Pitney Bowes Inc.

Remington Products Inc.

Sperry Rand Corporation

Walter J Kulpa

Norman L Barrigas

John R Paulik

Frederick W Ryan, Jr

Kevin D Hunter

Jay Reichelsheimer

William D Toth

James Morabito

Chiping Sye

Edward O'Sullivan

Wing-Kwong Keung

Ian R Jenkins

Russell W Holbrook

George M Brookner

Paul R Sette

Thomas W Alesi, Jr

Richard A Sloan, Jr

Hugh St Dannatt

Leo L Wologodzew

Joseph W Guiles

Wayne W Pritchett

Richard D Boughton

Ralph A Rapillo

Thomas Fitzsimmons

Christopher Mallick

Christopher V Hibberd

Howard M Stevens

Aaron M Albert

Daniel R Salomone

Irena Markarchuk

Philip V Bayly

Mary Jo Brigante

Edward Mailhot

An illustrative mailing machine is provided including at least one adjustable optical media width sensor that may be reconfigured for differing postal rating requirements. The media width sensor subassembly has a narrow linear sensor window that is positioned perpendicular to the path of travel of the mail piece. The media width sensor subassembly includes a sensor carriage mount and width measurement scale for facilitating the accurate placement of the adjustable, but secure when placed, sensor carriage. The sensor carriage slidably engages a mount and is spring biased into a locking mechanism in the underside of the media width sensor locating scale.

Adjustable media width sensor for a mailing machine

An illustrative mailing machine is provided including a moistening fluid level indicator. The mailing machine includes a mail piece transport including a mail piece flap opening and moistening assembly, a moistening fluid container operatively connected to the moistening assembly for providing moistening fluid to the moistening assembly, and a fluid level indicator arm operatively connected to the moistening fluid container, wherein the fluid level indicator arm has an indicator surface adjacent to an indicator window for indicating the presence of the moistening fluid level container and for indicating an amount of moistening fluid in the container.

Mailing machine fluid level indicator

Printing systems including top registration plates and electromagnetic-curable inkjet print heads are described including methods for setting the intensity of the related electromagnetic sources. The printer includes a top registration plate that includes a plurality of registration plate print head openings, each opening adjacent to the registration plate. The transparent area is downstream of a UV light source and located above a media ski. In an alternative configuration, the top registration plate includes a transparent area that is adjacent to an opaque area of the registration plate. The transparent area is downstream of the UV light source and located above a media ski and below a light catch used to prevent the UV light from reaching the print heads in the printer.

System and method for registering color ink jet printing in a mailing machine

Printer waste ink subsystem apparatuses are described including an apparatus located between a waste ink pump output port and a waste ink container such as a waste ink pad or sponge for containing waste ink splashing. In one illustrative example, a muffler is placed at the distal end of the waste ink pump discharge port. Such a muffler contains waste ink splatter caused by air bubbles in the waste ink stream as it exits the waste ink pump output port.

Printer waste ink apparatus

A mailing machine is provided for processing mailpiece envelopes including a housing having a transport deck adapted to convey an envelope along a feed path and a receiving station. The mailing machine is reconfigurable to perform one of two mailpiece processing operations by alternately selecting or activating one of two mailpiece modules/assemblies. A first processing module/assembly is disposed along the feed path and is operative to moisten a glue line disposed along an envelope flap during the first mailpiece processing operation. The second processing module assembly is disposed along the feed path and is adapted to cut and open an edge of the envelope during the second mailpiece processing operation. Further, a mechanism for interchangeably receiving one of the first and second the processing modules/assemblies within the receiving station to perform the processing operations.

Reconfigurable mailing system having interchangeable mailpiece sealing and opening modules

A postage meter includes a slot to receive insertion of an envelope. A registration plate defines a top side of the slot. The registration plate has a window formed therein. The registration plate is for defining a printing location for a top surface of the envelope. A print head is mounted above the registration plate for printing a postage indicium on the top surface of the envelope. The postage meter includes a spring-loaded platform for pressing the envelope against the registration plate. The platform has a recess therein facing the window in the registration plate. The recess has a depth of at least about 5 mm. A cantilever spring is positioned between the window and the recess to apply an upward force to the envelope.

Postage meter with improved printing slot

A system for independent translational motion on two axes using one motor is described. In one configuration, a modified dual Scotch Yoke using slots resembling the letter J is utilized to drive both the maintenance station and ink jet head of a mailing machine.

System for independent translational motion on two axes using one motor

An enclosure for protecting at least a portion of a printed circuit board that includes a top and bottom cover each having an insulating layer between an outer conductive layer and an inner conductive layer. Each outer conductive layer and each inner conductive layer are electrically connected to a voltage source to form tamper detection circuits. The enclosure further includes cover switches to detect attempts to lift or remove the covers and a thermal sensor/switch or the like for indicating that a temperature inside the enclosure has moved past a predetermined level due to a tamper attempt. A detection circuit generates and transmits a signal to cause sensitive information contained in one or more electronic components provided on the circuit board to be erased when a tamper attempt is detected.

Security barrier for electronic circuitry

A postage meter includes a print head, a purge unit for removing waste ink from the print head, an ink tray for receiving the waste ink, and a mechanism for heating the ink tray to promote evaporation of the waste ink.

System for evaporating waste ink in a postage meter

A mailing machine print head and carriage that use one or more systems or elements to latch the print head in a controlled location and to guide it into and out of that location in a manner that prevents debris from being transferred to the electrical connector contacts is provided.

Postage meter print head and carriage

A mailing machine including a postage meter for printing evidence of postage payment on a media includes a registration surface, a print head, an envelope transport having at least two nips for keeping the media from skewing and contacting the print head, a media ski ending upstream of the registration surface for pushing the media into contact with the registration surface, and at least one star wheel disposed in an opening of the registration surface for holding the media down as it is fed through the mailing machine.

Postage meter for printing near the top edge of an envelope

A postage meter includes a print head, a purge unit for removing waste ink from the print head, and an ink tray assembly for receiving the waste ink. The ink tray assembly includes a tray and a vapor-permeable, liquid-impermeable cover membrane across the opening of the tray.

Inkjet printing system for containment and evaporation of waste ink

The present invention includes apparatus and methods for feeding a mailpiece along a feed path in a mailing machine. An endless drive belt has a lower belt run adapted to feed a mailpiece in a downstream direction. A plurality of pivot arms are mounted in a sequence below the lower belt run. Each pivot arm has a respective roller mounted on a free end of the pivot arm. A respective bias mechanism associated with each pivot arm biases the pivot arm in an upward direction such that the roller contacts the lower belt run. A first pivot arm actuates a second pivot arm in a downward direction when the first pivot arm is actuated in a downward direction by a mailpiece fed by the endless belt.

Transport mechanism for a mailing machine

A method and system for printing an image such as a postal indicium. A sequence of graphic data blocks is formed, the sequence forming a bitmap representative of the image. The blocks are randomly reordered to form a new sequence, and the blocks are printed in the new sequence without substantial distortion. The blocks may be printed in varying directions, and the printhead may move at varying rates of travel and print at proportional rates as the blocks are printed so as to print the image without substantial distortion. The system may include a motor responsive to a programmable controller and mechanically coupled to the printhead for positioning the printhead, and the programmable controller and the motor can be enclosed in a secure housing so that no signals for controlling the motor are available outside of the housing.

Method and system for secure printing of image

An ink cartridge insertion/extraction mechanism includes a cover pivotally mounted to the housing of the ink cartridge holder. A pair of links are pivotally mounted to the cover and extend into the ink cartridge holder. The bottom of each link is provided with a boss that extends into the ink cartridge holder that contacts the bottom of ink cartridge. As the cover is rotated closed, a pushing rib on the cover contacts the top of the ink cartridge and pushes the ink cartridge further into the holder, causing the needles to puncture the septum of the ink cartridge. To extract the ink cartridge, the cover is rotated from the closed position to the open position, lifting the links until the bosses at the bottom end contact the bottom of the ink cartridge and lift the ink cartridge off of the needles.

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Trumbull, CT, United States of America

Walter J Kulpa