Computer responsive postage meter

US3938095A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Pitney Bowes Inc. · US

Inventors

• Frank Check · San Jose, US
• Alton B. Eckert · Norwalk, US
• Bruce E. Hinman · Ridgefield, US
• Howell A. Jones · Southport, US
• Raymond R. Lupkas · Trumbull, US
• Robert B. McFiggans · Stamford, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 16, 1973
• Grant date: Feb 10, 1976
• Expiry date: Oct 16, 1993

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07B2017/0062
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A high volume mailing installation is disclosed in which the output of a programmable high speed electronic digital computer provides destination and postage amount information, a high speed chain printer driven by the computer prints the destination information on address labels, and an authorized postage printing meter is mounted piggy-back fashion on the chain printer and responds to the same computer for automatic printing of authorized postage impressions of the calculated amount on the same mailing labels. The meter includes a fast, rugged solenoid-actuated segmented flat bed postage printer unit and fixed-program electronic digital postal accounting circuitry, with appropriate security features to prevent or detect postal fraud.