Electrically Controlled Postage Meter

This invention relates to postage meters, and more particularly to an electromechanical setting mechanism for setting the print wheels of a postage meter printing drum.

Heretofore, there have been several devices using a plurality of solenoids for positioning indicator or printing wheels. Each solenoid is of a different stroke, so that actuating one or a combination of these solenoids will provide a setting from zero through nine. Such devices may be seen with reference to the following patents:

Saylor; u.s. pat. No. 3,414,854; issued: 12/3/68

Kotaka et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,120; issued: 2/25/69

Cox et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,491,319; issued: 1/20/70

Saylor: u.s. pat. No. 3,495,240; issued: 2/10/70

Cox et al; 3,543,204; issued: 11/24/70

The present invention is concerned with using some of the teachings expressed in the foregoing devices to operate and control a postage meter. It is believed that the inventive setting mechanism is the first of its kind in the postage meter art.

The invention is for an electromechanical setting mechanism for a postage meter. A plurality of solenoid banks are provided to set each respective print wheel of a postage print drum.

Each bank features two pairs of solenoids mounted upon a unique "floating" movable frame support. One pair of the two pairs of solenoids causes the frame to move with respect to the meter housing. The moving frame in turn, positions a setting linkage which sets a postage value for a print wheel. The other pair of solenoids acts directly upon this setting linkage to also set a postage value for the respective print wheel.

Each solenoid is actuated by coded electrical signals, and each solenoid in a bank is offset from the center of a setting link a different amount to provide a different resultant stroke. In this way a respective print wheel can be set for any postage value from zero to nine.

The setting mechanism of the invention will usually employ three or four banks, although more banks can be accommodated if desired. A change of meter design is easily accomplished using the invention, because each bank is compact to easily fit within a meter housing. Also each setting bank is independent of the others (modular), so that the addition or subtraction of a bank will present a minimum of meter modifications.

Because each bank is of modular construction, an ease of maintenance is provided. In the event that any part of a setting bank should fail, the whole bank can be easily removed and replaced without disturbing the rest of the meter.

The inventive setting mechanism and meter construction can provide a self-monitoring capability not found in standard mechanical meters; i.e., each bank can be electrically monitored to determine if it is properly set to a desired postage value.

The inventive meter design provides a setting mechanism which has a minimum of working parts, is compact, reliable, and easy to maintain.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved postage meter, and postage meter setting mechanism;

It is another object of this invention to provide a postage setting mechanism which can be controlled and operated using coded signals.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a postage setting mechanism for a postage meter having a modular construction.

These and other objects of the invention will be better understood and will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a postage meter printing and setting mechanism of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inventive setting mechanism of FIG. 1, taken along lines 2--2;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principal of operation of each setting bank of the setting mechanism of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a frontal view of the inventive postage meter printing and setting mechanism of FIG. 1 taken along lines 4--4.

Generally speaking, the invention is for an electrically controlled postage meter having an electromechanical setting means. The setting means comprises a plurality of setting banks, one bank for each print wheel in the postage meter printing drum. Each bank has a plurality of solenoids substantially arranged within a common plane with respect to each other. The solenoids are mounted upon a movable frame, such that as certain of said solenoids are actuated, the frame is caused to move. The solenoids are selectively actuated by electrically coded signals to provide any one of a multiple of print wheel postage value positions.

Now referring to FIG. 1, a plan view of the inventive postage meter setting and printing mechanism is shown. The printing of postage is accomplished by a printing drum 10, which contains a plurality of printing wheels 11 (typical). In the particular meter configuration to be described, there is depicted four print banks, i.e., there are four print wheels 11 in drum 10 for providing digits, tens, dollars and tens of dollars, for a maximum of $99.99 of postage. Each print wheel 11 is set to a postage value from zero through nine. The mechanism for accomplishing the setting of these wheels is generally depicted by arrow 12. This setting mechanism 12 has four setting banks 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d, respectively (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4). Each bank respectively controls and sets one of the four print wheels 11. The setting banks are operatively connected to the print wheels 11 by means of two sets of print wheel racks 15a; 15d and 15b; 15c, upper and lower nested cross-over shafts 16a; 16d and 16b; 16c respectively. The upper outer shaft 16d has an interior shaft 16a nested therein (FIG. 4). The lower outer shaft 16c has an interior shaft 16b nested therein (FIG. 4). Each of the shafts 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d, respectively support a pair of spur gears 18a, 19a; 18b, 19b; 18c, 19 c; and 18d, 19d; respectively. Spur gears 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d are in contact with, and respectively control, the print wheel racks 15a, 15b, 15c and 15d, respectively. Spur gears 19a, 19b, 19c and 19d, are respectively in contact with setting banks 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, such that each bank will control a corresponding print wheel rack. For example, bank 12a will turn spur gear 19a, through a given rotation, which in turn will turn shaft 16a. The spur gear 18a which is fixed to the other end of shaft 16a, will then turn a like amount as that of spur gear 19a. Rack 15a will then move in response to the rotation of spur gear 18a. Racks 15b, 15c and 15d, respectively are similarly actuated via spur gears 19b, 19c and 19d.

Each setting bank 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d, respectively comprises a hollow frame 20 containing four solenoids 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d, as shown in FIG. 2. Each frame 20 is constructed of two boards 22 and 23, which are affixed to and separated by upper and lower beams 24 and 25, respectively. The beams 24 and 25 are supported by means of upper shafts 26 and 27, respectively and lower shafts 28 and 29, respectively. The shafts 26, 27, 28 and 29 are anchored to the postage meter frame 30. The frames 20 are all permitted to move with respect to the postage meter frame 30, because of respective slots 31, 32, 33 and 34, which are cut into each of the beams 24 and 25, respectively. These slots allow respective beams 24 and 25, and consequently each frame 20, to move in a reciprocal direction as depicted by arrows 35.

The solenoids 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d of each frame 20 are of greater diameter than the spacing between respective boards 22 and 23, and project through boards 22 and 23 via slots 36a, 36b, 36c and 36d, respectively. The solenoid's overhang provides the means of anchoring the solenoids into each frame 20.

The inner pair of solenoids 21a and 21b of each frame have their respective shafts 37a and 37b movably affixed to a pivotable link 38. The link 38 pivots about shaft 41, which is connected across the U-shaped bracket 39. Bracket 39 is anchored to the postage meter wall member 40.

The outer pair of solenoids 21c and 21d of each frame have their respective shafts 37c and 37d movably affixed to a pivotable link 42. Link 42 is pivotably connected to rack member 43 via pin 44. Rack member 43 engages with a butterfly pinion gear 45. Butterfly pinion gear 45, in turn engages with spur gear 19 (a,b,c or d, as the case may be).

Now referring to FIG. 3, a schematic diagram illustrates the principal of operation of each setting bank 12a-12d. Solenoid pairs 21a, 21b; and 21c, 21d; of each bank have similar strokes with respect to each other. These solenoid pairs each act at different distances from pivots 41 and 44, respectively. For example, solenoid 21a has twice the moment arm of solenoid 21b about pin 41. Similarly, solenoid 21c has twice the moment arm of solenoid 21d about pin 44. These pivot pin offsets provide a differing resultant stroke for each solenoid actuation, such that any one of several resultant strokes can be obtained about the pivot points.

The inner pair of solenoids 21a and 21b have their respective shafts 37a and 37b connected to pivot link 38 via connecting pins 46 and 47. The link 38 can assume any one of three positions depending on which of the solenoids 21a and 21b are actuated. If solenoid 21a is actuated, link 38 will assume position 50 shown in phantom. If solenoid 21b is actuated, link 38 will assume position 51 shown in phantom, and if both 21a and 21b solenoids are actuated, the link will have the position shown by the solid line 52. The link 38 is free to pivot about pin 41, since each of the connecting pins 46 and 47, are respectively movable within arcuate slots 48 and 49.

It will be seen that when either or both of the solenoids 21a and 21b are actuated, link 42 is caused to move to the right as shown by arrow 53. This is so because link 38 is not free to move laterally, it being anchored by pin 41 to wall bracket 39 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Therefore, when the solenoids actuate, their motion is transmitted to the movable frame 20 (FIG. 2). The frame 20 is caused to move to the right. The solenoid shafts 37c and 37d of solenoids 21c and 21d, respectively, are anchored against pulling out of these solenoids by means of bolts 54c and 54d, respectively. This causes the movement of frame 20 to be transmitted to link 42. Link 42 will, therefore move to the right as depicted by arrow 53.

The actuation of solenoid 21a will cause pivot pin 44 to be displaced one unit length; solenoid 21b will cause a pivot pin 44 displacement of two unit lengths; and both solenoids 21a and 21b will cause the pivot pin 44 to have a displacement of three unit lengths.

When either or both outer solenoids 21c and 21d are actuated, they act directly upon pivot pin 44 of link 42. Solenoid 21c will provide this pin with a three unit length displacement, and solenoid 21d will provide a six unit length displacement. Both of these solenoids in combination will produce a nine unit length displacement for pivot pin 44 as illustrated.

Solenoid shafts 37a and 37b are similarly anchored against pulling out of solenoids 21a and 21b, respectively by means of bolts 54a and 54b as shown. This is required, because the actuation of solenoids 21c and 21d will cause a reactive force on frame 20 tending to pull shafts 37a and 37b from their respective solenoids.

When solenoid 21c is caused to actuate, link 42 will be caused to pivot to position 55 shown in phantom, and pin 44 will be moved a three unit length to the right (arrow 53).

When solenoid 21d actuates, link 42 will pivot to position 56 shown in phantom, and pin 44 will move a six unit length in direction 53.

When both solenoids 21c and 21d actuate, the link 42 will be displaced to position 57 shown in phantom, and pin 44 will move a nine unit length in direction 53.

Link 42 is able to pivot to positions 55 and 56 due to slots 58 and 59. Slots 58 and 59, respectively allow link 42 to angularly orient itself about the solenoid shaft connecting pins 60 and 61 as shown.

The actuation of certain of the solenoids 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d, respectively, will provide any unit length displacements of pin 44 of link 42 from one through nine, as illustrated in the following table:

Referring again to FIG. 2, it will be seen that as pin 44 is displaced (arrow 53), the rack member 43 causes the butterfly pinion gear 45 to rotate. This in turn results in rotating a particular spur gear 19 (a,b,c, or d, depending on the solenoid bank being actuated).

Racks 43 are supported for lateral movement by shafts 62 and 63, respectively. Slots 64 and 65, respectively allow the rack 43 to move with respect to supporting shafts 62 and 63.

As will be noted, racks 43 are alternately reversed for each succeeding bank, so as to accommodate upper and lower shafted spur gears 19.

A spring 66 is connected between each rack and the postage meter frame (not shown), so as to provide a return of the rack to an initial rest position after de-actuation of the solenoid bank.

One of the advantages of an electrically actuated postage meter is that each setting bank may be monitored. As will be noted, upper and lower setting shafts 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d each respectively support a slotted disc 67. Monitoring wells 68 containing a photodetector (LED nad phototransistor) respectively monitor the position of each cross-over shaft, by detecting the number of slots (or teeth) of discs 67, which cut across the detection light path. In this way, each setting bank can be monitored to determine if they have in fact set each print wheel to the desired setting.

The solenoids in each bank 12a-12d are individually actuated by coded electrical signals consistent with the teachings in the aforementioned SAYLOR and COX et al patents.

Many modifications and changes in the invention as presented will naturally occur to the skilled practitioner in this art. All obvious changes are deemed to fall within the scope and purview of the invention as represented by the appended claims.