EP0499726A1 - Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Rücksetzen einer mechanischen Frankiermaschine - Google Patents

Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Rücksetzen einer mechanischen Frankiermaschine Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0499726A1
EP0499726A1 EP19910301268 EP91301268A EP0499726A1 EP 0499726 A1 EP0499726 A1 EP 0499726A1 EP 19910301268 EP19910301268 EP 19910301268 EP 91301268 A EP91301268 A EP 91301268A EP 0499726 A1 EP0499726 A1 EP 0499726A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
resetting
shaft
gear
motor
amount
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
EP19910301268
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
John J. Horbal
James S. Emmett
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Hasler Inc
Original Assignee
Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems Inc
International Mailing Systems Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems Inc, International Mailing Systems Inc filed Critical Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems Inc
Priority to EP19910301268 priority Critical patent/EP0499726A1/de
Publication of EP0499726A1 publication Critical patent/EP0499726A1/de
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
    • G07B2017/00338—Error detection or handling
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00516—Details of printing apparatus
    • G07B2017/00524—Printheads
    • G07B2017/00548—Mechanical printhead

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a remote resetting mechanical postage meter and more particularly to a mechanical postage meter with an electromechanical resetting unit that makes available additional postage from the meter when authorized to do so.
  • Postage meters have been proposed that avoid the necessity of being taken to the Post Office for resetting.
  • Early proposals used mechanical combination locks having predetermined combinations that changed with each resetting.
  • the combinations stored in the meter were known to a central authority with a "data center", but not to the user. If the data center approved the introduction of a fixed amount of additional postage, it advised the user of the next combination. The user would enter the next combination, and the meter would be reset by adding the fixed postage amount to the descending register total. In meters of this kind punched tapes were sometimes suggested as the means for storing the fixed series of combinations.
  • a postage meter setting device for a postage meter of the kind having at least one mechanical register, the device including motive means for resetting the register, means for enabling the motive means, and means responsive to an authorising input for actuating the means for enabling the motive means.
  • a method of resetting a mechanical postage meter having a mechanical descending register including:
  • a method of resetting a mechanical postage meter having a mechanical descending register comprising:
  • This method may further comprise the steps of continuing directing movement of the resetting gear axially with the enabling mechanism increasing amounts in opposite directions, continuing directing to the electromechanical motive resetting mechanism an input sufficient to turn the resetting gear a test amount, and continuing comparing of the desired test amount with the resultant actual amount of turning, for as long as the comparing indicates that the resultant actual turning is not sufficiently close or equal to the last test amount of turning so as to indicate an unjammed condition or until a predetermined number of iterations of directed gear movement, test turning and comparing is reached.
  • the method may also comprise correcting the axial location of the gear after a jam has been cleared including directing movement of the resetting gear axially by the enabling mechanism an amount sufficient to move the resetting gear into rotation blocking engagement with the rotation blocking member, directing movement of the resetting gear axially by the enabling mechanism towards disengagement with the blocking member an amount insufficient to cause the disengagement, directing a rotation of the resetting gear by the resetting mechanism an amount greater than can be accomplished while the resetting gear engages the blocking member, providing an indication of the amount of rotation actually accomplished by the resetting gear, comparing the accomplished rotation to the rotation directed, further axially moving the resetting gear when the actual rotation is less than the rotation directed, directing a rotation of the resetting gear by the resetting mechanism an amount greater than can be accomplished while the resetting gear engages the blocking member, providing an indication of the amount of rotation actually accomplished by the resetting gear, comparing the accomplished rotation to the rotation directed, further axially moving the resetting gear when the actual rotation
  • a postage meter setting device for use with a postage meter of the kind having at least one resettable mechanical register of available postage; the resetting device including a resetting motor, electrically operable enabling means for movement from a position in which operation of the motor is blocked to a second position operatively connecting the motor to the register, and means responsive to an authorising input signal to eletrically operate the enabling means and to cause operation of the motor to drive the register in a meter resetting direction.
  • the invention provides a meter setting device wherein the postage meter further includes an output shaft associated with the motive means, an axially movable coupling on the output shaft adapted to couple the output shaft to the resetting shaft, the enabling means comprising means connected to the movable coupling to effect axial movement of at least a portion thereof.
  • a mechanical meter setting device suitable for use with a mechanical postage meter, i.e. a meter with a mechanical descending register, includes a first motor, or other motive means, for turning the mechanical descending register resetting provisions to increase the amount of postage available from the meter, and another motor, or other motive means, for enabling the first motive means to effect the resetting. More particularly, a first stepper motor and control electronics provide the precise turning of a shaft that resets the descending register, while a second stepper motor, its control electronics, and a linkage driven by it move the resetting shaft into and out of resetting relation with the descending register to enable resetting.
  • the second stepper motor and linkage moves the resetting shaft of the meter axially to move a resetting gear on the resetting shaft out of engagement with a fixed blocking member or pin and into engagement with a gear of the descending register that is used to increase the value on the descending register.
  • the enabling second motor When used for remote resetting, the enabling second motor is activated by its electronics when a central processing unit (CPU) approves resetting (for example upon recognizing a combination) and authorizes resetting. Activation of the enabling motor couples the first motor and the resetting provisions of the descending register by the axial movement of the resetting shaft. The first resetting stepper motor is then energized to turn an amount that represents the value of requested postage.
  • CPU central processing unit
  • An axially movable coupling permits movement of the resetting shaft without decoupling the resetting shaft from the output shaft of the first stepper motor.
  • the axially movable coupling which is secured to the resetting shaft, carries a bushing between shoulders formed on the coupling.
  • the coupling is rotatable within the bushing.
  • the linkage driven by the second stepper motor can be a pivotal arm, or pair of arms, connected to the bushing, pivotally supported at a fulcrum, and pivoted by the second stepper motor.
  • a lead screw, carrying a lead screw nut, connected to the pivotal arm or arms is operated by the second stepper motor to drive the linkage and move the resetting shaft.
  • the gear carried on the resetting shaft when retracted from the descending register resetting gear, once again engages the rotation preventing blocking member or pin and is locked.
  • the CPU for the resetting device contains a program routine that determines when the resetting shaft gear is correctly located for resetting.
  • the second stepper motor is activated, but insufficiently to cause the shaft to move far enough axially to move the gear out of engagement with the rotation blocking pin.
  • the first stepper motor is pulsed a number of times that corresponds with a small rotational movement, but greater than can be accomplished, because of the continued engagement of the gear with the rotation blocking pin.
  • An encoder coupled to the shaft of the first stepper supplies information to the CPU indicating how far the shaft actually turned. The CPU determines that the first motor did not accomplish the rotation called for by the input to the motor.
  • Another input is directed to the second stepper motor, moving the linkage farther, and then the first stepper motor is pulsed as before. This is continued until the amount of rotation indicated by the encoder corresponds to the input to the first stepper motor. At that time it is clear that the gear has moved out of engagement with the rotation blocking pin and is engaged with the resetting gear on the descending register.
  • An additional input is directed to the second stepper motor to assure a minimum clearance exists between the gear and the rotation blocking pin. Sufficient pulses are now supplied to the first stepper to set into the descending register the desired amount of postage.
  • the control electronics retains the total amount the second, enabling motor has moved throughout the several movements toward gear engagement and now drives the motor a like amount in the gear withdrawal direction.
  • the second motor is turned twice its previous number of steps in the opposite direction, the first motor is again commanded to turn and the accomplished turning is compared. If the comparison is still unsuccessful, then three times the previous rotation of the second stepper motor is commanded with the direction again reversed. The comparison is made and the process is continued with greater turning in each direction until the jam is cleared or until a chosen cutoff number of axial movements at which the jam is declared hopeless and the resetting is aborted.
  • the amount of axial movement to be used in the next resetting is updated by an amount of movement related to that which was necessary to clear the jam, stored as a change in the minimum clearance added after the gear has been found to be free of the rotation blocking pin.
  • a postage meter 20 appears in Fig. 1.
  • Levers 36 extending into slots in the face of the meter are the means for setting the postage to be printed.
  • the postage that has been set for printing is visible on a register seen through a window as indicated at 37.
  • Passing a piece of mail through a slot 23 activates a postage printer in the meter to apply the selected amount of postage to the piece of mail.
  • Each application of postage in this fashion decrements a mechanical descending register 39 visible through a window 40.
  • the value appearing on the descending register 39 is the value of postage still available to be printed by the meter 20.
  • a running total of the postage printed can be seen on a mechanical ascending register 41 that is visible through a second window 42. All of the above is conventional.
  • the meter 20 is a mechanical meter, by which is meant a meter having mechanical ascending and descending registers as shown.
  • Other mechanical meters have electronic postage setting means such as a keypad, microprocessor, and display, but remain mechanical meters because the ascending and descending registers are mechanical.
  • this invention relates only to mechanical meters. In an electronic meter the ascending and descending registers are electronic.
  • a "meter unit” 26 is the resetting device that makes possible resetting of the meter without carrying the meter to the post office.
  • the meter unit 26 is physically attached to the meter 20 at the location of the entry door where manual resetting is ordinarily accomplished by a postal employee. An interlock incapacitates the meter if the resetting device 26 is removed without authority.
  • a communications unit 27 is, in this case, a separately enclosed unit with a keypad 47 and an LCD display 48. The communications unit 27 is used to request, from a central computer or "host”, resetting of the meter 20 with additional postage.
  • the meter resetting device or meter unit 26 has electronics 49 that include a CPU 50.
  • the CPU may include a microprocessor, random access memory, and read only memory. It is in communication with the communications unit 27 of Fig. 1 via the cable 45.
  • a register reset device or mechanism 51 connects with the CPU 50 of the meter unit via such interface circuits 52 and 53 as required.
  • An enabling device 54 receives instructions from the CPU 50 via such interface circuit 56 as it may require. This mechanism 54 enables the register reset device 51 when appropriate.
  • An output 58 from the register reset mechanism 51 is a mechanical output to increase the available postage in the mechanical descending register 39 of a postage meter.
  • the communications unit 27 of Fig. 1 is responsible for communicating with the remote host computer by modem, receiving information from the user via the keypad 47, providing information to the user via the display 48, and forwarding information to the meter unit 26.
  • the CPU 50 causes the descending register 39 to be reset when it receives an appropriate authorizing input such as a combination that it recognizes as appropriate.
  • the CPU 50 receives the value of the variable amount of postage requested from the communications unit, where the user has input this value at the key pad 47.
  • the CPU 50 begins the routine that will, first, enable resetting, second, add into the descending register the desired value of additional postage, and third, disable further resetting.
  • the relationship of the resetting mechanism 51 and the enabling mechanism 54 is shown in Fig. 3 in association with the mechanical descending register 39.
  • the resetting mechanism 51 includes a stepper motor 61.
  • the interface circuit 52 is its commercially available control circuit. This circuit converts inputs, on lines 67, from the CPU 50, or an intermediate register, if needed, and converts them to stepping motor inputs to the motor on line 62, to control the amount of rotation of the motor.
  • An encoder 64 is part of the resetting mechanism 51.
  • Its commercially available output circuit is the interface circuit 53 that provides to the CPU 50, or an intermediate register, if needed, an electrical output indication, on lines 66, of the amount of rotation of the shaft 63 of the stepper motor 61.
  • the enabling device 54 includes a stepper motor 69. Its commercially available control circuit is the interface circuit 56. Input data to its commercially available stepper motor control circuit is on lines 72 from the CPU 50 or an intermediate register.
  • the second coupling member 81 receives and is affixed to a descending register setting shaft 85.
  • the setting shaft 85 is movable axially from a locked position shown in Fig. 3 to a resetting position.
  • a descending register resetting gear 87 engages a fixed locking pin 89 secured to a fixed plate 91 in the meter.
  • the gear 87 and shaft 85 are unable to rotate other than the very slight turning permitted by the clearance between the pin 89 and the gear teeth of the gear 87.
  • the gear 87 has moved to the broken line position 87' shown in Fig.
  • Registers of the nature of the descending register 39 are known in the art, and indeed previous, manually resettable meters used descending registers of this kind, as well as the axially movable resetting shaft, the locking pin, and the shaft-mounted resetting gear for manual resetting by a postal worker.
  • a descending register detent gear 94 affixed on the setting shaft 85 is engaged by a spring-biased pin 96. The pin 96 is urged radially inward to reside between and in engagement with teeth of the detent gear when the register has been set.
  • Automatic resetting of the descending register 39 is begun by the stepper motor 69 moving the setting shaft 85 to the setting position to enable resetting of the register.
  • the motor 69 turns a lead screw 98 secured to an output shaft 99 of the motor.
  • a lead screw nut 101 receives the lead screw 98 in threaded engagement.
  • the nut 101 has secured thereto a pair of laterally extending pins 102 (one shown).
  • a pair of levers 103 (one shown) is pivoted centrally at a fulcrum 106 on a mounting member 107. Slots 109 in the levers 103 receive the pins 102.
  • an enabling signal is supplied to the stepper motor 69 via its circuitry 56 to drive the lead screw 98.
  • the lead screw nut 101 is retracted towards the stepper motor 69 to pivot the levers 103 and drive the bushing 111, the axially movable member 81 of the coupling 77, and the setting shaft 85 of the meter to the left in Fig. 3.
  • This then, enables resetting of the descending register 39 by moving the resetting gear 87 into engagement with the descending register gear 93.
  • the gear 87 is now turned an amount determined by an input to the stepper motor 61 via its circuit 52.
  • the stepper motor 69 is signaled to rotate the lead screw 98, moving the nut 101 to the left to move the shaft 85 to the right, withdraw the setting gear 87 from the descending register gear 93, and once again lock the setting shaft 85 by engagement of the setting gear 87 with the pin 89.
  • the enabling mechanism 54 that includes the stepper motor 69 disables the resetting mechanism 51 that includes the stepper motor 61. Because the detent pin 96 is located between and in firm engagement with teeth of the detent gear 94, the resetting gear 87 is properly positioned to move onto the pin 89.
  • the CPU then causes, at 125, the electronics 52 of the resetting motor 61 to deliver a series of pulses sufficient to cause the motor 61 to turn y steps, through an angle known to be more than the angle that the gear 87 can turn while it is in engagement with the pin 89.
  • the CPU receives z, the output from encoder 64 and its circuitry 53, at step 126.
  • the CPU 50 compares, at 129, the rotation that it has directed the setting motor 61 to effect with the actual amount of rotation as indicated to it by the encoder 64 and its associated circuitry 53.
  • the CPU determines that the motor 61 has turned less than instructed and, by an output to the electronics 56 of the motor 69, instructs the motor 69 to move the gear 87 a further distance x', as indicated at 130.
  • the CPU updates x, adding x' to the previously stored x in memory, at 123, and again delivers to the circuitry 62 instructions to pulse the motor 61 a number y of pulses, at 125.
  • the CPU delivers, at 132, to the resetting motor circuit 52 in Fig. 3, instructions to step the motor 61 through an angle of rotation that corresponds to the desired variable amount v of postage to be added to the postage remaining in the descending register.
  • the CPU 50 receives the output v' from the encoder 64 and its circuit 53 at lines 66 representing the amount the motor 61 has actually turned.
  • the CPU compares the two, v and v', at 135, to be sure that the correct amount of postage has been set into the register 39. If the actual rotation v' differs from the desired rotation v by less than an amount j, the CPU continues with the resetting routine.
  • x is further updated, at 140, to be a slight amount i less than the total movement ( ⁇ x+x') that is the revised x so that initially the gear will not fully move off the blocking pin, but only a slight further movement will be needed.
  • the resetting routine is then ended as indicated at 141.
  • the resetting device is unaffected by mechanical tolerances and wear of the pin 89, gear 87, and gear 93.
  • the jam clearing routine illustrated in Fig. 5, detects the jamming, frees the jam, completes loading of postage, re-establishes the reverse axial movement of the resetting shaft, and updates the minimum clearance amount to prevent future jamming.
  • the mechanism is subject to jamming in two ways: the axial movement of the resetting shaft may be insufficient, leading to re-engagement of the resetting gear with the blocking pin, or the movement may be excessive so as to cause thrust jamming, i.e. by axial movement of the gear too far, into contact with a part other than the descending register gear 93.
  • the jam clearing subroutine is initiated by receipt of the "yes" decision 145 from decision block 135 of Fig. 4.
  • the jam clearing routine frees the resetting shaft by directing inputs to stepper motor 69 to cause axial movement of the shaft 85.
  • the difference, a between the desired resetting value of shaft rotation v and the actual accomplished shaft rotation v' is calculated and stored.
  • a small axial shaft movement, corresponding to a number of steps b of the motor 69, is commanded in a selected direction, at 154.
  • this input is stored as the current ⁇ b.
  • Further rotation of stepper motor 61 is directed at 157, and the encoder 64 output d is noted at 158.
  • the amount of rotation is again checked at 157 and 158.
  • Continued jamming indicated by d being less than c at 161, increases the count n, and if n is still less than N, a direction reversal with three times the axial movement b occurs at 170. If jamming continues, reversal and four times the movement occurs, and so on, until either the jamming is freed or the cutoff number N of axial movements has been made. In the latter case, the mechanism is declared hopelessly jammed, and the resetting is aborted, at 169.
  • the amount of shaft movement ⁇ b, necessary to clear the jam has been stored, at 155. Additional inputs are directed to the stepper motor 61, at 175, corresponding to the amount of postage yet to be added the desired amount v minus the less-than-complete resetting amount v', minus the amount d used to test whether the jam was cleared.
  • the rotation command at 175, corresponding to the desired amount of postage v can be verified at 177, by comparison with the encoder output received at 176, and the actual rotation can be corrected at 176, 177, and 180, if a slight error appears at 177.
  • the likelihood of future jamming is reduced by noting in which axial direction the resetting shaft was moved when jamming was freed, and causing, at 188, updating of m to be used, at 131 in Fig. 4, in subsequent resetting, by adding or subtracting the amount judged adequate to prevent a future jam.
  • the routine is ended by returning to the Fig. 4 resetting routine, which at 140 reduces the new m by i, the small amount that prevents the gear moving off of the pin initially in the next resetting. The resetting is then ended.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
EP19910301268 1991-02-18 1991-02-18 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Rücksetzen einer mechanischen Frankiermaschine Ceased EP0499726A1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19910301268 EP0499726A1 (de) 1991-02-18 1991-02-18 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Rücksetzen einer mechanischen Frankiermaschine

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19910301268 EP0499726A1 (de) 1991-02-18 1991-02-18 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Rücksetzen einer mechanischen Frankiermaschine

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EP0499726A1 true EP0499726A1 (de) 1992-08-26

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EP19910301268 Ceased EP0499726A1 (de) 1991-02-18 1991-02-18 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Rücksetzen einer mechanischen Frankiermaschine

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1184539A3 (de) * 2000-08-29 2002-12-18 Baker Hughes Incorporated Als Kreiselvorrichtungen verwendende Anordnug für Messungen während des Bohrens und Verfahren zur Nullpunktfehlerentfernung
EP1431510A2 (de) * 2000-08-29 2004-06-23 Baker Hughes Incorporated Vorrichtung zum rotierbaren Positionieren und Blockieren einer Antriebswelle auf verschiedenen Winkeln

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3428948A (en) * 1965-12-13 1969-02-18 Gen Res Inc Postage metering system
US3501744A (en) * 1967-11-15 1970-03-17 Gen Res Inc Postage metering system having signal conditioning means
US3596247A (en) * 1968-04-24 1971-07-27 Pitney Bowes Inc Automatic register setting apparatus
US4202489A (en) * 1979-01-26 1980-05-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Register resetting interface
GB2166389A (en) * 1984-10-04 1986-05-08 Pitney Bowes Inc Electronic postage meter print wheel setting optimization system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3428948A (en) * 1965-12-13 1969-02-18 Gen Res Inc Postage metering system
US3501744A (en) * 1967-11-15 1970-03-17 Gen Res Inc Postage metering system having signal conditioning means
US3596247A (en) * 1968-04-24 1971-07-27 Pitney Bowes Inc Automatic register setting apparatus
US4202489A (en) * 1979-01-26 1980-05-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Register resetting interface
GB2166389A (en) * 1984-10-04 1986-05-08 Pitney Bowes Inc Electronic postage meter print wheel setting optimization system

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1184539A3 (de) * 2000-08-29 2002-12-18 Baker Hughes Incorporated Als Kreiselvorrichtungen verwendende Anordnug für Messungen während des Bohrens und Verfahren zur Nullpunktfehlerentfernung
EP1431510A2 (de) * 2000-08-29 2004-06-23 Baker Hughes Incorporated Vorrichtung zum rotierbaren Positionieren und Blockieren einer Antriebswelle auf verschiedenen Winkeln
EP1431510A3 (de) * 2000-08-29 2004-09-15 Baker Hughes Incorporated Vorrichtung zum rotierbaren Positionieren und Blockieren einer Antriebswelle auf verschiedenen Winkeln

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