Postage meter

A postage meter comprising:

• a base,
• a print drum assembly which includes a print drum and a drum shaft rotatively supported by said base of said postage meter, said print drum including radially positionable value printing elements and said drum shaft having, located in a respective groove therein, a plurality of linearly movable racks connected to said value printing elements in such a manner that linear movement of one rack alters the radial position of a corresponding value printing element, a drive gear assembly contained in a gearbox housing rotatively mounted to said drum shaft such that said gearbox housing is supported by said drum shaft in a cantilevered manner at a point axially along said drum shaft and supportively mounted to said base, said drive gear assembly having:
• a plurality of gears rotatively mounted in said gearbox housing, herein called cross-over gears, arranged to independently drive corresponding racks;
• said cross-over gears driving a respective one of said racks in said respective groove;
• and,
• a drive means for each cross-over gear, each of said drive means including a motor mounted in said gearbox housing and a respective drive connecting means mounted in said gearbox housing for causing said cross-over gear to rotate in response to actuation of said respective motor in a predetermined manner, said respective motor for independently driving a respective one of said cross-over gears in said gearbox housing whereby said motors can cause simultaneous rotation of said cross-over gears about a respective rotation axis common to said cross-cover gears.