Thermal postage meter drive system

Abstract

The thermal printing postage meter includes a base supporting a registration wall and a deck, a micro controller and a thermal tape cassette detachably mounted to the registration wall. A position assembly is provided for causing a platen roller to assume a print position or a non-print position and for causing the ejection roller to assume an engaged or disengaged position. A single motor is under the control a micro controller. A linkage system is provided which communicates with the motor and a take-up spool. The linkage system sequentially causes the position assembly to position the platen roller in the print position, position the ejection roller in the disengaged position and communicating with the take-up spool when the motor is rotated in a first direction by the micro controller, rotatively drives the platen and rotatively driving the take-up spool when the rotation of the motor is now driven in a reverse direction by the micro controller, causing the first position means to position the platen roller in the non-print position, position the ejection roller in the engaged position and terminating communication with the take-up spool when the motor is again rotated to its first direction by the micro controller, and rotatively driving the ejection rollers when the rotation of the motor is now again driven in the reverse direction by the micro controller.