Pitney Bowes Inc.

Danilo P Buan

Alton B Eckert, Jr

Donald T Dolan

Jovito N Abellana

Thomas M Lyga

Charles F Murphy, Iii

Albert C Chiang

Jerome E Jackson

Arnold T Eventoff

M Anthony Melito

Betty A Terry

Albert M De Luca

Bettadapur S Ananthamurthy

Ezra Navok

A process of thermal transfer printing which is accomplished in two printing steps. The process utilizes ribbon including a backing layer and an ink donor layer. The ribbon is drawn from a supply spool through a first printing station at which a first portion of the ink is transferred to the backing layer to form a first image thereon. The ribbon continues to and through a second printing station at which the remainder of the ink is transferred to a workpiece in the form of a second image which contrasts with the first image. All that remains of the ribbon as it leaves the second printing station is the backing layer which continues to and through the first printing station once again for the operation already mentioned. Thereupon, the ribbon is drawn onto a take-up spool for eventual disposal. The ink may be fluorescent.

Thermal transfer printing apparatus

An ink pad device for a high speed mailing machine is disclosed. The ink pad device includes an ink pad and an ink chamber in which the ink pad is at least partially disposed to sorb ink therefrom. The ink pad device may also comprise an ink reservoir and/or a pump for pumping ink from the reservoir to the ink chamber. The ink pad device is attachable to a drive for moving the ink pad horizontally and vertically from a horizontal home position to a horizontal inking position in which the ink pad is tamped against a printing device which imprints postage indicia. The ink pump comprises a deformable chamber which is compressed to pump ink from the reservoir to the ink chamber. In one embodiment, the ink pad and the ink chamber are provided as a disposable, non-replenishable, non-refillable unit containing a limited amount of ink for limited use. In another embodiment, the ink chamber, the ink pad, the reservoir and the pump form a unit in which ink is replenished from the reservoir to the ink chamber. In that embodiment, the entire unit may be made disposable and may be moved by the drive to the inking position. In still another embodiment, the ink pad and the ink chamber form a disposable, replenishable unit, and the reservoir is replaceable. In that embodiment, only the ink pad and the ink chamber are movable by the drive to the inking position.

Ink tray

An ink tray includes a housing having a first, second and third chamber. The first chamber has an overflow baffle extending laterally within said chamber to divide the first chamber into an inlet side and an outlet side. An inlet port extends into the first chamber for receiving replenishing ink in the inlet side of the chamber and an outlet port is provided for removal of excess ink from said ink tray. A plurality of portals extending between the first and second chambers for directing replenishing ink to the second chamber from the inlet side of the first chamber and excess replenishing ink from the second chamber to the outlet side of the first chamber. An elongated inking roller is rotatively mounted in the third chamber. The third chamber is configured to expose a longitudinal portion of said inking roller. Absorption material is mounted in the second chamber to contact the replenishing ink. The absorption material has a portion which extends from the second chamber into the third chamber to contact the inking roller to allow the transfer of replenishing ink to the inking roller. The overflow baffle divides the first chamber such that the inlet side is greater by volume than the outlet side. The bottom surface of the second chamber has support members for maintaining the absorption material in spaced relationship to the bottom surface of the second chamber and channel members for directing the flow of replenishing ink along the bottom surface of the second chamber in a predetermined manner.

Inking system for flat-bed mail processing system

A mailing machine base includes a postage meter insertable and removable from a receptacle means, said receptacle means being mounted within said base and a tape feed assembly positioned between a home position and a second position. A tape frame assembly includes a first frame section including feed means for receiving a tape and causing said tape to displace in said tape track and gear means for driving said feed means, said tape track being fixably mounted to said first frame section at one end and aligned to receive tape from said feed means. A tape track being fixably mounted to said first frame section at one end and aligned to receive tape from said feed means; rail means fixably mounted in said base for displaceable supporting said tape frame therealong; said tape frame assembly having second section having support member means supported by and riding along said rail means for supporting said first frame section; first drive means for displacing said frame assembly between a home position and a print position; second drive means for driving said gear means; and, coupler means for coupling said second drive means to said gear means only when said tape frame assembly is in the home position.

Tape feed device for a postage meter mailing machine

The transport and storage container receives an ink replenishing system characterized by housing defining a well and having a rim formed around the well opening. An ink tray is slidably supported to the forward portion of the rim. A supply and drain pump are mounted to the bottom of the housing and hoses communication the pumps and ink tray. The transport and storage container includes a housing defining a chamber open at the top, a plurality of support surfaces, and a rim formed around said chamber opening. A support rim is formed within the chamber for supporting the ink replenishing system.

Ink replenishing system transport and storage container

An ink tray has been improved to include a plurality of channel ribs formed on the bottom surface. The rib ends are spaced apart from the ink tray side walls. An ink pad is supported in the ink tray above the channels such that ink directed through the channels is absorbed by the ink pad. Replenishing ink is directed into the ink tray and caused to collect at one end of a first group of channel ribs and thereafter uniformly between each channel rib of the first group. The displaced ink is then caused to uniformly travel between a second group of channel ribs and exit the ink tray. The travel path of the ink allows for even absorption of ink by the ink pad and the removal of excess ink from the ink tray.

Ink tray with dispersion channels

A postage meter having a movable shutter covering the printing die of the meter and mechanisms associated either with the postage meter or a meter base for locking the shutter and moving it, are disclosed. In one embodiment a keyswitch is provided which control locking and unlocking of the shutter and its movement. The meter base locks the postage meter therein with unlocking being controlled by the keyswitch.

Locking device for removable postage meter

A printing cartridge adapted for use with thermal transfer printing apparatus. The cartridge includes a frame defining first and second printing stations, a ribbon supply spool, and a ribbon take-up spool, both of the spools being rotatably mounted on the frame. The ribbon has a backing layer and an ink donor layer and is guided in a feed path extending from the supply spool through the first and second printing stations, again through the first station, then to the take-up spool. The frame of the cartridge is adapted to receive a thermal printing head for engaging the ribbon at each of the first and second printing stations. The feed path has a first leg extending from the supply spool, through the first printing station, to the second printing station; a second leg extending through the second printing station to the first printing station; and a third leg extending through the first printing station to the take-up spool. A ribbon backing roller rotatably mounted on the frame engages the ribbon in the third leg of the feed path at the first printing station such that ink from the ribbon in the first leg of the feed path at the first printing station is transferred to the ribbon in the third leg of the feed path also at the first printing station. The thermal printing head at the second printing station engages the ribbon in the second leg of the feed path such that ink is transferred to a workpiece. The ink may be of the fluorescent type.

Thermal printing cartridge

An inker module for a high speed mailing machine is disclosed. The inker module includes a drive for moving an ink pad horizontally and vertically from a horizontal home position to a horizontal inking position in which the ink pad is tamped against a printing device which imprints postage indicia. The drive includes a single drive motor, cam wheels and links which cooperate to move the ink pad in the two directions. An ink pump is provided to pump ink to the ink pad each time that the ink pad is tamped against the printing device. The drive includes a further link to actuate the pump from the same motor. A platten device and its drive are disposed adjacent the ink pad drive to tamp an envelope or tape against the printing device in timed relation to movement of the ink pad.

Ink tray drive

An article of manufacture is provided which includes a molded piece-part having a substantially rectangularly-shaped plate portion including opposed surfaces. The piece-part also includes a pair of elongate parallel-spaced rack gear portions depending from one of the surfaces of the plate portion. The article further includes a member made of a resilient material having an inner surface facing the other of the surfaces of the plate portion and fixedly attached thereto. Moreover, the member includes a plurality of intersecting channels extending into the member from the inner surface thereof.

Platen module

An improved value print device having incorporated within the device improved linkages for imparting a reciprocal motion to the carriage, housing and inking roller.

Inking apparatus for a value printing device

An improved value print device having incorporated within the device improved mechanism for detachably coupling a housing with an inking roller to a reciprocal carriage and new structures on the housing for permitting the convenient removal of the housing and inking roller from the carriage.

Inker mounting arrangement for a value printing device

This invention relates to a stand-alone electronic mailing machine that includes a postage metering device. The invention has particular utility when utilized in a mailing machine of the reciprocating platen type. The entire drive mechanism, setting mechanism, and control devices as well as the postage metering mechanisms are all contained in one housing so that there is no need for a separate base. In the mailing machine of this invention, a single central processing unit is utilized along with memory for the purpose of accounting for the postage value that has been charged into the mailing machine as well as the amount that has been used. Non-volatile memory is provided for permanent storage in case of power failure. A pair of stepper motors is used for the purpose of adjusting the print dies with the amounts that are to be imprinted. One of the stepper motors is also used to trip a single revolution clutch which is utilized to affect the printing operation.

Stand-alone electronic mailing machine

A postage meter is provided with a mounting bracket with predetermined openings. Openings of the mounting bracket receive projections from an optical sensor to assure proper alignment of the optical sensor. Another opening in the plate receives the shaft of a stepper motor that has an encoder disk mounted thereon. Marks are provided on the optical sensor and the encoder disk through the use of which precise alignment of components and proper setting of the stepper motor may be achieved.

Apparatus and method for aligning postage meter components with an

This invention relates to a stand-alone electronic mailing machine. The entire drive mechanism, setting mechanism, and control devices as well as the postage metering mechanisms are all contained in one housing so that there is no need for a separate base. In the mailing machine of this invention, a reciprocating platen is used for the purpose of driving an envelope against a print head during the applying of postage to the envelope. A stripper is resiliently mounted on the platen to assure the envelope does not adhere to the print head.

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Easton, CT, United States of America

Danilo P Buan