GB1321693A - Marking apparatus having register means for use as a postage meter - Google Patents

Abstract

1321693 Manual postage meters M J STACK and J S TRAYNOR [trading as NORSTA ENG] 29 June 1970 31306/70 Heading B6D A manually operable postage meter 20, Fig. 6, having ascending and descending registers 50, 51 which show spent and available preset postage value rates comprises a postage printing carriage assembly 26 mounted slidably in a housing 22 provided on opposite sides adjacent its lower end with a pair of slots in which is mounted slidably a base assembly 24, the housing and the assemblies being movable relative to each other to effect impression of the postage value which is preset on type-wheel 28, 30 supported rotatably in the carriage assembly 26. The base assembly supports a meter stamp die (34, Fig. 3) and plate wheels 34. To print a postage value on an underlying surface 160, Fig. 6, the type wheels 28, 30 are rotated until the selected indicia are visible in indicating windows (52, 53, Fig. 1), the indexing action of the wheels resulting in disposition of one of a number of stops 97 on a stop member 96 in the path of oscillatory movement of a serrated edge 106 on a crank 100. The stop member which is carried by a bellcrank lever 93 whose pin is disposed slidably in a slot (not shown) is set vertically by a lever 88 associated with a spiral cam 86 and laterally by an axial cam 90 through an arm 92 of the bellcrank 93. Following setting of the postage value the housing is depressed whereby the base assembly 24 is caused to move upwardly into the housing the carriage assembly 26 being held stationary relative to the base assembly by a shoulder 74 of a leaf-spring 72 abutting an edge 158 of the carriage assembly. The edge 158 is released by the leading edge of the serrated edge 106 striking the pre-set stop 97 and displacing laterally the bell-crank 93 which is biased by the spring 72 in turn deflected to disengage the shoulder 74. The carriage 26 is then impelled by a spring 63 and following impression and releasing of the pressure on the housing spring 180, Fig. 9, restores the carriage 26 and a spring 178 restores the crank 100 which through a unidirectional clutch drives a gear assembly of the respective ascending and descending registers 50, 51 which get locked by locking means 146, 147 when the preset postage value is exhausted. The registers are re-set at a post office in which the housing can be opened by a key (44, Fig. 5) which releases an interlock (39) holding the housing parts (35, Fig. 2) and 36 together.