Tape feeding, cutting and ejecting apparatus for a mailing machine

In a mailing machine having an elongate feed deck, means for feeding envelopes along the feed deck, and a postage meter mounted in the mailing machine and having a printing mechanism disposed in juxtaposition with the feed deck so as to print postage indicia on successive envelopes as they are fed along the feed deck, a tape feeding, cutting and ejecting apparatus mounted in the mailing machine above the feed deck and adjacent to the postage meter on the upstream side thereof with respect to the direction of feed of envelopes along the feed deck for feeding successive finite lengths of tape to the postage meter for printing of postage indicia on a portion thereof and for cutting and ejecting the printed portion of the finite lengths of tape from the mailing machine, said apparatus comprising:

• A. means for holding a supply roll of tape of indefinite length adjacent the end of said apparatus proximate to the postage meter of the mailing machine,
• B. first guide means defining a generally U-shaped first feed path which extends generally from beneath said tape supply roll toward the end of said apparatus opposite to said end thereof proximate to the postage meter and which then extends in an opposite direction toward said end proximate to the postage meter, said first feed path terminating closely adjacent to the printing mechanism of the postage meter,
• C. second guide means defining a generally straight second feed path which extends from a location on said first feed path away therefrom in a direction generally opposite to that in which said first feed path extends toward said end of said apparatus proximate the postage meter;
• D. tape feeding means for feeding a finite length of tape from said tape supply roll in a forward direction along said first feed path to feed a portion of said finite length of tape through the printing mechanism of the postage meter for printing of a postage indicia on said portion of said finite length of tape,
• E. means for reversing the direction of said tape feeding means to feed said tape in a reverse direction along said first feed path,
• F. severing means disposed at the juncture of said first feed path and said second feed path for severing said tape when a trailing edge of the printed portion of said finite length of tape reaches said severing means and for deflecting a leading edge of the severed portion of said tape into said second feed path, and
• G. means for ejecting said severed printed portion of tape from the mailing machine along said second feed path, whereby said first and second guide means and said tape storing, feeding, severing and ejecting means are all positioned entirely on one side of the postage meter.