphery and a plurality of printing fonts located at spaced intervals thereabout, the value selecting structure including a second gear coaxially fixedly attached to the printing wheel for rotation thereof, the second gear including gear teeth and disposed in meshing engagement with the first gear for rotation of the second gear and thus the print wheel in response to movement of the rack gear, and structure for weakening the drive gear against a force exerted against the print wheel which tends to disassociate the print wheel and second gear to cause the drive gear to distort in response to the force in a manner such that the drive gear jams in response to rotation thereof.

Value selection mechanism including means for weakening a drive gear to

A mailing machine, comprising a base including a deck, a postage meter removably mounted on the base, the postage meter including a rotary postage printing drum overhanging the deck, the base including means for feeding an envelope in a downstream path of travel to the drum, the base including means for selectively driving the drum for printing postage on an envelope fed thereto, envelope deflecting means including an elongate substantially rectangularly-shaped member having a predetermined length, the member including a substantially horizontally-extending first portion of the length thereof fixedly attached to the drum, the member including a second portion of the length thereof inclined downwardly from the first portion, the member including a third portion of the length thereof inclined upwardly from the second portion, the member including a fourth portion of the length thereof extending substantially horizontally from the third portion and disposed between and in sliding engagement with the drum and the first portion, and the second and third portions cooperatively defining a lower marginal peak edge overhanging the deck and extending transversely of the path of travel for urging an envelope fed beneath the drum into sliding engagement with the deck.

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Stamford, CT, United States of America

Alfred Spath