Pa Consulting Services Ltd.

Usm Corporation

Douglas S MacArthur

Alan J Harry

John Poley

John R Archer

Michael J Kellaway

Independent control by a single motor of two members mounted on a shaft, e.g. print wheels in a printing machine such as a postal franking machine, is enabled by having the first member either fixed in rotation to the shaft or connected to the shaft by a one-way clutch, and having the second member connected to the shaft by a one-way clutch, the arrangement being such that rotation of the shaft in one direction causes movement of the first member only (by direct drive or by the action of the associated clutch) and rotation of the shaft in the other direction causes movement of the second member only, by the action of the associated clutch.

Drive unit

A franking machine adapted to print variable data as well as constant data onto mail as it is presented to the variable data including a plurality of endless bands of self-inking material containing printing indicia around their external surfaces; a separate drive for each band for advancing same to present different ones of said printing indicia to the printing station; microprocessor adapted to control the operation of the separate drive; transducers adapted to produce an electrical signal indicative of the position to which a band has moved at any instant relative to a reference position; and, a device for feeding to the microprocesser the electrical signal or signals derived therefrom whereby the microprocessor is continually made aware of the position occupied by each movable band.

Franking machine having variable data incorporated onto endless bands

In a bending machine, metal strip (42) is bent by a sequence of steps including longitudinal advance of the strip (42) alternating with bending of the strip by a movable tool (18) which engages and deflects the strip when the latter is restrained against longitudinal movement. Provision is made for checking or inspecting the permanent angular deformation of each bend applied to the strip, to take account of the tendency of the metal strip to spring back after bending. Compensation for spring-back is achieved by use of a previously described characteristic relating displacement of the bending tool to the resultant permanent angle of bend applied to the strip. Further compensation is provided to remove an error which can arise if the bending tool is movable along a line of action spaced from the point of bending of the strip by an amount greater than the incremental advance of the strip.

Growing community of inventors

Haslingfield, United Kingdom

Douglas S MacArthur