Abstract:
A franking apparatus for and a method of franking mail items with postage indicia for one of a plurality of mail carriers, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of carrier print stores, each being assigned to a respective one of the carriers and for storing print information unique to the respective carrier; a common print store for storing print information common to each of the carriers; a printing module including a printer for printing postage indicia for mail items; and a control module for controlling operation of the apparatus to frank mail items with postage indicia for selected ones of the carriers, wherein each postage indicium includes a carrier-specific element derived utilizing print information from the carrier print store for the respective carrier and a common element derived utilizing print information from the common print store.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a device for moistening envelope flaps integrated in a mail item feed module and successively comprising, along a path of travel of these mail items, at least one pair of drive rollers for conveying these mail items, a separator for separating the flap from the body of the envelope, a moistener for moistening this flap once the flap is separated from the body of the envelope, and suction means disposed just in front of the separator and a presser finger acting against spring means in order, in the presence of envelopes with folded down flaps, to apply the envelope in the direction of these suction means and to detach the flap from the body of the envelope and thus allow its passage beneath the separator without jamming nor untimely contacts with the separator.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a laterally and frontally loaded document feed bin, comprising mobile means for pushing these documents against a supporting wall and a lever for selecting a mode of operation in order to select a first and a second position, these mobile pushing means comprising first thrust adjustment means in order, in a first selected position, to exert a first thrust pressure on said documents, and second thrust adjustment means in order, in a second selected position, to exert an additional trust pressure on said documents.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a high-rate franking machine comprising means for printing postal indicia on a mailpiece and means for transporting this mailpiece along a mailpiece-conveying path, said printing means comprising, arranged side by side transversely to a direction D of advance of the mailpieces along said mailpiece-conveying path, a first printing module arranged in a first position (position of printing) above said mailpiece-conveying path and a second printing module arranged in a second position (position of maintenance/standby) set back with respect to said mailpiece-conveying path. The first printing module is associated with a first maintenance station and the second printing module is associated with a second maintenance station.
Abstract:
A mail item printing station for printing postage indicia on mail items, which postage indicia embody a normal postage service and an additional service for at least ones of the mail items, the printing station comprising: a printing unit for printing postage indicia on mail items; a control unit for controlling the printing unit and performing accounting functions, wherein the control unit includes a first memory for logging each event of the additional service as applied to the at least ones of the mail items; and a user interface for enabling user control of the printing station.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a device for statistically following up postal products for electronic franking system, comprising a random access memory (RAM) used for recording communication statements, in which a saved part of this RAM contains a plurality of communication counters each associated with a determined postal product and corresponding to the total number of postal products considered as priority or secondary by the Postal Service.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a mail handling system intended for printing postal indicia on a mail item, comprising a franked label dispenser allowing the print of postal indicia on a label intended thereafter to be stuck on the mail item, and a control computer terminal intended to remotely control print of the postal indicia on the label. It also preferably comprises electronic scales for previously determining the weight of the mail items having then to be printed, control of these scales being effected remotely from the control computer terminal and the remote control from the computer terminal is advantageously effected by short distance radio link, preferably of the Bluetooth or like type.
Abstract:
A mail-handling machine comprising at least firstly a postage-metering or nullfrankingnull module comprising at least print means for printing a postage imprint on a mail item and conveyor means for conveying said mail item along a mail item conveyor path defined by top and bottom guide plates, which conveyor means comprise at least mail item engagement means including bottom means mounted to move vertically, which engagement means are disposed at the inlet of the franking module, and secondly a mail item feed module disposed immediately upstream from the franking module and comprising at least conveyor means for conveying the mail items, and a moistener device, support means further being provided for supporting the mail items as they move between the feed module and the franking module, which support means are suitable for being moved in a manner synchronized with the vertical movement of the bottom engagement means.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a label dispenser for franking machine comprising, on the one hand, a delivery roller on which a continuous tape of labels is wound and a drive means for conveying this tape along a dispenser conveying path from this delivery roller towards a label inlet of the franking machine, and, on the other hand, first means for measuring a displacement of the drive means, second means for measuring a displacement of the delivery roller and processing means for determining a remaining length of the continuous tape of labels from the first and second displacement measuring means.
Abstract:
In a franking machine comprising a base and a disposable head provided with ink jet printing means, a method of printing postal indicia is proposed, comprising the following steps: activating said disposable head in response to determined parameters of identification extracted from memory means of this head and recognized as valid by said base, sending towards said disposable head from said base franking data representative of postal indicia to be printed, comprising static data and dynamic data, calculating in said base the number of droplets to be projected in order to print the dynamic data and add this number to that corresponding to the printing of the static data, previously memorized in said memory means, to obtain a total number of droplets to be projected for printing said postal indicia, determining the volume of ink consumed corresponding to that total number of droplets to be projected and memorize this volume of consumed ink in said memory means, and calculating the remaining volume of ink in said ink reservoir by subtracting said volume of consumed ink from said nominal volume of ink.