Alcatel Business Systems

Neopost Inc.

Vickers, Inc.

Roneo Alcatel Limited

David Anthony Gawler

Dennis T Gilham

Thomas D Williams

Stephen C Barratt

Peter P Page

A method of accounting for postage charges in respect of batches of mail items is disclosed. The method includes storing an accumulated aggregate value of postage dispensed in applying postage charges to mail items and storing an accumulated pending value of postage dispensed in applying postage charges to mail items of a batch of mail items which has not been completed. In response to completion of the batch of mail items, the accumulated pending value is decremented by a value of postage relating to the completed batch of mail items.

Accounting for postal charges

A mail transport for a franking machine is disclosed in which mail is fed toward a printing head by input rollers, is fed past the printing head by an impression roller and is ejected from the franking machine by ejection rollers. Drive to the input rollers is controlled to initially feed the mail at a transit speed toward the print head, to feed the mail item at a printing speed, during a printing period, lower than the transit speed and initially in an ejection period after the printing period to feed the mail item at the transit speed. When the mail item is released from the input rollers, the ejection rollers are driven to feed the mail item at a higher speed than the transit speed.

Franking apparatus and mail transport thereof

A stamp printing machine has print drum carrying print wheels which are settable by push buttons to print a selected value of postage charge. The drum is driven by a mechanical device such as tensator spring motor. The motor is manually primed and a trip lever operated by insertion of mail item releases the print drum to rotate through one revolution to print the stamp on the mail item. The stamp machine may include a calculator on which the postage value may be manually entered. Electrical contacts operated by the rotation of the drum are connected across the M+ button of the calculator to add the postage amount to its memory.

Printed stamp machine

The method utilizes an encoding switch to derive encoded position signals representing the current position of a member such as the print element of a franking machine. The switch has conductive strips and in order to ensure reliable operation of the switch the strips have substantial length. However for correct printing it is necessary that not only is the selected type character at the printing position but that it is precisely positioned to achieve correct printing of the character. In order to obtain this precise positioning of the print element the encoded position signals are utilized to move the selected type character to the print position and the print element is then moved by a predetermined distance to achieve precise positioning of the type character within the printing position.

Method and apparatus for positioning a member

To enable a single motor in a franking machine to set the printing wheels in a printing drum in addition to rotating the drum and feeding items of mail through the machine, four carriages, each carrying a rocker and solenoids are mounted on two pairs of continuously rotating lead screws. Each carriage is connected by a ring shoe to a printing wheel via a selecting bar in the drum arbor. Solenoid moves rocker to engage screw to drive the carriage in one direction. Movement in the opposite direction is by screw controlled by solenoid. Each carriage sets an encoding switch to enable a microcomputer to know the state of the printing wheels. Each new value is fed, for example, by a keyboard, to the microcomputer which determines the movement, if any, of each carriage to set the new value on the printing wheels.

Value selection mechanism for postal franking machines

An electromechanical drive for a franking machine comprises a module in which an electic motor controlled by an electronic circuit formed on a printed circuit board is manufactured as a modular unit by mounting the motor, mechanical drive components and a position sensor on the substrate of the printed circuit board. This module is mounted on a further module consisting solely of mechanical components and the drive components of the two modules are thereby drivingly engaged. This construction leads to economies in manufacture and ease of servicing because no electrical connections are required between the modules and hence assembly and dis-assembly of the circuit board and mechanical component module are made easier.

Electromechanical drives for franking machines

A single revolution clutch in a reduction gear in a franking machine is designed to avoid fraudulent operation and double cycling and for economical production by arranging a worm to drive a split worm wheel having a gap in each arcuate row of teeth respectively on the first and second worm wheel parts. Before operation, the worm rotates in the gaps. On release by a detent of a shoulder a spring brings a tooth into mesh with the worm which rotates the first worm wheel part until a lost-motion connection is engaged bringing the second worm wheel part into mesh with the worm to drive an output shaft. The detent is released by an electrical pulse then guided by a cam track to engage the shoulder arresting the first worm wheel part while the second part continues so as to stress the spring and return to the initial position with respect to the first part.

Growing community of inventors

Brentwood, United Kingdom

David Anthony Gawler