Pitney Bowes Inc.

Michael A Allocca

Gregory M Cinque

In a storage system including a semi-permanent database there is provided apparatus for updating said database comprising: instrumentalities for reading magnetically recorded data and storing said data in said database; a rotatable drum having an exterior circumferentially-extending surface, said drum including a plurality of protrusions extending beyond said exterior surface; a flexible magnetic card including database updating data magnetically recorded on a major surface thereof, said card having opposed side edges extending lengthwise thereof and having a leading edge and a trailing end edge respectively extending transverse to the length thereof, the length of said card being such that one of said end edges is disposable in overlapping relationship with respect to the other of said end edges when said card is wrapped around said drum, said card having a plurality of apertures formed therein, said apertures located to permit registration of a sufficient number of said apertures with said drum protrusions when said card is wrapped around said drum with said major surface facing outwardly and with said end edges disposed in said overlapping relationship for aligning said card on said drum for rotation therewith; an adhesive material affixed to at least one of said end edges for removably adhering said overlapping edges to one another, whereby said card is removably mounted on said drum; and said reading means being disposed in reading relationship with respect to said card's major surface while said card is mounted on said drum.

Database updating apparatus

A system for simultaneously writing current postage rate charts into remote memories associated with a plurality of postage scale or meter microprocessors incorporates carrier wave transmission of encoded rate charts to the microprocessors. A data block, which includes an encoded receiving station address, the encoded postage rate chart, an encoded incremented rate revision designation and encoded error check characters, is transmitted. Each user's scale and/or meter includes a radio receiver, audio to digital conversion circuitry, serial to parallel conversion circuitry, and improper signal rejection circuitry. Optional direct telephone line reception is provided.

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Fairfield, CT, United States of America

Michael A Allocca