Pitney Bowes Inc.

Roger W Pryor

Arthur Rubinstein

Gregory M Cinque

A semiconductor strain gauge comprises an elastic member having a surface subject to stress; a semiconductor substrate secured to the elastic member and including at least one PN junction wherein both the P type and N type material is composed of amorphous semiconducting material; and an electrical connection for conducting a signal indicative of strain.

Semiconductor strain gauge

A semiconductor strain gauge comprises an elastic member having a surface subject to stress; a semiconductor substrate composed of an amorphous semiconducting material secured to the surface of the elastic member; and an electrical connection on the amorphous material for conducting a signal indicative of strain.

A processor controlled postage meter includes memories for storage of meter account balance data. Thermal security of the balance data is maintained through the employment of magnetic core memories constructed to withstand high temperatures which may be generated during a fire at the location of the meter. The magnetic core memory includes a matrix of toroids arranged in a plane and encased within ceramic cement for thermal insulation. The toroids are preferably formed of a non-oxidized pure metal magnetic alloy having a Curie temperature of at least 650 degrees Celsius.

Thermally secure postage meter system

A method and apparatus are disclosed for reproducing an original gray scale image that may be divided into an array of discrete picture elements. The method comprises the steps of scanning each of the picture elements in the array on the original image to determine its gray level and location in the array and generating sequential signals that contain data indicative of the gray level and location in the array of each of the scanned picture elements. The gray level of the entire array is calculated from the data on each of its individual picture elements in accordance with a gray scale function. On a reproduction medium in an array of reproduction locations corresponding to the picture element array, locations are sequentially darkened in order of decreasing gray level, beginning at the location that corresponds to the scanned picture element having the darkest gray level, until the gray level of the reproduction array substantially equals the calculated gray level of the scanned picture element array. Therefore, the gray level distribution of the picture element array is substantially duplicated on the reproduction array to provide maximum resolution within the capability of the scanning and darkening systems. In addition, this method reduces the amount of data processed in order to reproduce maximum image resolution. The apparatus for performing this method comprises various components for performing each of its steps.

Method and apparatus for reproducing an original gray scale image

A moire optical transducer is described which has a minimal optical operating error. In normal moire grating sets, the lines of the gratings each inherently possess a periodic error in line spacing. This periodic error cannot be eliminated, but through the use of the instant invention, its influence on the optical operation of the transducer can be minimized. The stationary grating set has at least one window of grating lines. The length of the window is made to be a length which is a multiple of the length of the periodic error in the movable grating set. The net result is a decisive cancellation of a major portion of the error.

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Trumbull, CT, United States of America

Roger W Pryor