The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 22, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 11, 1997
Gerald C Freeman, Norwalk, CT (US);
Norman R Lilly, Shelton, CT (US);
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
Mailing machine for feeding a mailpiece and printing a postal indicia thereon. The mailing machine includes: a drive assembly for feeding the mailpiece in a path of travel, a printer located adjacent to the path of travel to define a print station, the printer for printing the postal indicia on the mailpiece as the mailpiece is fed through the print station; a wall parallel to the path of travel for registering a top edge of the mailpiece; a shield located in the print station for registering a top surface of the mailpiece, the shield having a suitable opening to allow the printer to print on the top surface of the of the mailpiece; and a guide assembly for biasing the top surface of the mailpiece against the shield. The guide assembly including a first support rail including a first top guide surface and a second top guide surface vertically spaced apart from the first top surface, the first support rail spaced apart transverse to the path of travel from the wall and a device for biasing the first support rail upward so that the mailpiece is fed between the shield and the first support rail as the mailpiece is fed through the print station so that a first type of mailpiece having a width greater than a threshold value contacts the first top guide surface and a second type of mailpiece having a width less than the threshold value contacts the second top guide surface.