EP1065630A1 - Système de positionnement de roues de date d'une machine à affranchir - Google Patents

Système de positionnement de roues de date d'une machine à affranchir Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1065630A1
EP1065630A1 EP00119985A EP00119985A EP1065630A1 EP 1065630 A1 EP1065630 A1 EP 1065630A1 EP 00119985 A EP00119985 A EP 00119985A EP 00119985 A EP00119985 A EP 00119985A EP 1065630 A1 EP1065630 A1 EP 1065630A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
date
wheels
wheel
meter
printed
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00119985A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Kurt Nast
Erwin Berger
Stefan Etter
Christian Moy
Martin Muller
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.)
Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems AG
Original Assignee
Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems AG
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
Priority claimed from US08/422,155 external-priority patent/US5654614A/en
Priority claimed from US08/421,902 external-priority patent/US5749291A/en
Application filed by Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems AG filed Critical Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems AG
Publication of EP1065630A1 publication Critical patent/EP1065630A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • G07B17/00185—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
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • 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
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G07B2017/00233—Housing, e.g. lock or hardened casing
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00354—Setting of date
    • 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

  • the present invention relates generally to postage meters or franking machines, and relates specifically to the setting of date wheels in such machines.
  • the storage location is called a descending register and it indicates the amount of postage remaining to be printed; in such countries the postage is prepaid. In other countries the storage location may be called an ascending register and indicates the cumulative amount of postage that has been printed; the postal customer pays after mailing.
  • Postal authorities generally require that the meter be capable of printing user-selected postage amounts, and require that the meter be capable of printing the date on the mail piece as well.
  • the postal authorities may require that the meter print information indicative of the class of service being used (e.g. first class, fourth class, presorted Zip+4, etc.). In a pure mechanical print rotor, this requires that there be print wheels for postage value (also called value wheels), print wheels for the date, and movable dies for such things as the class of service.
  • the postal authorities require that the design of the meter reduce to an absolute minimum the possibility of postage being printed for which payment has not been made.
  • This requires a reliable linkage between the value wheels of the rotor and the ascending or descending register mechanism or electronics of the main body of the meter.
  • Such a linkage has to satisfy many requirements.
  • the value wheels have to be under complete control at all times; there cannot be any times when they are free-wheeling and thus subject to intended or accidental mispositioning.
  • the rotor has to be capable of rotating through hundreds of thousands of franking operations. Enormous amounts of engineering time and money have been expended to explore ways to link the value wheels and other moving parts with the main body of the meter.
  • control budget a limit on how much interaction there can be between the main body of the meter and the print rotor.
  • the date wheels are adjusted manually by the user, as are the printing dies indicating class of service and the like.
  • the mechanical linkage between the rotor and the main body of the postage meter is as simple as it can be, and is limited to the linkage required to set the value wheels.
  • the rotor itself is also about as simple as it can be.
  • the complexity of the interconnection between the rotor and the main body of the meter and to minimize the complexity of the rotor itself, among the things one would do is to eliminate automatic, mechanical control of as many things as possible, and to leave as many things as possible to be set manually by the user.
  • the majority of postage meters in use around the world are meters of just this type. At the start of each new day, the user has to manually adjust the date that will be printed.
  • Manual date adjustment is not easy for the user.
  • the user has to open a cover, visually inspect the date print wheels, and rotate the wheels.
  • the visual inspection is not easy because the indicia on the wheels present a mirror image.
  • the "8" and "0" indicia look normal but the other digits are reversed.
  • the mirror image is not only problematic because individual digits are not easy to distinguish but for the further reason that the layout of digits is reversed. It is all too easy to set a date of "21" when "12" is meant, for example.
  • Yet another reason the visual inspection is not easy is that the swinging cover typically at least partly obscures the field of view even when it is open.
  • a further drawback of manual date adjustment is that the adjustment might be forgotten, in which case anywhere from one to several thousand mail pieces might be franked before the omission is noted and rectified.
  • a check date warning override key is provided, upon activation of which the meter enters its operational mode even though the date wheel cover has not been opened and closed.
  • a mailing machine is first prepared for operation by turning on a power switch.
  • the processor of the meter causes a check date indicator on the display panel to start flashing for the purpose of warning the operator to check the date that is set at the date wheels.
  • the processor also disables postage printing. The user opens the cover to adjust the date wheels as needed, then presses a button. Pressing the button prompts the processor to extinguish the check date indicator and to enable the printing of postage.
  • US-A-4852482, US-A-4649489 and US-A-5197042 each talk of setting date wheels, but none of them appears to address setting date wheels in a print rotor.
  • US-A-3869986 bears mute testimony to the difficulty of finding a way to adjust mechanical print wheels for the date and the postage value.
  • the patent shows a print apparatus for a postage meter in which portions of the print image are by means of a relief printing die, while other portions (i.e. the date and postage value) are printed by an ink jet printer.
  • US-A-4060720 hypothesizes the user of encoders that are directly engaged with date wheels, the output of which would provide information as to the present settings thereof.
  • the patent is directed to noting the difference between the actual and desired date wheel positions and adjusting the date wheels accordingly.
  • the system of the patent does not, apparently, contemplate application in a postage meter having a print rotor, since no indication is given as to how numerous encoders would be fitted into a rotor of finite size, nor is there an indication as to how the dozen or more signals from the encoders would be communicated between the rotor (which rotates) and the main body of the meter.
  • US-A-5301116 assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, describes an approach for automatic date wheel setting in a print rotor.
  • the rotor When it is desired to adjust a date wheel, the rotor is brought into a particular angular relation with the main body of the meter (here, also called the "stator").
  • a bevelled shaft engages a slotted shaft, one of which is on the rotor and the other of which is on the main body.
  • Each actuation of the shafts is coupled by a mechanism to the date wheels, so that any desired advancement of the date wheels may be accomplished by a sufficient number of actuations of the shafts.
  • the setting is essentially serial and upwards only.
  • CH 418705 shows a date wheel indexing mechanism mounted in the rotor and controlled by a hand driver axial cam curve. The wheels are blocked most of the time from movement.
  • the cam which has two active surfaces, revolves through four phases under hand control. During the first phase, the first active surface actuates a cam follower to unblock the date wheels. During the second phase, the second active surface actuates a cam follower to advance the date by one position, by a ratchet mechanism that is not described in detail. During the third phase, the first active surface blocks the wheels again.
  • US-A-4520725 (counterpart to EP-A-0105424) shows a mechanism for setting date wheels, particularly in Figs. 1-4. To be able to adjust four date wheels, the mechanism calls for six electromagnets and associated linkages and pawls.
  • the electromagnets, linkages and pawls are part of the main body of the postage meter and for successful setting the rotor must be in proper alignment with the linkages; the extent of rotor alignment that permits adjustment of the value wheels does not necessarily assure that the rotor is well enough aligned to permit adjustment of the date wheels.
  • CH670524 assigned to the same assignee as the assignee of the present invention (counterpart to WO-A-87/03983), describes a system having racks for setting value wheels.
  • One of the value-wheel racks when extended to an extreme position, permits all the other value-wheel racks to come into engagement with date wheels.
  • the date-wheel setting is complete, the value-wheel rack that is in an extreme position returns to a normal position and the other racks are no longer engaged with the date wheels. This system assumes that the value-wheel racks can all move independently of each other.
  • a Francotyp-Postalia EFS3000 mechanism is also known in which date wheels and value wheels are set by six racks, each of which has an individual stepper motor. Each of the six stepper motors is individually actuable independently of the other stepper motors.
  • Four of the six racks serve a double purpose, namely controlling respective value wheels and also controlling date wheels. Of the four double-purpose racks, three are used to set (or preload) ratchet conditions for respective date wheels, and a fourth is used to actuate ratcheting of whichever of the three date wheels has been preloaded.
  • the mechanism only adjusts three wheels (month, and units and tens of date). The mechanism requires that racks be independently movable relative to each other.
  • US-A-5154118 describes a system for setting date wheels in a print rotor.
  • a finger in the main body of the meter extends toward the rotor and engages a tooth in a gear positioned to receive the finger.
  • the gear is linked to an escapement much like an automobile odometer, so that actuation of the finger can accomplish advancement of the date.
  • An elaborate mechanical linkage with three times as many gears as there are date wheels, and with numerous cams and truncated teeth, is provided to bring about the desired interrelated movements of the day wheel (units and tens), the month wheel, and the year wheel.
  • the mechanism must, of course, be completely changed depending on whether the desired print order is month, day, year (as in the U.S.A.) or day, month, year (as in Europe).
  • the setting is serial and upwards only.
  • US-A-4114533 describes a system for setting date wheels.
  • a large frame is positioned nearby to the date wheels, and contains as many solenoids as there are date wheels.
  • Each solenoid is engaged with a transfer gear also supported within the frame.
  • the frame is pivotally mounted and can rotate between a first position in which the transfer gears and other moving parts of the frame at some distance from the date wheels, and a second position in which the transfer gears all mesh with the date wheels.
  • a large solenoid causes the frame to rotate from the first position to the second position.
  • the transfer gear solenoids are actuated as needed to change the date wheel positions.
  • the large solenoid is de-energized and the frame springs back to its first position.
  • CH 670524 also has a drawback in that, as mentioned previously, it assumes that there are as many stepper motors as there are value wheels to set, and that the stepper motors may be independently moved in varying directions. Among other things, this requires setting aside space for the motors, for their control circuitry, and for their linkages.
  • Such an arrangement desirably has a parts count that does not go far beyond the parts count for a rotor having manual date wheel setting.
  • the arrangement would also desirably be able to count up or down in reasonable periods of time; if it is needed to back up by one day, it is desirable that this be mechanically possible without having to cycle through a year's worth of dates, or through the entire range of all possible dates for the date wheels.
  • this be accomplished in a rotor of commercially practical size, and in a meter of commercially practical shape and size, and it should not cost too much money.
  • a further impediment to the designer of a postage meter is that the designer has only limited control over the environment surrounding the date wheels.
  • the date wheels are in the paper path, and thus may pick up debris or lint from mail pieces. If the meter is used in a dusty or hostile environment, then dust and other contaminants may be carried through the air to the date wheels. There is the possibility of over-inking by a user, and the possibility of a user attempting to ink the meter with stale or incorrect ink.
  • the meter might also be exposed to variations in temperature tending to congeal foreign matter between adjacent wheels, thus setting up sticking friction therebetween.
  • Yet another design approach is to make the date wheel stack more complicated, with non-moving disks located between the date wheels. That way, rotation of one date wheel is not transmitted, by friction, to neighbouring date wheels.
  • This approach is inelegant because it adds to the parts count and complexity of the postage meter, and adds to the assembly time and cost because more parts have to be juggled to assemble the date wheel stack. But more importantly, it adds to the physical bulk of the date wheel stack. Space is always very tight in a print rotor, and making the date wheel stack bigger takes up space in the rotor that might be used for something else, or forces the designer to make the rotor (and thus the postage meter) bigger.
  • each value wheel is adjustable by a linkage that moves through a range of positions sufficient to select any of the ten print indicia thereof.
  • several of the linkages are able to move further (to what might be termed an "eleventh position"), beyond the positions for the ten indicia of the value wheels.
  • an "eleventh position” When such a linkage moves to its eleventh position, it moves a pawl that ratchets a corresponding date wheel to its next position.
  • the linkages include rack elements that move along the axis of the print rotor.
  • Each rack element has a first rack that is engageable with a gear in the main body of the postage meter (when the rotor is in its "home” position) and a second rack that engages with a value wheel.
  • the engagement between the rack element and the value wheel defines ten linear positions for the rack element, one for each of the digits printable by the value wheel.
  • An eleventh position of the rack element causes the rack element to push a lever, and the lever causes the pawl to move a date wheel to its next position. If only the mechanical parts are considered, the date wheel setting system is "open loop"; there are no sensors that would detect, for example, a date wheel having moved for reasons other than actuation of the ratchet. But a method of operation is provided that permits the postage meter, with the assistance of the user, to accomplish recovery from an incorrect date wheel position.
  • each of several settable date wheels on a common axle there is provided an advancing means disposed to advance its corresponding date wheel by one or more positions.
  • the several advancing means are disposed so that relative to the axle, one means advances its date wheel clockwise, the next counterclockwise, and so on in alternation. Since each advancing means not only serves to advance its corresponding date wheel in a predetermined direction but also serves to block its corresponding date wheel from retrograde rotation, it is not possible for a wheel that is being advanced to drag along its neighbour.
  • Fig. 1 is an exterior perspective view of a postage meter according to the invention.
  • Main body 20 may be seen, and a print rotor 21 is shown in phantom. Access to the print rotor 21 may be had by opening a cover 46, although as described below the cover 46 does not need to be opened nearly so often with the meter according to the invention as with many prior art postage meters.
  • a mail piece enters the meter in the direction shown by arrow 47, trips a trigger omitted for clarity in Fig. 1, and the rotor 21 rotates to print postage value on the mail piece. Most of the time, the rotor is in what is defined to be a "home" position. When the trigger is tripped, the rotor rotates through one complete revolution, and stops again at its home position.
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the print rotor 21, including racks 23, value wheels 22, and date wheels 24.
  • the angular positions of the value wheels 22 must be strictly controlled by the mechanisms of the rotor and of the main body of the postage meter, so that there is never any doubt as to the amount of postage value being printed at any particular time.
  • a locking mechanism omitted for clarity in Fig. 2, holds the value wheels 22 into their positions when the rotor 21 is out of its home position.
  • the locking mechanism serves not only the above-mentioned locking function, but also serves as a detent, tending to urge each value wheel so that its indicium is squarely presented for printing on the mail piece.
  • the wheels have detent mechanisms, not shown in Fig. 2 for clarity, tending to ensure that each wheel presents one of its twelve faces squarely for printing its indicium on the mail piece.
  • Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the print rotor 21, showing the value wheel adjustment mechanism including a rack 23 and value wheel 22 as well as part of a date-adjusting lever 32. It will be appreciated that all the elements shown in Fig. 3, save the gear 25, move with the rotor when it rotates. In the view shown in Fig. 3 this movement is out of the page.
  • the rack member 26 moves to the left and the right in Fig. 3 to set its value wheel 22.
  • the rack member 26 has slots 28 which run on pins 27. The length and position of the slots is selected to permit movement of the rack member 26 so that the entirety of its rack 23 is able to engage the gear 25.
  • the rack 29 engages with a gear portion 30 of the value wheel 22.
  • the range of movement of the rack member 26 is intentionally designed to be greater than would be needed to effect all ten positions of the value wheel 22.
  • the value wheel 22 rotates about a pin 33.
  • Lever 32 adjusts the position of one date wheel. It is pushed by feature 31 of the rack member 26.
  • the geometry and relative positions for the rack member 26 and the lever 32 are selected so that all of the ten faces of the value wheel 22 may be obtained without the feature 31 touching the lever 32. But if the rack member 26 moves further to the right in Fig. 3, it is able to move far enough to move lever 32 to the right through its range of motion.
  • the number of levers 32 is selected to match the number of automatically settable date wheels 24, typically four. Thus, if there are four automatically settable date wheels 24 (not shown in Fig. 3), then there are four levers 32, only one of which appears in Fig. 3.
  • Fig. 4 shows a side view of a portion of the print rotor 21, showing the date wheel adjustment mechanism including the date-adjusting lever 32 and date wheel 24.
  • the view of Fig. 4 is in mirror image to the view of Fig. 3; movement of lever 32 to the right in Fig. 3 corresponds to movement of lever 32 to the left in Fig. 4.
  • Lever 32 is hinged to pawl 39 at a pivot point 38, detail of which is omitted for clarity in Fig. 4.
  • Return spring 34 accomplishes two results: it urges lever 32 to its extreme counterclockwise position against pin 36, and it urges pawl 39 into uninterrupted contact with the ratchet wheel 40.
  • Ratchet wheel 40 is integral with gear 41, which engages date wheel 24.
  • the teeth of gear 41 and of ratchet wheel 40 may be (but need not absolutely be) twelve in number, matching the number of faces of date wheel 24.
  • a detent mechanism engages dimples 42 to urge date wheel 24 into one of its twelve angular positions, so that one of the faces is squarely presented for printing.
  • lever 32 moves to the left.
  • lever 32 moves to the left, which represents clockwise rotation, it pivots about pin 37. That movement causes pivot point 38 to move rightwards, moving pawl 39 rightwards.
  • the pawl 39 engages a tooth of ratchet wheel 40, causing it to move about one-twelfth of a revolution counterclockwise. This causes date wheel 24 to move about one-twelfth of a revolution clockwise, preferably stopping at its next detent position defined by the dimples 42.
  • the detailed geometry of the pawl 39 and ratchet wheel 40 are selected so that when the wheel 24 stops at its next detent position, the pawl 39 is unable to urge ratchet wheel 40 any further, except for a small overstroke to compensate for tolerances.
  • the small overstroke does not lead to a mispositioning of the date wheel because the detent returns the date wheel to its centred position.
  • pin 36 and hole 35 defined the maximum clockwise rotation of lever 32. As just described, this maximum clockwise rotation will have caused the date wheel 24 to move almost exactly one-twelfth of a revolution, from one detent position to the next. It is also easy to see what happens when the lever 32 is released.
  • Return spring 34 urges pivot point 38 leftward, which urges pawl 39 leftward and also rotates lever 32 counterclockwise. The movement counterclockwise of the lever 32 halts with the abutment of pin 36 and hole 35. This defines the resting location of the pivot point 38, and that pivot point, together with the point at which pawl 39 touches ratchet wheel 40, completely defines the resting position of pawl 39.
  • Lever 32 has a hole 35 which surrounds pin 36.
  • a desirable aspect of the mechanism of Fig. 4 is that the hole 35, in cooperation with pin 36, provides stops that define the full clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of lever 32.
  • the geometry of the hole 35 and the other elements of Fig. 4 assure that the pawl 39 reliably and repeatably engages ratchet wheel 40 to the extent of one tooth, no more and no less.
  • the moving parts just described in Fig. 4 are all preferably coplanar, and the details of the pivot points 37 and 38 confine the movement of the elements 32 and 39 strictly within that plane. As will be more fully appreciated in connection with Figs. 5 and 6, there are other aspects of the design that serve further to constrain the movement of these moving parts within the plane. For example, although it is not shown in Fig. 4, there are other gears 41 stacked on the same pin or axle about which the shown gear 41 rotates. The teeth of the many gears 41 tend to keep the tips of the pawls 39 in place.
  • Fig. 4 shows the pawls 39 engaging with ratchet teeth on wheels 41, and wheels 41 engage in turn with date wheels 24.
  • This arrangement is thought to be preferable since it permits the date wheels 24 to be closely spaced, and permits most of the width of each date wheel 24 to be devoted to print area.
  • each date wheel could have a ratchet wheel formed integrally with it.
  • the pawls 39 would thus engage directly with ratchet teeth on the date wheels 24.
  • This presents the possible disadvantage that some of the width of each date wheel 24 would be taken away from use for print indicia, and would instead be given over for use in providing the ratchet teeth. This means the printed digits would have gaps between them.
  • Fig. 5 shows a cutaway perspective view of most of the moving parts of the print rotor 21.
  • the rack members 26 are disposed parallel to each other, collectively mounted on pins 27 which ensure that the rack members 26 move only axially within the print rotor.
  • Features 43 (in Fig. 5) are mounting points for the racks 23 (Fig. 3).
  • the features 43 are splayed to accommodate the racks 23, because each rack 23 is wider than the spacing between the rack members 26. (The splay of the features 43 is also visible in Fig. 6.)
  • the racks 29 are visible, also disposed parallel to each other.
  • the racks 29 are in continuous engagement with the value wheels 22.
  • Locking arms 45 are seen with locking lever 44. Locking lever 44 is pushed downwards, in Fig. 5, by a cam in the main body of the meter, omitted for clarity in Fig. 5. When locking lever 44 is pushed downwards it rotates locking levers 45 and permits value wheels 22 to rotate freely.
  • lever 44 and arms 45 may optionally be that set forth in copending application no. 08/400,335, filed March 7, 1995, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • Levers 32 may be seen in Fig. 5, along with return springs 34 and pawls 39.
  • the pawls 39 engage ratchet wheels 40 which turn wheels 41 and thus turn date wheels 24.
  • Fig. 6 is an axial end view of many of the moving parts of the print rotor 21.
  • Rack members 26 may now be clearly seen in their parallel positions. Pin 27 is also visible, as is locking lever 44 (Fig. 5) and pin 33 (see Fig. 3). Movement of a rack member 26 out of the page in Fig. 6 corresponds to movement to the right in Fig. 5 or to the right in Fig. 3 or Fig. 2. The splayed arrangement of the features 43 (Fig. 5) is also visible.
  • Fig. 6 the angular placement of the value wheels 22 and the date wheels 24 within the print rotor is clear.
  • the positions of the wheels are selected to reach the periphery of the rotor, so that as the rotor rotates counterclockwise (in Fig. 6), first the value wheels 22 come in contact with the mail piece, and later the date wheels 24 come into contact with the mail piece.
  • Fig. 6 shows the value wheels 22 upwards for convenience of presentation, but it should be appreciated that the home position of the rotor is preferably such that the date wheels 24 are more or less upwards.
  • the gears 25 represent a portion of a control means in the main body of the postage meter, coupled in a reliable way with the ascending or descending register of the postage meter.
  • a single motor, together with a number of solenoids, can be used to effect the desired movement of the gears 25 as set forth in copending application no. 08/422,155, filed April 14, 1995, and entitled Single-Motor Setting and Printing Postage Meter, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • the rotor 21 (Fig. 2) may desirably be the rotor set forth in copending application no. 08/421,900, filed April 14, 1995, and entitled Postage Meter with Hollow Rotor Axle, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • the linkage according to which control in the main body of the meter is coupled to the value wheels can vary from the particular linkage set forth above. Without departing from the invention, the embodiment could be more generally described as follows.
  • the main body comprises a secure housing, and within the secure housing there is an ascending or descending register of postage value remaining to be printed. If the meter is an electronic meter, then the ascending or descending register is preferably accomplished using one or more nonvolatile memories.
  • Within the rotor are setting members corresponding to respective ones of the value wheels, said setting members operatively coupled with the control means, each setting member having teeth engaging the gear portion of the respective value wheel, each setting member movable to a first respective number of positions, one for each indicium of the respective value wheel. While the exemplary embodiment uses racks and rack members to link the control means and the value wheels, other setting members could be used, including additional gears if desired.
  • the manner in which the setting members are linked with the date wheels can also vary without departing from the invention.
  • the date lever linkage could more generally be described as comprising a follower portion and a pawl engaging the ratchet wheel of the corresponding date wheel assembly.
  • the pawl engages a ratchet wheel that is integral with a gear that continuously engages a corresponding date wheel.
  • the ratchet wheel could be mechanically linked to its corresponding date wheel in other ways without departing from the invention.
  • the setting members move to accomplish the setting of value wheels on the one hand, and the setting of date wheels on the other hand, can also vary without departing from the invention. Described more generally, the setting members are movable to any of a first number of positions corresponding with the number of printable digits (preferably ten) and movable to an additional position so as to actuate a follower portion of a corresponding date lever. In the exemplary embodiment, this represents a rack member movable linearly through eleven positions, ten of which are meaningful print positions for value wheels, and the eleventh of which is the position that advances a date wheel.
  • the linear movement could represent, in sequence, print digits 0 through 9 followed by advancement of a date wheel, but could just as well represent digits 9 through 0 or the digits in any other sequence, the correct positioning of which being accomplished in software.
  • the setting members and value wheels could be and preferably are substantially parallel to each other, but those skilled in the art could select other relative positioning including positioning each element in a plane passing through the axis of the print rotor. The same may be said of the date wheels and the elements mechanically linked thereto.
  • the cover 46 of the postage meter according to the invention need not be opened very often. Accessible within the cover area are the ink roller, the advertising plate, the lever permitting the user to present or retract the date from printing, and the block that carries optional "mail type" dies, for example stating that the mail is being sent by presorted first class.
  • the postage meter will keep track of the date on which it last printed postage, and upon power-up the meter will consult its internal clock/calendar to see whether the date has changed since the date on which it last printed postage. If the date has changed, then depending on the design choice of the meter manufacturer, the meter will either (1) recommend a date setting to the user of the meter, for example by a display of a message, or (2) change the date as shown on the date wheels to reflect the present date.
  • the postage meter according to the invention will also keep track of the possibility that it may be powered up at a time when a change of the date wheels may be appropriate.
  • the meter may be left powered up around the clock for any of several reasons: the meter may be in active use around the clock, or may simply be left powered around the clock intentionally or through inadvertence.
  • the event of midnight passing will desirably prompt updating the date wheels, or at least suggesting to the user that the date wheels be updated.
  • a more sophisticated plan may also be followed according to the invention, which takes into account the daily routine of those using the postage meter.
  • the postal authorities recommend that if metered mail is deposited in a mail box after the last scheduled pickup of the day, the metered date should be the next day when pickup is scheduled.
  • the last pickup of the day is 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, and that mail is not picked up Saturday or Sunday.
  • the advance to be performed on Friday would desirably be an advance of three days, so that the printed date would be that of the following Monday.
  • an offset may be stored into the postage meter, so that the date wheels will advance not at midnight but at a preset time before midnight. Desirably this offset is not changeable by the user, but is changeable only by authorized field service personnel.
  • the date wheels would need to be set ahead to the future date for the franking of the mail pieces that are to be mailed on that date, and then the date wheels would need to be restored to their normal date, such as today's date.
  • the date wheels for the day of the month contain not only the digits 0 through 9, but also a character (a blank or a dash) that is used when the day of the month is not to be printed.
  • a date wheel adjustment mechanism that only permitted forward adjustment of dates would not handle well the task of selecting digits, then blanks or dashes, then selecting digits again.
  • the design of the postage meter may give the user access to the date wheels for user-initiated manual adjustment of the date wheels. If so, the user-initiated manual adjustments will lead to differences between the actual date wheel positions and the date wheel positions recorded in software.
  • the mechanism according to the invention permits moving dates forward and backward.
  • the mechanism of the invention offers benefits over many systems in which only forward motion is possible. Stated differently, in many systems for a date to be moved backwards it would be necessary to advance the date by several thousand counts, through all possible dates, until the date wheels "rolled over" rather like the odometer of a car that reaches 100,000 miles or 100,000 kilometres.
  • the mechanism according to the invention offers further benefits over many prior art arrangements in that the date wheel adjustment is substantially in parallel rather than serial. To illustrate this, consider the case of a postage meter that was last used on June 1 and goes unused for a month and a half. When the meter is next turned on, it is desired to advance the date from June 1 to, say, July 15.
  • the system according to the invention never requires more than eleven steps to adjust the date wheels to any desired date (including the year) regardless of the previous setting of the date wheels.
  • the software of the meter is preferably set up so that instances of resetting due to user input are tallied.
  • the meter stores within its memory a record relating to each such user input, each record containing the date and time at which the user input occurred, the values provided by the user that are expected to have been obtained from the sample mail piece, and the difference (negative or positive) between the expected and actual date wheel settings. If the number of such records is large, this may be an indication that would suggest to postal service personnel that the user has been tricking the meter to print misleading franking dates.
  • Ratios would also be helpful, for example, a total could be kept of the number of times the date has changed, and a total of the number of times a user input occurred relating to the date. The ratio of the totals would be helpful for diagnostic purposes and as an indication of possible attempts by a user to trick a meter into setting the wrong date.
  • the meter would be powered up in the new month.
  • the software would note that the date has changed, and would attempt to advance the date wheels accordingly.
  • the user would be asked to print a sample mail piece and to indicate whether or not the date is correct.
  • the user would respond in the negative, entering in the date from the mail piece at the meter keyboard.
  • the software would again attempt to set the date, this time actuating only the rack (and attempting to actuate only the pawl) for the month wheel.
  • the user would again be asked to print a sample mail piece and to indicate whether or not the date is correct.
  • the user would again respond in the negative, entering in the date from the mail piece at the meter keyboard.
  • the meter software After a preset number of attempts, the meter software would abandon the effort to set the date, and would enter a "call service" state, in which it would not be possible to print postage.
  • the software would preferably note in its error log the identification of the particular date wheel (here, the month wheel) that was not set successfully.
  • One software arrangement usable in the postage meter according to the invention is to ask the user to confirm, after the date wheels have been adjusted, that the date wheels are in the correct position. There are two possible drawbacks to this arrangement.
  • the other possibility is that the user may diligently follow instructions, printing a sample mail piece with a postage value of zero to obtain a print of the date wheel settings.
  • This is likely to prove to be a wasteful habit, assuming the date wheels generally do get set correctly on the first try, as is desired by the designers of the date wheel arrangement according to the invention.
  • This uses up ink, and wastes machine cycles of the franking machine. What's more, if the value wheels are inadvertently left in a non-zero position, the test will result in loss of postage value on the sample piece.
  • a flag is set in box 71.
  • the meaning of the flag is essentially that a flag has been set and the operator has not yet been asked whether the new date is correct, generally because no franking has taken place.
  • the broken line between boxes 71 and 72 denoted that a long time might pass between the time a date wheel setting takes place and the next time a mail piece is franked.
  • the passage of a long time could happen because the operator turns on the machine at the beginning of the work day, and does not happen to frank any mail until much later in the work day.
  • Another way the passage of time could be long is if the meter is left powered-on overnight and not used until the next day.
  • franking begins. Generally this is either because an envelope or card has been passed into the meter, or because a meter strip is printed, indicated at box 73.
  • a test is made to determine whether the flag is set. If not, execution proceeds as usual to other meter activities such as printing more postage.
  • the flag is set, then at 75 the user is asked whether the date is correct. This may be by aural annunciation or by a display at the meter which is noticed by the operator, or by the somewhat less subtle step of blocking the printing of postage until the operator answers the question. In general, since the date setting mechanism is assumed to be highly reliable, the answer at 76 will be in the affirmative. The flag is cleared at box 77 and execution proceeds as usual.
  • Fig. 11a which shows a prior art print wheel sequence for the units and tens of the day of the month
  • Fig. 11a shows a prior art print wheel sequence for the units and tens of the day of the month
  • Fig. 11b shows a way to overcome this difficulty.
  • the two digits on the "units" date wheel that might previously have been engraved with a "-” or space are engraved with "9” and "0" as shown. This permits correcting an incorrect date in a maximum of two user interactions. For example, if the printed digit was a "9" and the desired digit was a "4", the software advances the unit wheel by six positions. Depending on which of the "9" faces had been printing, the new wheel position will either be a "3” or a "4". One more user test is performed with a sample mail piece, and if the result was a "3" the wheel is advanced by one more position.
  • the wheel is advanced by the smallest number of positions that might leave the wheel in the correct position. The user is asked to print a test piece, and if necessary the wheel is advanced yet again.
  • Fig. 11b suggests that the units wheel and the tens wheel of the day would both advance in the same direction, e.g. both clockwise or both counterclockwise.
  • the portrayal of Fig. 11b is shown in this way only to parallel the portrayal of Fig. 11a, however. In keeping with the invention the units and tens wheels would advance in opposite directions.
  • pawl members 90, 91, 92, and 93 are both "up”, meaning that each one advances its respective ratchet wheel 41 clockwise in Fig. 8. This advances the respective date wheel 24 counterclockwise.
  • Pawl member 91 and 93 are both "down”, meaning that each one advances its respective ratchet wheel 41 counterclockwise in Fig. 8. This advances the respective date wheel 24 clockwise.
  • Fig. 8 the date retraction control 96 is shown. With control 96 in the position shown, the date wheels 24 are held upwards in Fig. 8, in contact with a mail piece during printing. If the user wishes to retract the date wheels 24 so that they do not print, the user rotates control 96 about one-eighth of a rotation clockwise. Pin 97, previously held up by control 96, now drops down into groove 98, urged downwards by spring 95. As pin 97 is fixed to frame member 99 (which has a front counterpart parallel thereto and omitted for clarity in Fig. 8), frame member 99 moves downward, pivoted about pivot point 100, lowering the print wheels 24. Desirably, even if frame member 99 rotates downwards in this way, the pawl members 90-93 are still capable of advancing the date wheels 24.
  • control 96 counterclockwise in Fig. 8, lifting pin 97 against spring 95, and lifting the date wheels 24.
  • the month wheel rotates counterclockwise to advance from, say, January to February. On the wheel itself, February lies just clockwise from January.
  • the wheel next to the month wheel is the tens digit of the date. This wheel rotates clockwise to advance the tens digit. On the wheel itself, 3 lies just counterclockwise from 2.
  • the wheel next in sequence is the ones digit of the date. This wheel rotates counterclockwise to advance the ones digit. On the wheel itself, 3 lies just clockwise from 2.
  • the wheel next in sequence is the year of the date. This wheel rotates clockwise to advance the date. On the wheel itself, 1995 lies just counterclockwise from 1994.
  • the sequence of date wheels is, of course, different for example in Europe where the presentation is day, month, and year.
  • the levers 32 may be in different positions along pivot pin 37. This leaves unchanged the basic teaching which is the desirability of advancing adjacent wheels in opposite directions.
  • the date wheels 24 comprise a "stack" or assembly of wheels with the upwards and downwards arrangement of indicia as described above.
  • a date wheel assembly comprising a plurality of wheels, each with raised indicia thereon, the indicia collectively defining a printable date comprising a year, a month, and a date, an axle, the axle disposed within the wheels such that the wheels each are rotatable thereabout, and detent means urging each of the wheels into any of at least ten positions, further characterized in that the raised indicia are arranged on the respective wheels such that on any two adjacent wheels, the indicia increase in opposite directions.
  • the sequence of wheels may be month, day, and year, for example for the U.S. market, or may be day, month, and year, for example, for certain European markets, or may be year, month, and day if that sequence is specified by a PTT.
  • the number of wheels will typically be four -- the units of the day, the tens of the day, the month, and the two-digit year. Such an arrangement provides twelve years of date coverage.
  • the number of wheels may be five, with the year split into a wheel for each digit thereof. In that case, the meter has a "perpetual" year; it is not limited to twelve years of coverage.
  • Fig. 9 what is shown are the pawls 90-93 and their positioning relative to the ratchet wheels 41. Superimposed in this view are the “up” pawls 90 and 92 and the “down” pawls 91, 93.
  • Levers 32 are shown in their "home” position, which is fully counterclockwise in Fig. 9. They are urged in that direction by return springs 34, and the limit of movement is set by hole 35 and pin 36.
  • the springs 34 also serve to urge each pawl 90, 92 downward toward the wheels 41 (by the lower springs 34).
  • the springs 34 also serve to urge each pawl 91, 93 upward toward the wheels 41.
  • the mechanism just described is desirably unaffected by the date wheels being retracted or raised by the user, as described above.
  • Fig. 10 shows the plan view of Fig. 9, but with each of the arms 32 in their actuated (clockwise) position. In this view, the springs 34 are omitted for clarity.
  • the extreme movement of each arm 32 is defined by the hole 35 relative to the pin 36.
  • the geometry of the levers 32 and pawls 90-93 is such that each wheel 41 moves about one-twelfth of a rotation. As a result, each of the date wheels 24 moves about one-twelfth of a rotation.
  • the detents, omitted for clarity in Fig. 10 serve to centre the print faces of the date wheels 24, and also serve to hold each date wheel 24 in place when the pawls 90-93 subsequently drop back into their rest positions.
  • any desired new date wheel setting could be accomplished by no more than eleven excursions of various of the levers 32.
  • a postage meter comprising an ascending or descending register within a secure housing, a value printing means operatively coupled with the an ascending or descending register and disposed for printing of postage value, and a plurality of date wheels located on a common axle, each date wheel having indicia thereon indicative of a component of a date. Coupled to at least two adjacent date wheels are respective advancing means. One advancing means advances its respective date wheel upwards and the next advances its date wheel downwards. None about this description relies on any particular design of advancing means, other than that the advancing means advances its wheel in a particular direction and protects its wheel from backward movement. If there are several settable date wheels, it is desirable that each one have a respective advancing means coupled to it, the advancing means disposed to advance their respective date wheels in alternating directions.
  • the print indicia on the wheels be arranged accordingly.
  • one wheel will preferably have indicia increasing clockwise about the wheel, while the next wheel will preferably have indicia increasing counterclockwise.
  • control program is set up to perform the following method:
  • the predetermined relationship is, in compliance with PTT rules, at the very least a requirement that the date can only be set to a date after the present date, not a date in the past.
  • the stored program is set up so that if a date is set forward, it is set only a limited number of days into the future.
  • the day limit for such setting is a settable parameter, settable by authorized service personnel.
  • the system according to the invention is closed loop in the sense that the user is able to close the loop by, for example, typing in the present date wheel setting at the keyboard.
  • the control program makes whatever wheel movements as are required to move the wheels to the desired position. It is hoped, however, that in most circumstances the wheels would not be in positions other than the positions that the control program thinks they are in. But it is easy to imagine a circumstance in which it is impossible for the control program to be sure where the wheels are.
  • the setting mechanism being used is the one in which racks are moved forward and back to set value wheels, and in which the manner in which the date wheels are adjusted is by permitting the racks to "over-travel", thereby striking levers that advance the date wheels.
  • a setting axle may be rotated forward and back to set the value wheels, and the setting axle is coupled with breakaway clutches to gears associated with each of the racks.
  • the gears are halted at selected positions by the dropping of pawls into sawtooth teeth on the gears; the pawls are dropped by releasing electromagnets.
  • the axle has two sensors on it, one that represents a "home” position for the axle and a second sensor that generates clock pulses indicative of movement of the axle through ten or more angular positions as it moves forward and back.
  • the sensors may be called the "setting axle home” sensor and the “setting axle clock” sensor, and may be seen in Figs. 9C and 13 as sensors 504 and 503, respectively, in the copending application no. , entitled “Single-motor Setting and Printing Postage Meter", and the specification of which is attached hereto as an appendix.
  • the software can recover from the circumstance of power being applied when the setting cycle was in progress, and software is able to know whether or not the date wheel positions have been corrupted, and is able to know whether or not the value wheel positions are known with confidence.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
EP00119985A 1995-04-14 1996-04-12 Système de positionnement de roues de date d'une machine à affranchir Withdrawn EP1065630A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US422155 1982-09-23
US08/422,155 US5654614A (en) 1995-04-14 1995-04-14 Single-motor setting and printing postage meter
US08/421,902 US5749291A (en) 1995-04-14 1995-04-14 System for setting date wheels in a postage meter
EP96302591A EP0737942A3 (fr) 1995-04-14 1996-04-12 Système de positionnement de roues de date d'une machine à affranchir
US421902 2003-04-24

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EP00119985A Withdrawn EP1065630A1 (fr) 1995-04-14 1996-04-12 Système de positionnement de roues de date d'une machine à affranchir

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Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH418705A (de) 1964-07-23 1966-08-15 Hasler Ag Schaltvorrichtung für das Vorwärtsschalten des Datumstempels einer Stempelmaschine
US3869986A (en) 1974-01-16 1975-03-11 Pitney Bowes Inc Ink jet postage printing apparatus
US4060720A (en) 1975-12-17 1977-11-29 Pitney Bowes Inc. Date printing device with electronic calendar clock
US4331075A (en) * 1979-02-05 1982-05-25 Vickers Limited Value setting mechanism, particularly for franking machines
US4347506A (en) 1981-02-24 1982-08-31 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Electronic postage meter having check date warning with control for overriding the check date warning
EP0105424A2 (fr) * 1982-10-04 1984-04-18 Frama Ag Dispositif de sélection pour roues porte-caractère d'une imprimante
EP0181804A1 (fr) * 1984-11-05 1986-05-21 Societe D'etude Et De Construction D'appareils De Precision (S.E.C.A.P.) Dispositif de positionnement angulaire automatique d'une pluralité d'organes rotatifs indexables de machine, et machine, notamment machine d'affranchissement postal, comportant un tel dispositif
US4635204A (en) * 1982-12-08 1987-01-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postal meter with date check reminder means
US4649489A (en) 1982-11-23 1987-03-10 Francotyp Gmbh Method for date-setting electronically-controlled postage machines
WO1987003983A1 (fr) * 1985-12-20 1987-07-02 Hasler Ag Dispositif de mise a la date du timbre a date d'une machine a affranchir
US4852482A (en) 1987-12-21 1989-08-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. Automatic printwheel setting system
US5197042A (en) 1991-10-31 1993-03-23 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter having auto dating device
US5301116A (en) 1989-10-13 1994-04-05 Ascom Autelca Ag Device for setting of date stamps in a postage-meter machine
EP0605310A1 (fr) * 1992-12-30 1994-07-06 Neopost Industrie Mécanisme d'impression permettant la différenciation de transporteurs de courrier

Patent Citations (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH418705A (de) 1964-07-23 1966-08-15 Hasler Ag Schaltvorrichtung für das Vorwärtsschalten des Datumstempels einer Stempelmaschine
US3869986A (en) 1974-01-16 1975-03-11 Pitney Bowes Inc Ink jet postage printing apparatus
US4060720A (en) 1975-12-17 1977-11-29 Pitney Bowes Inc. Date printing device with electronic calendar clock
US4331075A (en) * 1979-02-05 1982-05-25 Vickers Limited Value setting mechanism, particularly for franking machines
US4347506A (en) 1981-02-24 1982-08-31 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Electronic postage meter having check date warning with control for overriding the check date warning
EP0105424A2 (fr) * 1982-10-04 1984-04-18 Frama Ag Dispositif de sélection pour roues porte-caractère d'une imprimante
US4649489A (en) 1982-11-23 1987-03-10 Francotyp Gmbh Method for date-setting electronically-controlled postage machines
US4635204A (en) * 1982-12-08 1987-01-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postal meter with date check reminder means
EP0181804A1 (fr) * 1984-11-05 1986-05-21 Societe D'etude Et De Construction D'appareils De Precision (S.E.C.A.P.) Dispositif de positionnement angulaire automatique d'une pluralité d'organes rotatifs indexables de machine, et machine, notamment machine d'affranchissement postal, comportant un tel dispositif
WO1987003983A1 (fr) * 1985-12-20 1987-07-02 Hasler Ag Dispositif de mise a la date du timbre a date d'une machine a affranchir
US4852482A (en) 1987-12-21 1989-08-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. Automatic printwheel setting system
US5301116A (en) 1989-10-13 1994-04-05 Ascom Autelca Ag Device for setting of date stamps in a postage-meter machine
US5197042A (en) 1991-10-31 1993-03-23 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter having auto dating device
EP0540022A2 (fr) * 1991-10-31 1993-05-05 Pitney Bowes Inc. Machine à affranchir avec dispositif de datation automatique
EP0605310A1 (fr) * 1992-12-30 1994-07-06 Neopost Industrie Mécanisme d'impression permettant la différenciation de transporteurs de courrier

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Publication number Publication date
EP0737942A2 (fr) 1996-10-16
EP0737942A3 (fr) 1997-08-13

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