605,624. Postal-franking machines. UNIVERSAL POSTAL FRANKERS, Ltd. and PARFETT, F. Jan. 1, 1946, No. 62. [Class 100(ii)] [Also in Group XIX] A postal franking machine of the kind in which stamps of various values, dates &c. are printed by a rotary printing element co-operating with an impression roller, and a record is taken which indicates the value of the stamps printed is constructed with a rotary printing drum 3 which has eccentrically mounted therein a variable value printing-wheel 12 of such diameter that it overlaps the centre of rotation of the printing drum, and the means for driving the drum and for adjusting the wheel 1, 2 are disposed at opposite sides of the printing elements. The printing drum 3 is carried by a shaft 8 which passes through a hollow journal 5 supported in a bearing 6 in the side frame 7 and is rotated by a handle 11 or by power means. A value printing wheel 12 having facets 13 on its periphery is fixed to a spindle 17 eccentric to the drum 3 so that one of the facets 13 always lies flush with a die 14 on the drum 3. The die 14 is shaped as an arc of greater radius than the drum 3 so that a smaller space in the die for the facets 13 is necessary. A spindle 21, Fig. 3, not shown, journalled in the cover of the drum and carrying a knob 22 and an indicator 26 is geared to the spindle 17 to adjust the wheel 12. The spindle 17 also carries a V-toothed wheel 28 which is engaged by a spring-urged pawl 29 carrying an arm engaging a bearing so that it may be released to allow rotation of the spindle 17 only when the drum is in its normal position of rest. A sliding tooth disc consists of a member 34 freely mounted on the shaft 8 and geared to the spindle 17 so that it rotates with it, and a member 33 fixed to the shaft 8 and having radial slots housing teeth 36 each of which has a lateral extending stud engaging a groove in the member 34. This groove, Fig. 7, consists of two concentric arcs 37, 38, joined by a straight part 39 so that rotation of the member 34 from the wheel 12 moves the teeth 36 radially and causes a certain number of them to project in proportion to the value of the stamp on the facet 13 in the printing position. The teeth 36 drive a pinion 40 keyed to a sleeve 40a which is mounted on a stationary shaft 41, and also carries two discs 42, 43 having arcuate recesses 44 engaged by projections 45, 46 on the disc members 33, 34 to prevent rotation of the sleeve when the machine is in its inoperative position and to arrest the sleeve after the projecting teeth 36 have passed the pinion 40 respectively. The sleeve 40a communicates the drive to a suitable meter M. A die 16 mounted on an arcuate plate 47 on the drum 3 is removably carried by a frame 48, one end of the plate 47 having a recess engaging a claw 56 on the frame and the other end being held by an arm 58 which may be moved to the right of Fig. 1, against the action of a spring 59 to release the die. The frame 48 is movable radially by means of a cam 54 to move the die 16 into printing position against the action of a spring 52 which tends to move the die 16 inwards to non-printing position. The frame is attached to a spindle 49 which passes through an aperture in a flat portion 3a of the printing-drum, and the spring 52 bears on the underside of the part 3a and a collar 53 on the spindle 49 which is provided with a pin 50 bearing on the cam 54. A spindle 61 mounted in the frame carries two arms 60 and a bellcrank lever which is rocked by a cam roller carried by the shaft 8 so that the arms 60 move downwards and press the latter against the impression roller 4 just before the printing dies 14, 15, 16 engage it. A spindle 74, Fig. 8, journalled in the frame carries a lever 75 and a catch plate 77, and the end 73 of the spindle 74 is of semi-circular section so that a block 76 on the handle 11 can pass only when the lever 75 has been operated to rotate the spindle 74. A spring 78 holds the catchplate 77 normally in the position shown, in which the handle 11 is arrested at the end of its rotation. An arm 80 of the catchplate 77 engages a stop 79 to prevent the spindle being rotated past the position in which the block 76 can pass. A lock 85 having a tongue 86 engaging the elge 87 of the catchplate is provided. A spring- pressed pawl 82 engaging a recess 83 in a disc 84 secured to the shaft 8 prevents the handle 11 being rotated backwards at the end of its movement. To prevent tampering, the ends of the bolts joining the cover to the frame are covered by a sliding bar, and a resilient stud having outwardly extending ends passes through a hole in the bar and in the frame and can only be removed by breaking it.