Pitney Bowes Inc.

Robert E Manna

William J Wright

John R Masotta

John W Sussmeier

Harry E Luperti

Charles C Fuller

Robert Irvine

Daniel J Williams

Seymour Feinland

Timothy R Erwin

Leonard M Pengue

A right angle turn module having a first transport that transports side-by-side sheets in a first direction. Downstream of the first sheet transport a barrier is positioned to stop the sheets. A sensor device detects an arrival of the side-by-side sheets at the stop arrangement. Then, an actuated second sheet transport, triggered by the sensor device, is activated to transport the sheets serially in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. In a preferred embodiment, a horizontal guide plate is positioned at a downstream end of the first sheet transport. With the guide plate thus positioned, a sheet traveling in the first direction and a sheet traveling in the second direction can temporarily be overlapped and a collision can be avoided. In a further preferred embodiment, the first transport further comprises overhead belts to urge the side-by-side pair of sheets in the first direction. The overhead belts may be tensioned so as to slip over a top surface of the side-by-side pair of sheets while urging the pair of sheets towards the stop arrangement.

High throughput right angle turn module

An improved sheet accumulator for stacking serially fed sheets transported on a paper path includes a guide deck. Above the guide deck, a plurality of parallel belts are positioned to provide a driving force for sheets on the deck. Within the accumulator, a ramp apparatus is positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus. Sheets are stopped by an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected. When an accumulation is completed, the accumulator stop mechanism allows sheets to be transported from the accumulating region.

High throughput sheet accumulator

An improved sheet accumulator for stacking serially fed sheets transported on a paper path. The accumulator includes a guide deck. Above the guide deck, a plurality of parallel belts are positioned to provide a driving force for sheets on the deck. Within the accumulator, a ramp apparatus is positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus. Preferably, snap-down belts are provided between ramp structures snap transported sheets quickly into place on the stack and to hold them there. Sheets are stopped by an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected. When an accumulation is completed, the accumulator stop mechanism allows sheets to be transported from the accumulating region. Preferably the guide deck and ramp are adjustable for different sized sheets.

A turnbar for use in a sheet accumulator having an accumulating assembly which causes sheets serially and separately entering an entry point to overlap each other to form a stack at an exit point. The turnbar is used to change the direction of the sheets at the entry point and the stack at the exit point. The turnbar can be disengaged from the accumulating assembly for jam clearance and maintenance purposes. Preferably, the turnbar has a securing mechanism for removably mounting the turnbar on the sheet accumulator.

Removable turnbar in a sheet accumulator

The thermal ribbon cassette is attachable to a thermal printing apparatus, the cassette housing is formed by a forward section attached to a rear wall to define a chamber. A supply spool is rotatively mounted to the forward section and the rear wall in the chamber. The supply spool has an ink transfer ribbon continuously wrapped there around and a number of interrupters continuously formed around the edge of the spool. A drag spring is mounted to the rear wall and biased against the interrupters for providing a rotational drag force. The take-up spool is rotatively mounted to the forward section and the rear wall in the chamber, the ink transfer ribbon has one end fixably mounted to the take-up spool and a portion extending through slots in the housing such that a portion of the ink transfer ribbon extends externally to said chamber. A locking gear arrangement is provided for preventing rotation of the take-up spool except in a forward direction.

Thermal ink cassette for a thermal printing device

A postage meter of the flat-bed type is provided with detachable indicia plate. The indicia plate includes a plurality of tabs which are secured in receiving aperture in a formed recess in the base of the postage meter. The indicia plate also includes a locking pin which in a first orientation permits the pin to pass through an aperture in the meter base. The locking pin then, upon reorientation, prevents removal of the locking pin.

Replaceable postage meter indicia

A postage meter having a fixed coplanar printing die is provided with security means to prevent making of fraudulent impressions. This security means involves the use of interposers extending upward and through the space into which an envelope or other workpieces may be inserted. During the legitimate cycling operation these interposers are moved out of guarding position and the postage meter carries out its normal function.

Postage meter

A mass produced weight measuring system includes an optical transducer for determining the displacement of a scale load support structure with respect to a scale frame. To facilitate mass fabrication an optical transducer is produced and both gratings adjusted for alignment as a subassembly unit independent of the scale frame and load support structure; the clearance between the grating planes is set and the movable grating temporarily fixed. Nonlinearities in scale load support deflection inherent with the scale linkage and providing components other than true vertical deflection are compensated by adjustment of the grating angle from a horizontal plane. During scale assembly, the scale frame and load support structure are placed in a main fixture, a transducer subassembly unit is selected, mounted to a subfixture and the grating planes referenced to scale assembly reference planes; then the transducer body is epoxy potted relative to the frame and the movable grating potted relative to the load support structure. The movable grating is then freed for movement relative to the transducer body.

Mass produced weight measuring system

For use with a copier of the type which includes a document illuminating station, a platen at the illuminating station and instrumentalities for flash illuminating respective documents at the illuminating station, there is provided a document feeder which includes a plurality of document feeding instrumentalities. A first feeding instrumentality is provided for feeding respective documents to the platen, a second feeding instrumentality is provided for feeding documents from the platen, and a third feeding instrumentality is provided for feeding documents both to and from the platen. Apparatus is provided for moving the third feeding instrumentality out of document feeding engagement with respective documents fed to the platen to permit such documents to settle on the platen prior to illumination. In addition, apparatus is provided for holding documents fed to the platen in document feeding relationship with respect to the second feeding instrumentality to, for example, prevent movement of the respective documents out of such feeding relationship while settling on the platen.

Document feeder for a copier

Apparatus for self-positioning a platen covering device of a copier having a platen. The apparatus includes a linkage assembly for movably supporting the platen covering device; resilient means biased for moving the covering device from a predetermined position for feeding respective documents to respective non-document feeding positions and means for maintaining the covering device at said predetermined position and said respective positions to which the covering device is moved.

Means for self-positioning platen covers

Self-positioning apparatus for a platen covering device is provided for a copier of the type which includes a platen, instrumentalities for flash illuminating a document placed by an operator on the platen, and a platen covering device such as a document feeder or a flat, opaque sheet of material or the like. The apparatus includes a linkage assembly for movably supporting the platen covering device; a manually releasable latch for holding the covering device at a predetermined position for holding respective documents of minimal thickness in contact with the platen; and resilient means including at least one torsion bar for urging the covering device away from said predetermined position, when said latch is released, for holding respective documents of greater thickness in contact with said platen.

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Newtown, CT, United States of America

Robert E Manna