摘要:
A thermal printing postage dispensing apparatus that is able to print a postage indicia on a mail piece in a secure manner. A thermal ribbon is provided which has pre-formed images thereon that are of a reduced size in the longitudinal direction. When the images are to be transferred to an envelope to print a postage indicia by a dot matrix thermal printer, the envelope is driven at a greater speed than the ribbon. This results in the indicia being printed on the envelope with a standard size. The preformed images represent the non-variable portion of a postage indicia; whereas, the variable data of the postage indicia is printed by a thermal printer in blank areas left by the pre-formed images.
摘要:
A postal finishing kiosk in which a user is provided with a mail piece, such as a postcard. The user supplies the name and address to which the mail piece is to be sent and the kiosk dispenses a finished mail piece to the user with the address printer thereon. A feature of the kiosk is that it stores the mail piece forms on a roll, but delivers a linear mail piece to the user. In an alternative to the invention, the kiosk dispenses a ticket to the user that can be used in activities of the environment in which the kiosk is found.
摘要:
A mailing machine comprised of a plurality of modules, each of the modules a particular process function on a delivered envelope. The modules are arranged with in a single process station. The comprising modules include a scale module having means for weighing a envelope, a transport module having means for positioning the envelope in the process station and ejecting the envelope from the process station, a meter module having printing means for imprinting an indicia on the envelope, a platen module having means for causing the envelope to contact the printing means of the meter module, and a inking module having means for causing printing ink to be deposited on the printing means of the meter module. The modules operate in a manner functionally independent of any other module and in a manner. A tape module is included having means for positioning a tape for indicia printing between the meter module. A cutter module is further included having means for cutting the tape porting subsequent to indicia printing thereon.
摘要:
A mailing machine comprised of a plurality of modules, each of the modules a particular process function on a delivered envelope. The modules are arranged within a single process station. The comprising modules include a scale module having means for weighing a envelope, a transport module having means for positioning the envelope in the process station and ejecting the envelope from the process station, a meter module having printing means for imprinting an indicia on the envelope, a platen module having means for causing the envelope to contact the printing means of the meter module, and an inking module having means for causing printing ink to be deposited on the printing means of the meter module. The modules operate in a manner functionally independent of any other module and in a manner. A tape module is included having means for positioning a tape for indicia printing between the meter module. A cutter module is further included having means for cutting the tape porting subsequent to indicia printing thereon.
摘要:
Oscillating and alternatively locking apparatus and method of determining the mass of an article by the shift of the period of oscillation of a flexibly mounted platform. An article whose mass is to be determined is placed upon the platform. The platform is caused to oscillate and the period of harmonic motion is calibrated. This period is compared against the period of harmonic motion when there is no article upon the platform, and the difference, or shift, in frequency, allows a determination of the mass of the article. A reversible motor is used to provide drive to a conveyor for transporting mail pieces onto the tray and for causing oscillation of the tray for purposes of weighing.
摘要:
Method and apparatus for printing a scannable bar code pattern is described. A high speed bar code printer produces a line spacing distance to a preselected value so that a plurality of identical horizontal lines of vertically oriented code bars may be printed in vertical overlapped relation so as to form a single vertically heightened bar code. This taller bar code pattern is more easily and efficiently scanned with the optical read head.
摘要:
A steerable wing-type sail system for a wind powered craft. The system includes first and second secondary airfoils and that are spaced outwardly to the sides of the plane of the main wing, and that are positioned rearwardly of the trailing edge of the wing. The secondary airfoils are selectively pivotable so as to steer the main wing in one direction or the other. The main wing is also provided with a pivoting flap at its trailing edge, which pivots simultaneously with and in the same direction as the secondary airfoils. The secondary airfoils are carried on elongate horizontal booms mounted near the mid-span height of the main wing. The secondary airfoils pivot about vertical axes at the distal ends of the booms, and are operated by control cables that are retracted and paid out by linear actuators or similar mechanisms. The craft may be multi-hull vessel, such as a catamaran. The control mechanism for the secondary airfoils may operate the airfoils in response to signals received from one or more onboard sensors. The system is suitable for use on an autonomous unmanned surface vessel (AUSV).
摘要:
An apparatus for producing items in selected configurations and a system, and method for controlling the same. More particularly, an apparatus for producing mail pieces and a system and method for controlling it to produce mail pieces in a variety of configurations are disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser printer and folding sealing apparatus controlled by a data processor. The folder sealer apparatus combines sheets printed by the laser printer with pre-printed sheets and envelope forms, which also may be printed by the laser printer or may be windowed envelopes, folds the sheets as necessary and folds and seals the envelope form about the folded sheets to produce a mail piece. A user inputs a configuration for the mail piece which is translated by the data processor into a data structure and transmitted to the controller of the folder sealer apparatus. The controller controls devices comprised in the laser printer and the folder sealer by executing state routines in accordance with the data structure to produce the mail piece in the defined configuration. Concurrently the data processor transmits text from an output file to the laser printer for printing on printed sheets and envelope forms. The data processor also controls the laser printer to print an address for the mail piece either on an envelope form or on a printed sheet in a position where it will be visible through the envelope. Thus the apparatus is controlled to process an output file stored in the data processor into a mail run having a selected configuration.
摘要:
Apparatus and method of determining the mass of an article by the shift of the period of oscillation of a flexibly mounted tray. An article whose mass is to be determined is placed upon the tray which is caused to oscillate and the period of harmonic motion is calibrated. This period is compared against the period of harmonic motion when there is no article upon the tray, and the difference, or shift, in frequency, allows a determination of the mass of the article. The tray is supported by a plurality of flexible members having parallelogram configuration that eliminates bending stresses.
摘要:
Transport and drive apparatus and method for use in determining the weight of an article. An article whose mass is to be determined is transported upon the plan of a weighing scale by a combination of rollers attached to the tray and drive rollers received within an opening of the tray. A reversible motor is used to provide drive to a conveyor rollers for transporting mail pieces onto the tray and for withdrawing the rollers upon reverse drive for purposes of weighing.