Patent · US Expired

Optimized drive device for driving items of mail

US5762332A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
7References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 31, 1997
Grant dateJun 9, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 31, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB65H2701/1916
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A drive device for driving items of mail along a conveyor path of a postage meter base, the device being disposed upstream from a print mechanism and including first and second motorized feed rollers cooperating with associated moving backing-rollers mounted on hinged means which can pivot about a common hinge axis against return springs fixed to support means, at least one of the backing-rollers comprising a middle backing-wheel mounted on a lever hinged about the common axis and disposed between twin outer backing-wheels each mounted on a respective lever also hinged about a common axis, such that mail items inserted on the conveyor path come into contact with one only of the outer backing-wheels and the middle backing-wheel, or else with all three backing-wheels, depending respectively on whether or not the items are thinner or thicker than a predetermined thickness.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.