Patent Publication Number: US-3876870-A

Title: Register for a postal meter

Description:
United States Patent [1 1 Malavazos, deceased et al.  
 [111 3,876,870 Apr. 8, 1975 REGISTER FOR A POSTAL METER [22] Filed: Apr. 3, 1974 [211 Appl. No.: 457,593  
 [52] US. Cl..., 235/101; 235/137; 235/139 R [51] Int. Cl. G06c 15/26; G07g 1/00 [58] Field of Search 235/101, 133, 136,137,  
 Y [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,597,488 5/1952 Hopkins et al 235/133 R 2,726,812 12/1955 Uhl 235/101 3,107,854 10/1963 Lundquist 235/101 3.123.292 3/1964 Lundquist 235/101 3,823,666 7/1974 Hanson 235/101 Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Tomsky Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robyn Wilcox [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a register for a postage meter, and more specifically to the descending register thereof, which comprises: A single old and well-known Thomas-type mutilated drum actuator; driven gears slidably but non-rotatably mounted on a register drive shaft, which gears are adjustable to lie opposite none or any selected number of the gear teeth on the mutilated drum; and a register drive gear which is effective to drive the register dials and also to operate the tenstransfer mechanism when necessary. In the present invention, the dial drive mechanism in each order utilizes a gear train of a nine-tooth selection and register driving gear, a 40-tooth gear driven by the gear on the respective drive shaft, the 40-tooth gear, in turn, drives a 20-tooth idler, and that, in turn, drives a 10- tooth gear affixed to the register dial, thereby driving the register dial selected increments of value. The tens-transfer mechanism comprises in each order a four-tooth gear and a Geneva disk, both of approximately the same size as the 40-tooth gear mounted on the latter; the four-tooth gear registering with a gear rotatably mounted on the register drive shaft and the attached Geneva disk registering with a Geneva block, the latter being provided with an axially projecting cam face for each gear tooth; a cam follower engaging 1 the cam teeth, which follower is affixed to a tenstransfer shaft that carries a yoke which engages a tenstransfer gear mounted on the register drive shaft of the next higher order, whereby the rotation of the 40- tooth gear through a tens-transfer position will effect the movement of the tenstransfer gear in the next higher order into alignment with a tens-transfer tooth on the actuator drum. 1n the present invention the respective register drive shafts and their gear assemblies, as above described, are angularly arranged around a single actuator drum, so that all of the register assembly is driven by a single actuator.  
 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAFR ems ,870  
 sum 2 or 2 REGISTER FOR A POSTAL METER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION among other things, that a value selected for the meter must be accurately set into two registers one in which the values are accumulated, known as the ascending register, and one in which the value of the stamp is subtracted from the value set by the Post Office at the time of payment for postage, known as the descending register; and a mechanism which locks the meter against operation when the value in the descending register falls below that which could be set into the meter by the operator. The particular mechanism described and claimed herein relates to the register mechanism. For purposes of exemplification only,  
 the descending register will be described, since the ascending register is of exactly the same construction, except that the means for locking the meter against operation upon reaching a minimum value is eliminated in the ascending register.  
  It is well-known in the art that the Post Office with which a meter is registered will, upon the payment of an amount to cover postage desired by the user, reset descending register from time to time, but the values accumulated in the ascending register are never changed except by machine operation.  
  Other requirements of the Post Office are that the meter must be accurate in all aspects of its operation, and that no stamp can be printed without a like registration of the stamp value in the two registers. It should be ruggedly constructed to withstand long and hard usage and it must be relatively trouble-free. It is wellknown that a meter is so encased in its cover that it cannot be altered in any way, except at the Post Office, when they unlock access to the descending register and change its setting any other repair or change in the meter requires that the meter be officially taken from service by the distributor and repaired in a facility that is subject to Post Office inspection. Hence, it is essential for a satisfactory postage meter to be extremely accurate in registering the values printed by it into both registers as well as to be rugged and trouble-free in its operation.  
  It should be understood that the present invention, as in all modern postal meters, is easily removable from its base. The meter itself, which contains the two registers,  
 -the print head and their protective devices, must be I taken to the local Post Office for resetting upon payment of postage. The base includes the motor and such auxiliary mechanisms as tape feed, moisteners, letter sealers, etc.  
 OBJECTS It is an object of the present invention to provide a register which can be driven at a speed twice, or even three times, that commonly used at present.  
  It is another object of the present invention to provide a very rugged and simple construction for a postage meter register, so that its operation will be long and trouble-free.  
  It is a further object of the present invention to provide a register that is completely accurate in its registrations.  
  It is a further object of the present invention to provide a better postage meter than any now available.  
  These and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the description of the register in the following specification when construed in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
  FIG. 1 is a plan view of the register and its driving means of the present invention.  
  FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on vertical planes perpendicular to the axis of the meter, such as along the broken planes indicated by the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view showing particularly the register driving and tens-transfer mechanisms, such as taken along planes immediately adjacent to the left side of the center frame plate, as indicated by the line 33 of FIG. 1, with certain parts broken away for clarification.  
  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a single order of the register driving mechanism and the means for effecting the tenstransfer into the next higher order; and  
  FIG. 5 is an end view of a 40-tooth drive gear for a single order of the register and the mechanism by which a tens transfer is imparted to the next higher order, as no line 5-5 is shown in FIG. 4.  
  The register of the present invention is driven by the old and well-known Thomas-type mutiliated drum actuator 30, shown in FIG. 4. In the present invention, this single drum is a hollow cylinder 501 effective to drive all of the orders of the register, as will hereinafter be described. The drum 501 is rigidly mounted on the main drive shaft of the machine, as shown in the copending application entitled Arithmetic Unit for a Postage Meter, above referred to. The drive shaft will be driven by a suitable motor in the base by means of a drive train not pertinent to this invention. The drum is provided with nine teeth 502 of differential length. The teeth 502 differ in length by approximately the thickness of a driven gear 512 described in the second following paragraph. The drum 501 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction in this figure, and the driven gear 512 will be rotated one tooth-space if the gear is in alignment with the right end of the lowermost tooth 502, two teeth if aligned with the right end of the second of such teeth, and so on to nine increments if aligned with the ninth such tooth. A tens-transfer is effected by a tens-transfer tooth 503, which trails the lowermost, or trailing, tooth 502 by considerable space, as shown. A Geneva block 504, preferably integral with the drum 501, is aligned with the space between the trailing tooth 502 and the tens-transfer tooth 503, so that rotation of the driven gear will be stopped by a Geneva wheel 511 mentioned in the next paragraph. Following, or trailing, the tens-transfer tooth 503 is a second Geneva block 505, as shown in this figure, to stop rotation of the driven gear and shaft after a tens-transfer has been efiected.  
  Angularly arranged around the mutilated drum 501 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is a series of square shafts 510, one for each order of the register. These square shafts are journalled in suitable bearings (not shown) in the front and rear frame plates 101 and 102, respectively, and pass through enlarged apertures in the middle frame plate 103. The descending register herein described preferably has eight orders, so that conceivably it could be used to register $100,000.00 in postage. The number of registers is obviously not important to the invention herein described but it can be noted at this point that in the preferred form of the register, eight orders are preferred in the descending register and nine in the ascending lt can also be noted that preferably there are four orders in each register equipped to receive values from the drum actuator 501 while the balance only accept transfers from the adjacent lower order. Each of the square shafts 510 are provided with Geneva blocks 511, as shown at 310-8 in FIG. 2 (the suffix --8&#34; being used to indicate the eighth order).  
  The four lower order square shafts 510 carry a ninetooth selection gear 512 slidably mounted thereon. Each of the gears has an extended hub provided with an annular slot 513 in which will be a setting yoke 316 (morecompletely described in the corresponding associated application entitled Selection Mechanism for a Postage Meter, copending herewith and above referred to) mounted on a selection bar 320.  
  For an 8-order register 50, there normally would be four orders in which values could be entered, so that postage in the amount of $99.99 could be entered in any cycle of the machine. Hence, there would be four gears 512 which could be engaged by the actuator drum 501. It will be seen, therefore, that the positioning of a driven gear 512 with respect tothe teeth 502 on drum 501, in the lowest four orders of the register, will be effective, upon rotation of the drum, to enter incremental values in the corresponding orders of the register through the incremental rotation of the gears 512 and square shafts 510.  
  It should be mentioned at this point that tenstransfers are effected through the driving of a ninetooth tens-transfer gear 514 (FIG. 2 and in the fifth to seventh orders) from the rotation of the drum 501 and the tens-transfer tooth 503. Normally the gears 514 are out of registration with the tooth 503 (lying to the right thereof in FIG. 4 and immediately in front of the middle frame plate 103). The gears 514 (FIGS. 2 and 4) are moved into the plane of the single transfer tooth 503 by means of a yoke 515 rigidly secured to its tenstransfer bar 516, the yoke engaging an annular groove 517 in the hub of the gear 514. The operation of the bar 516, and consequently the placement of gear 514 either in registration with the tens-transer tooth 503, or out of such registration, will be described subsequently.  
  The register 50 is preferably placed between the middle frame plate 103 and the rear frame plate 102. These frame plates are rigidly tied together by tie bars 111 as well as by means of the meter cover, not shown. In this space there are a series of 40-tooth gears 520 rotatably mounted on the main drive shaft 120 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). It will be obvious that there will be one 40-tooth gear 520 for each order of the register. The 40-tooth gears are driven by their respective driving gears 521- which are rigidly mounted on the respective ordinal 520. Each 40-tooth gear 520, in the preferred embodiment of this invention, drives a 20-tooth idler 522. These idlers 522 are rotatably mounted upon a common shaft 523 and each, in turn, meshes with, and drives, a lO-tooth gear 524 rotatably mounted on a common shaft 526. Attached to each gear 524 is a dial 525, all of which will be viewable through an appropriate window in the meter cover (not shown herein). It will be ovious from FIG. 4 that the differential rotation of a selection gear 512 will effect a corresponding differential rotation of its ordinally related nine-tooth gear 521, as both are mounted on the same square shaft 510. Such incremental rotation of a gear 521 will drive its 40-tooth gear 520, and accordingly, its idler 522 and its dial 525. Thus, each of the lower four ordinal dials 525 will be rotated a differential amount depending upon the location of its selection gear 512 with respect to the teeth 502 of drum 501.  
  Rigidly secured to each 40-tooth gears 520, as by means of rivets 530, is a four-tooth gear 531 and a Geneva disk 532 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Preferably, a pair of thin separator plates 539 lie on each side of the 40- tooth gear 520, as shown. The four-tooth gear 531 has its four teeth 533 equally spaced, or ten gear teeth apart with respect to the teeth of 40-tooth gear 520. The Geneva disk 532 has corresponding notches 534 adjacent the teeth 533 on four-tooth gear 531. Adjacent each nine-tooth register drive gear 521 which drives the 40-tooth gear 520, but not connected thereto, is a driven gear 536, which gear registers with the respective ordinal four-tooth gear 533 above mentioned. These gears 536 are rotatably mounted on their respective square shafts 510, the rear end of which is milled to a cylindrical shape, as shown. Rigidly secured to each gear 536 is a Geneva block 537 whereby the gear 536 and Geneva 537 are turned simultaneously. Each Geneva 537 is provided with nine projecting cam faces 538, one for each tooth of its gear 536. It follows that rotation of its nine-tooth gear 521 on the register drive shaft 510 drives its 40-tooth gear 520, but the Geneva&#39;disk 532 and Geneva 537, because of the cooperation of these two, will hold the gear 536 against rotation until the 40-tooth gear 520 has gone from a 9&#34; to a 0 position. At that time, a single tooth 533 of gear 531 will mesh with the teeth of gear 536 and a peak of the Geneva will enter a notch 534 of the Geneva disk, thereby rotating the Geneva disk block 537 and the cams 538 one tooth-space likewise.  
  A cam follower arm 544 is rigidly mounted on the ordinally related tens-transfer bar 516 by any suitable means, such as a pin (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 but not,  
 identified). The shaft 516 is slidably mounted in the front and rear frame plates 101 and 102, respectively. Each shaft 516 is held in either adjusted position by means of a detent mechanism which, for purposes of illustration, is shown as a spring-pressed ball 545 (FIG. 2, 8th order) engaging one or the other of a pair of adjacent notches 546 (FIG. 1) in the bar 516. it will be understood that each ball 545 and its spring 547 are contained in a suitable holder which, for purposes of simplification, are not shown. It will be understood that while only one such detent is shown in FIG. 2, each tens-transferlshaft 576 is so detented in either adjusted position.  
  Normally, the bars 516 are positioned rearwardly (to the left in FIG. 1 and to the right in FIG. 4) by means of a restore disk 548 having diametrically opposed cam faces 549. The cam faces 549 on the disk 548 are so located that they lie a few degrees in advance of the first tooth 502 on the drumactuator 501 and follow the tens-transfer tooth 503. Thus, the bars&#39;5l6 are restored to their rearward, inoperative, position, both before and subsequent to digitation. This is preferred, as it permits adjustment of the descending register by Post Office officials to accommodate additional prepaid postage without regard as to whether a tens-transfer is effected by such adjustment or not.  
  It has already been mentioned that each tens-transer bar 516 also carries a tens-transfer drive gear yoke 515, which is rigidly secured thereon by any suitable means, such as the pin shown but not identified. Each yoke 5 l5 registers with an annular notch 517 in the hub of tenstransfer gear 514 of the adjacent higher order. It follows that each step of a gear 536 and its Geneva disk 537 and integral cams 538 is effective to push the ordinally related follower arm 544 forwardly. This, of course, pushes the bar 516 forwardly, and accordingly, the yoke 515 and tens-transfer gear 514 of the adjacent higher order are moved forwardly to be in registration with the single tens-transfer tooth 503 on the drain 501. This mechanism provides a power drive transfer wave throughout the register each transfer being effected by the actuator 501 subsequent to digitation in a particular order and completed immediately after to thecompletion of digitation in the adjacent higher order.  
  It is believed obvious that the placing of a selection gear 512 in a proper incremental position on its square shaft 510 by means of the selection mechanism described in the above-mentioned copending application entitled SelectionMechanism for a Postage Meter, will first rotate that gear and the square shaft 510 on which it is located an incremental amount, following which the rotation of the gear is stopped by the registration of the Geneva 511 with the first Geneva block 504 on the drum. Such rotation of the square shaft 510, by means of gear 521, will drive its 40-tooth gear 520 and consequently dial 525 through the same incremental amount. Whenever a 40-tooth gear 520 has gone through the 9 to 0 position, it will have rotated the gear 536, Geneva 537 and the cams 538 of that order one tooth-space, thereby projecting the assembly of the follower arm 544, bar 516, yoke 515, and transfer gear 514 of the adjacent higher order into alignment with the single tooth transfer gear 503. The break between the first Geneva block 504 and the second block 505, which break is aligned with the tooth 503, permits a single step rotation of the adjacent higher order square shaft 510 and that rotation is then blocked by the second Geneva block 505. It is seen in FIG. 4 that the second Geneva block 505 is longer than 504, but is not entirely around but is still relatively short so that as the tens-transfer is effected, the Geneva 511 on a square shaft 510 will not be in oppositionto any blocking surface, such as 504 or 505. In addition to the Genevas for stopping rotation of the various square shafts 510, it is preferable to provide each such square shaft with a suitable detent to prevent angular displacement of such a shaft accidentally. Such detents are not shown in the drawings as it is believed they would unduly complicate the drawings. However, it will be understood by those familiar with the art that such a detent would be advisable and could be in the form of a spring-pressed ball and notch as shown in FIG. 2 between the seventh and eighth orders.  
  It is customary in devices using the Thomas principle of the mutilated drum and positionable selection gears drive thereby, to use ten teeth on the selection gear and subsequent mechanisms. It has been found that with nine-tooth gears, a substantially heavier Geneva, such as 511, can be used. The nine-tooth Geneva gives a much more pronounced arcuate section between its teeth and thereby provides a stronger and more reliable detent, and one which does not wear nearly as readily as the customary lO-tooth Genevas. This enables faster and longer operation of the meter and much longer usage than would be possible with a ten-tooth gear.  
  It has been mentioned that one of the requirements of the Post Office regulations is that when the descending register reaches the amount equal to the maximum that can be set upon the selection mecahnism and thereby entered into the dials, the machine must be locked against operation. In the present device this is accomplished by means of the mechanism best shown in FIG. 3, but to some extent in FIG. 1. A locking shaft 550 is journalled in the front and rear bearing plates 101 and 102, respectively. This shaft carries four arms 551 rigidly mounted on the shaft by any suitable means, such as pins (not identified). These four arms 551 are slightly offset from the four highest order dials 515, since values can be selectively set for the four lowest orders of the register and there are only eight dials in this register. As shown in FIG. 3, the arms 551v are each provided with a nose 552 which lies in the same plane as a diametrically notched disk 553 affixed to the re-- spective ordinal 20-tooth gear 522. The notches 554 of this disk are so located that they register with the nose 552 each time the respective dial 525 stands in a&#34;0 position. The shaft 550 is biased in a counter-clockwise position in FIG. 3 by a spring, not shown in this application, but shown and described in the copending application Ser. No. 457,592 entitled,Arithmetic Unit for a Postage Meter, filed of even date herewith. It is obvious that the shaft 550 cannot rock so long as any one of the noses 552 of the four arms 551 register with the circumference of its respective disk 553. However, when all noses 552 can enter their respective notches 554, the set of four arms 551 and the shaft 550 will be rocked (counter-clockwise in FIG. 3) to lock the machine against any operation by means of the mechanism described and shown in the application just referred to. g  
  In the preferred embodiment of this invention, four orders of the register can be driven by the actuator 301, thereby registering up to postage of $99.99 for each operation. Another four orders of the register are provided without selection mechanism but operative to be driven by the tens-transfer herein described. While this excess register is believed so large that it will very seldom, if ever, be used, it does permit a large user to buy postage in sufficient amounts to avoid the necessity of frequent trips to the Post Office to have the meter reset.  
  It is believed obvious that many modifications can be made in the present invention. For example, the register is not limited to eight orders, but could be either greater or lesser in number, l0-tooth gears could be substituted for the nine-tooth herein mentioned if their respective Genevas are modified accordingly; other means for setting a tens-transfer gear could be utilized; etc.&#39;These and other such changes are believed within the scope of the present invention and accordingly an interpretation of the claims should be commensurate with the invention.  
 What is claimed is:  
 1. An ordinal register for a postage meter comprising:  
 1. a single Thomas-type mutilated gear actuator;  
 2. means for driving said actuator;  
 3. a plurality of register drive shafts circumferentially arranged around said actuator;  
 4. selection gears slidably but non-rotatably mounted on some of the lowest order shafts;  
 5. means for positioning each of said selection gears in relation to said actuator;  
 6. a tens-transfer gear slidably but non-rotatably mounted on each of said shafts;  
 7. a register drive gear rigidly mounted on each of said drive shafts;  
 8. a dial driven by each of said register drive gears;  
 and  
 9. tens-transfer means associated with each register drive gear and actuated as the respective dial passes through its 9 to position for moving the said tens-transfer gear of the next higher order into operative relationship with said actuator.  
  2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dial is driven by a gear train between said register drive gear and its dial comprising:  
 l. a 40-tooth gear meshing with each of said register drive gears;  
 2. a 20-tooth gear meshing with each of said 40-tooth gears;  
 3. a l0-tooth gear meshing with each of said 20-tooth gears; and  
 4. a dial is rigidly mounted on each of said l0-tooth gears.  
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tens-transfer means comprises:  
 1. a 40-tooth gear meshing with each of said register driving gears;  
 2. a four-tooth gear and a Geneva disk mounted on said 40-tooth gear;  
 3. a gear and a Geneva wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft and registering with said four-tooth gear and said Geneva disk, respectively;  
 4. projecting cam faces in said last-mentioned gear and Geneva wheel;  
 5. a cam follower moved longitudinally by said cam projections; and  
 6. means moved by said cam follower for moving said tens-transfer gear of the adjacent higher order into a differential position with said actuator to register a value ofl.  
  4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selection gears, the register drive gears, and the tens-transfer gears have nine teeth; and each dial is driven by a gear train which comprises:  
 1. a 40-tooth gear meshing with each of said register drive gears;  
 2. a 20-tooth gear meshing with each of said 40-t0oth gears;  
 3. a l0-tooth gear meshing with each of said 20-tooth gears;  
 4. a dial rigidly mounted on each of said l0-tooth gears;  
 and the tens-transfer means comprises:  
 5. a four-tooth gear and a Geneva disk mounted on each of said 40-tooth gears;  
 6. an integral nine-tooth gear and a Geneva wheel rotatably mounted on said drive shaft and registering with said four-tooth gear and said Geneva disk, respectively;  
 7. projecting cam faces in said integral gear and Geneva wheel;  
 8. a cam follower moved longitudinally by said cam projections;  
 9. means moved by said cam follower for moving said tens-transfer gear of the adjacent higher order into a differential position with said actuator to register a value of 1.  
  5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising also means associated with certain of said higher order dials for detecting a series of zeros in said certain higher order dials.  
  6. An ordinally arranged register for a postage meter comprising:  
 1. a single Thomas-type mutiliated gear actuator having nine differentially arranged teeth and a single tens-transfer tooth;  
 2. means for driving said actuator;  
 3. a plurality of ordinal register drive shafts circumferentially arranged around said actuator;  
 4. selection gears slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the lowest orders of said drive shafts;  
 5. means for positioning said selection gears in differential relationship to said actuator;  
 6. a tens-transfer gear slidably but non-rotatably mounted on each of said shafts except the lowest order;  
 7. a register drive gear rigidly mounted on each shaft;  
 8. a dial driven by each of said register drive gears;  
 9. means associated with each register drive gear and its respective dial driven by said drive shaft and actuated as its respective dial passes between a 9 to 0 position for moving said tens-transfer gear of the next higher order into alignment with the single tens-transfer tooth of said actuator.  
 7. An ordinally arranged register for a postage meter comprising:  
 1. a single Thomas-type mutilated gear actuator having nine differentially arranged teeth and a single tens-transfer tooth;  
 2. means for driving said actuator;  
 3. a plurality of register drive shafts, one for each order of the register, circumferentially arranged around said actuator;  
 4. nine-tooth selection gears slidably but non-- rotatably mounted on certain of the lowest orders of said drive shafts;  
 5. means for positioning said selection gears into differential relationship to said actuator;  
 6. a nine-tooth tens-transfer gear slidably but nonrotatably mounted on each of said drive shafts;  
 7. a nine-tooth register driving gear rigidly mounted on each of said drive shafts;  
 8. a 40-tooth gear meshing with each of said register driving gears;  
 9. a 20-tooth gear meshing with each of said 40-tooth gears;  
 10. a l0-tooth gear meshing with each of said 20- tooth gears;  
 ll. a dial rigidly mounted on each of said l0-tooth gears;  
 12. a four-tooth gear and a Geneva disk mounted on each said 40-tooth gear;  
  10 said tens-transfer gear of the next higher order into alignment with the single tens-transfer tooth on said actuator.  
  8. The apparatus of claim 7 comprising also means associated with certain of said higher order dials for detecting a series of zeros in said certain higher order dials.