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 and cutting 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 the envelopes along the feed deck for feeding successive 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 finite lengths of tape from the mailing machine, said apparatus comprising:

• A. means for storing a supply roll of tape of indefinite length,
• B. means for defining a first predetermined feed path extending from said tape supply roll to the printing mechanism of the postage meter,
• C. means defining a second predetermined feed path extending from a point on said first predetermined feed path away therefrom in a direction generally opposite to that in which said first predetermined feed path extends toward said printing mechanism,
• D. means for feeding a finite length of tape from said tape supply roll along said first predetermined feed path to bring a portion of said finite length of tape to 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 severing said printed portion of said finite length of tape, and
• F. means for ejecting said severed printed portion of said finite length of tape from the mailing machine along said second predetermined feed path,
• whereby said means for defining said first and second predetermined feed paths and said tape storing, feeding severing and ejecting means are all positioned entirely on one side of the postage meter.