Other

Gateway Systems, LLC

James C Valestin

An electronic scale electronically determines postage or shipping rates and displays also actual weight in chosen increments of items weighed by a platform atop an enclosure of the scale. A weight sensor provides an analog signal representing item weight. This signal is converted to a digital signal and provided to a computing circuit having a microprocessor for computing weight and rate signals corresponding to the digital signal. Separate weight and rate displays display total weight digitally and display also the actual cost of shipping or postage. An encoded rate selection device is readily and selectively usable with, and replaceable with respect to, the enclosure allowing the user to select a desired predetermined postage or shipping rate schedule, or structure. This device may be a rate selection card carried upon a front panel of the enclosure or a circuit board received within the enclosure. Detectors decode the rate selection device encoding for computing of weight and rate signals only according to this predetermined schedule.

Apparatus for electronically determining postage in response to weight

A strapping system having a toothed strap and connector for engaging same. The strap is a tensible, resiliently flexible length of material with transverse teeth spaced along least end portions of the strap. The connector comprises a body having at opposite ends a pair of openings each configured for receiving a strap end portion. The body is configured for enclosing at the opposite ends at least a portion of a respective strap end including several teeth. The body defines within it a pair of resilient tooth engagement members for engaging at least one tooth of the respective strap end. The engagement members are each adapted for slidable one-way ratcheting movement relative to the teeth upon a strap end portion being received in a corresponding body end opening, thereby securely maintaining the strap ending in the end opening with the strap in tensile condition relative to the connector.

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Kirkwood, MO, United States of America

James C Valestin