Low cost postage applicator
US4246643A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 13, 1978 |
| Grant date | Jan 20, 1981 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 13, 1998 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07B2017/00548
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A low cost postage applicator includes postage printing wheels which can be manually set by thumbwheels accessible through an access opening in a housing. Encoders provide electrical signals representative of the position of each printing wheel. The housing is depressed toward a letter or package to be imprinted. During an initial part of the depression stroke, an inking roller is drawn across the printing wheel face, the access opening is misaligned with the thumbwheels to prevent further setting changes and a contact switch is closed to enable a microcomputer to read and compare the printing wheel settings with the contents of an electronic descending register. If adequate postage is available and if a letter sensing switch indicates that a letter or package is in place, the microcomputer releases a mechanical interlock to allow the housing to be depressed into a printing position in which the printing wheels contact the letter or package. A switch is tripped in the printing position to cause the postage applicator registers to be updated by the amount of postage printed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.