Pitney Bowes Inc.

Ming Xiao

Steven A Supron

Joseph H Marzullo

Brian S Thompson

Joseph A Cannaverde

Disclosed is a self rising cover assembly for use on a machine housing which includes a frame and a plurality of panels connected to the frame to define the machine housing. The cover assembly includes a flat body member which is pivotally connected to a portion of the frame to pivot from a closed horizontal position to an open nearly vertical position to provide operator access to the interior of the machine housing. A spring loaded actuator is interconnected between the body member and the frame which exerts sufficient upward torque on the body member to overcome the downward torque on the body member from the force of gravity to urge the body member upwardly after it has been manually lifted through a relatively short distance, after which the actuator moves the body member to the fully open position. The amount of torque exerted on the body member by the actuator to ensure that it becomes self rising at the desired point in its upward movement and that it remains in the open position until it is manually closed.

Self rising cover assembly for machine housing

An apparatus is provided for buffering transport of freshly inked documents. The apparatus has a plurality of opposite, parallel, threaded conical screw conveyers. Each pitch of the screw conveyer creates a drying station for an inked document. As inked documents travel upon the threads of the screw conveyers, the conical shape of the conveyers maintain the document in a substantially central position. A lower deck is provided for receiving inked documents. The buffer apparatus has a pusher mechanism to control document movement from the buffer to a downstream document handler, such as an envelope flapper.

Apparatus for buffering transport of document using conical screw

An apparatus for buffering transport of freshly inked documents is comprised of an upper deck oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane. The apparatus has a plurality of opposite, parallel, threaded screw conveyers orthogonal to the upper deck. Inked documents travel upon the threads of the screw conveyers. A lower deck is provided for receiving inked documents. An eject pin mechanism causes the inked documents to be delivered from the apparatus.

Apparatus for buffering transport of documents

In a mechanism for detecting double sheets fed from a feeder, including an actuator arm operatively coupled at one end to a magnet and at the other end to a paper follower, wherein the paper follower follows the profile of each sheet or group of sheets being conveyed between the paper follower and a fixed transport deck below thereto, the paper follower causing the actuator arm to pivot about a first axis to raise and lower the magnet with respect to a stationary electromagnetic sensor, an improvement comprises a flat spring mounted at one end to a shaft extending along the first axis, and a lever, having a pin for supporting an other end of the flat spring. The lever is pivotally mounted along a second axis for pivoting the pin between at least a first and second position wherein the flat spring provides a first dampening load to the paper follower and the actuator arm when the lever is in the fist position and provides a second dampening load to the actuator arm when the lever is in the second position.

Growing community of inventors

Terryville, CT, United States of America

Ming Xiao