Mailing machine envelope transport system

In a mailing machine having a feed deck and a postage meter mounted to said mailing machine at a location along said feed deck such that a portion of said postage meter is in spaced relation to said feed deck to define a printing station, feed means for delivering a plurality of mailpieces to said feed deck in a seriatim manner and within a given linear velocity range said postage meter having a print means for the printing of an indicia on each of said mailpieces as it traverses said print station, said mailing machine including a transport system comprising:

• a. first means for capturing each of said mailpieces as it is received from said feed means and controllably transporting said mailpiece along said feed deck and maintaining control during indicia printing by said postage meter and thereafter ejecting said mailpiece from said mailing machine, said first means including,
• movable means for receiving said mailpiece and establishing positive position control of said mailpiece substantially throughout the traversal path of said mailpiece along said mailing machine feed deck
• drive means for driving said movable means
• control means for controlling said drive means such that said drive means drives said movable means at an initial velocity generally equal to or greater than said velocity of said fed mailpiece, and subsequent to said movable means establishing control of said mailpiece and prior to indicia printing causing said drive means to adjust said velocity of said movable means to a predetermined velocity if said initial first velocity is greater than said predetermined velocity, and subsequent to indicia printing on said mailpiece cause said drive means to adjust said velocity of movable means to said initial velocity.

In a mailing machine having a feed deck and a postage meter mounted to said mailing machine at a location along said feed deck such that a portion of said postage meter is in spaced relation to said feed deck to define a printing station, feed means for delivering a plurality of mailpieces to said feed deck in a seriatim manner and within a given linear velocity range said postage meter having a print means for the printing of an indicia on each of said mailpieces as it traverses said print station, said mailing machine including a transport system comprising:

• said mailing machine feed deck having a plurality of first slots formed therein upstream of said printing station,
• a plurality of first rollers rotatably mounted in said mailing machine such that a radial portion of said rollers extend through said first slots,
• a plurality of second rollers,
• first support means for mounting of said second rollers rotatably thereto such that said second rollers are in forced peripheral contact tangentially with a respective one of said first rollers and such that said second rollers are displaceable apart from said first respective first roller in response to the thickness of said traversing mailpiece,
• said mailing machine feed deck having a plurality of second slots formed therein downstream of said printing station,
• a plurality of third rollers,
• second mounting means for rotational mounting of said third rollers such that a portion of said third rollers extends radially through a respective one of said second slots and such that said third rollers may be deflected from a first position to a second position in response to the thickness of said traversing mailpiece,
• said postage meter having mounted thereto idle rollers in periheral contact with a respective one of said third rollers,
• drive means for rotatably driving said first and third rollers cooperatively,
• control means for controlling said drive means such that said drive means drives said movable means at a initial velocity generally equal to or greater than said velocity of said fed mailpiece, and subsequent to said movable means establishing control of said mailpiece and prior to indicia printing causing said drive means to adjust said velocity of said movable means to a predetermined velocity if said initial first velocity is greater than said predetermined velocity, and subsequent to indicia printing on said mailpiece causing said drive means to adjust said velocity of a movable means to said initial velocity.

In a mailing machine having a housing, a portion of said housing forming a feed deck and a postage meter mounted to said mailing machine at a location along said feed deck such that a portion of said postage meter is in spaced relation to said feed deck to define a printing station, feed means for delivering a plurality of mailpieces to one end of said feed deck in a seriatim manner and within a given linear velocity range said postage meter having a print means for the printing of an indicia on each of said mailpieces as it seriately traverse said print station, said mailing machine including a transport system comprising:

• said mailing machine feed deck having a plurality of first slots formed therein upstream of said printing station,
• a plurality of shafts rotatabkly mounted in said mailing machine housing below said feed deck,
• a plurality of first forward rollers fixably mounted centrally around a first one of said shafts in axially spaced apart relationship such that a radial portion of said first forward rollers extend through respective one of said first slots,
• a plurality of second forward rollers fixably mounted centrally around a second one of said shafts axially spaced apart relationship such that a radial portion of said second forward rollers extends through a respective one of said first slots, said first and second forward rollers being in transversely staggered longitudinal alignment,
• a plurality of second rollers,
• first support means for mounting of said second rollers rotatably thereto such that second rollers are in forced peripheral contact tangentially with a respective one of said first forward rollers and such that said second rollers are displaceable apart from a respective first and second forward roller in response to the thickness of said traversing mailpiece,
• said mailing machine feed deck having a plurality of second slots formed therein downstream of said printing station,
• a plurality of third rollers,
• second mounting means for rotational mounting of said third rollers such that a portion of said third rollers extends radially through a respective one of said second slots and such that said third rollers may be deflected from a first position to a second position in response to said traversing mailpiece,
• said postage meter having mounted thereto idle rollers in peripheral contact with a respective one of said third rollers,
• a stepper motor fixably mounted within said mailing machine housing, said stepper motor including a output shaft,
• transmission means in driven communication with said output shaft of said stepper motor for providing driving communication between said stepper motor and said first and second one of said shafts and said third rollers,
• control means for controlling said stepper motor such that said stepper motor drives said transmission means in a manner such that said first and second forward rollers receive an equivalent initial peripheral velocity generally equal to or greater than said velocity of said fed mailpiece, adjust said velocity of said first and second forward rollers generally upon reaching by said mailpiece of a predetermined velocity if said initial velocity is greater than said predetermined velocity or decreasing said velocity of said first and second forward rollers generally upon reaching by said mailpiece of a velocity by a predetermined amount if said initial velocity is less than said predetermined velocity and reset said predetermined velocity there equal to, and subsequent to indicia printing on said mailpiece cause said stepper motor to adjust said velocity of said third rollers to said initial velocity.

A transport system for adjusting the linear velocity of a mailpiece traversing a feed deck, said mailpiece having an initial velocity within a given linear velocity range, comprising:

• a housing having formed thereon a feed deck,
• said housing having a plurality of first slots formed therein at a location therealong,
• a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing below said feed deck,
• a plurality of first rollers fixably mounted centrally around said shafts in axially spaced apart relationship such that a radial portion of said first rollers extend through respective one of said first slots,
• a plurality of second rollers,
• first support means for mounting of said second rollers rotatably thereto such that said second rollers are in forced peripheral contact tangentially with a respective one of said first rollers such that said second rollers are displaceable apart from a respective first roller in response to a traversing mailpiece,
• a stepper motor fixably mounted within said housing, said stepper motor including a output shaft,
• transmission means in driven communication with said output shaft of said stepper motor for providing driving communication to said shafts,
• control means for controlling said stepper motor such that said stepper motor drives said transmission means in a manner such that said first rollers receive an equivalent initial peripheral velocity generally equal to or greater than said velocity of said fed mailpiece, adjust said velocity of said first rollers generally upon said mailpiece reaching a predetermined velocity if said initial first velocity is greater than said predetermined velocity.