Pitney Bowes Inc.

Jovito N Abellana

Donald T Dolan

Danilo P Buan

Thomas M Lyga

Easwaran C Nambudiri

Edward C Duwel

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 improved combination is comprised of a postage meter insertable into and removable from a base receptacle. The postage meter includes a housing, an aperture in housing and aperture shield positionable along the housing to selectively cover or uncover the aperture. The receptacle has an engaging assembly for engaging the shield of a predetermined location of the postage meter within the receptacle. A drive motor is provided for driving the engaging assembly for positioning the shield. The drive motor is mounted in the base and can be selectively coupled to the engaging assembly.

Locking device for removable postage meter

A platen module is fixably mounted to the base of a modular mailing machine. A support wall is fixably mounted to the base. Also fixably mounted to the base of the mailing machine is a drive motor having an output shaft and plurality of gears fixably mounted to the respective ends of the output shaft. A guide rod is slidably mounted vertically to the support wall and a platen plate fixably mounted to the guide rod. A plurality of rack post are fixably mounted at one end to the platen plate and in constant mesh with a respective one of the gears.

Platen module for a modular mailing machine

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.

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

A platen module is fixably mounted to the base of a modular mailing machine. A support wall is fixably mounted to the base. Also fixably mounted to the base of the mailing machine is a drive motor having a output shaft and a plurality of gears fixably mounted the respective ends of the output shaft. A guide rod is slidably mounted vertically to the support wall and a platen plate fixably mounted to the guide rode. A plurality of rack post are fixably mounted at one end to the platen plate and in constant mesh with a respective one of the gears.

An electronically controlled mailing machine is provided which includes a housing having a slot into which an envelope may be inserted, a platen movably connected to said housing, a print head overhanging said platen, and structure for moving the platen into engagement with an envelope inserted into the slot for urging the envelope into imprinting engagement with the print head. In addition there is provided a computer, for controlling the platen moving means, and switching apparatus including a member movably connected to the housing and extending into said slot for movement by an envelope inserted into the slot. The switching apparatus includes an optical sensing device mounted within the housing and electrically connected to the computer. The sensing device is responsive to movement of the member for signalling the computer. And the computer is responsive to the signalling for causing the platen moving structure to move the platen. It is a feature of the invention that the computer include a microprocessor, a strobe and a program for controlling the microprocessor. The strobe is electrically connected to the microprocessor and to the optical sensing means to permit the microprocessor, under the control of the program, to intermittently energize the optical sensing device, whereby the life of the optical sensing device is extended.

Mailing machine with envelope insertion sensing apparatus

The invention has particular utility when utilized in a stand-alone electronic 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. 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. 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.

Growing community of inventors

Trumbull, CT, United States of America

Jovito N Abellana