Back to results
US 5,848,401 AGranted
Hand-held portable postage meter that uses pre-printed tape
OwnerRobert M. Goldberg, Jerome R. Rosenberginventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A highly secure hand-held portable postage meter is disclosed that uses partially pre-printed postal tape. Only the date and postage amount remain to be printed on the tape by the meter. The postal tape, pre-printed by Postal Authority, is enclosed within the meter in a removable cartridge. In one embodiment, a new cartridge being pushed into the meter pushes the used cartridge out. An anti-tamper lock is released by a probe key, on the leading face of the cartridge, that couples with a receptor on the trailing face of the used cartridge.
Claims21
A postage meter, comprising:
- (a) a mechanically secure housing having an opening for dispensing stamps;
- (b) within said housing, a supply of identical partially-printed separate postal stamps having on each stamp pre-printed indicia for identification and security and blank spaces for receiving further printing;
- (c) means for printing the date and desired amount of postage on said blank spaces;
- (d) means for dispensing the thus-printed stamp;
- (e) a descending charge register or an accumulator;
- (f) means restricting to postal authority only, the ability to set the charge register at or to limit the accumulator to the total amount of postage paid, or to be paid;
- (g) means to debit the charge register or augment the accumulator with the amounts printed on successive stamps;
- and
- (h) means to disable further operation of the postage meter when available postage is exhausted.
6 more elements
A postage meter, comprising:
- (a) a mechanically secure housing having an opening for dispensing stamps;
- (b) within said housing, a supply of identical partially-printed separate postal stamps carrying adhesive on one side, and on the other side having on each stamp pre-printed indicia for identification and security and blank spaces for receiving further printing;
- (c) means for entering the date and desired amount of postage;
- (d) means for printing the date and desired amount of postage on said blank spaces;
- (e) means for dispensing the thus-printed stamp;
- (f) a descending charge register or an accumulator;
- (g) means restricting to postal authority only, the ability to set the charge register at or to limit the accumulator to the total amount of postage paid, or to be paid;
- (h) means to debit the charge register or augment the accumulator with the amounts printed on successive stamps;
- and
- (i) means to disable further operation of the postage meter when available postage is exhausted.
7 more elements
A postage meter, comprising:
- (a) a mechanically secure housing having an opening for dispensing stamps;
- (b) a cartridge within said housing containing a roll of postal tape comprising sequential identical partially-printed separable postal stamps, said postal tape carrying adhesive on one sides and on the other side having on each stamp pre-printed indicia for identification and security and blank spaces for receiving further printing;
- (c) means for entering the date and desired amount of postage;
- (d) means for printing the date and desired amount of postage on said blank spaces;
- (e) means for advancing the postal tape and dispensing the thus-printed stamp;
- (f) a descending charge register or an accumulator;
- (g) means restricting to postal authority only, the ability to set the charge register at or to limit the accumulator to the total amount of postage paid, or to be paid;
- (h) means to debit the charge register or augment the accumulator with the amounts printed on successive stamps;
- (i) means to disable further operation of the postage meter when the available postage is exhausted;
- and
- (j) locking means restricting only to postal authority the ability to remove or replace said cartridge and to reset said charge register or set said accumulator.
8 more elements
A hand-held postage meter, comprising:
- (a) a mechanically secure housing having opposed openings for respectively insertion and removal of a tape cartridge, and an opening for dispensing stamps;
- (b) a cartridge containing a roll of postal tape comprising sequential identical partially-printed separable postal stamps, said postal tape carrying adhesive on one sides and on the other side having on each stamp pre-printed indicia for identification and security and blank spaces for receiving further printing;
- (c) means for entering the date and desired amount of postage;
- (d) means for printing the date and desired amount of postage on said blank spaces;
- (e) means for advancing the postal tape and dispensing the thus-printed stamp;
- (f) a descending charge register or an accumulator;
- (g) means restricting to postal authority only, the ability to set the charge register at or to limit the accumulator to the total amount of postage paid, or to be paid;
- (h) means to debit the charge register or augment the accumulator with the amounts printed on successive stamps;
- (i) means to disable further operation of the postage meter when available postage is exhausted;
- and
- (j) locking means restricting only to postal authority the ability to remove or replace said cartridge and to reset said charge register or set said accumulator.
8 more elements
A postage meter, comprising:
- (a) a mechanically secure housing having an opening for dispensing stamps;
- (b) within said housing, a supply of identical partially-printed separate postal stamps having on each stamp pre-printed indicia for identification and security and blank spaces for receiving further printing;
- (c) means for printing the date and desired amount of postage on said blank spaces;
- (d) means for dispensing the thus-printed stamp;
- (e) a descending charge register or an accumulator;
- (f) means restricting to postal authority only, the ability to set the charge register at or to limit the accumulator to the total amount of postage paid, or to be paid;
- (g) means to debit the charge register or augment the accumulator with the amounts printed on successive stamps;
- (h) means to disable further operation of the postage meter when available postage is exhausted;
- and
- (i) means to disable operation upon tampering by an unauthorized person.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.