Did You Know...
...that the x-ray was discovered purely by accident? When German physicist Wilhelm Konrad von Roentgen was experimenting with cathode rays in 1895, he put an activated Crookes tube in a book and went out to lunch. When he returned, he discovered that a key that had also been placed in the book showed up as an image on the developed film!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7963437 | Systems and methods for distributed printing of personalized postage indicia Systems and methods which provide for distributed printing of personalized postage indicia are shown. Embodiments facilitate printing of personalized postage indicia at various distributed printing locations, such as user sites, retail locations, consumer kiosks, et... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7322764 | Secure housing for an electronic unit A secure housing for an electronic unit, in particular a franking machine has a first housing part and a second housing part releasably connected to the first housing part via at least one connecting device. In order to prevent the housing from being opened without ... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7216804 | Postage metering system A postage metering system for applying indicia including postage value on mail items, the system including: a keyboard for inputting information; a printer for printing indicia; an accounting module for accounting for postage value applied to mail items; and a secur... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7171368 | Method and apparatus for the remote inspection of postage meters A method comprising the steps of generating a code at a data center, the code being associated with the value dispensing system; creating a challenge card having the code therein; sending the challenge card via a carrier service to the specific location; retrieving ... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7153352 | Ink for inkjet recording An ink for inkjet recording containing a vehicle, coloring agents dispersed therein, and a dispersing agent for the coloring agents as required, is provided. The vehicle contains at least a first solvent component and a second solvent component. The first solvent co... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7080045 | Electronic revenue stamp issuing apparatus and method thereof and recording medium stored control program thereof An electronic revenue stamp issuing apparatus and a method thereof and a recording medium stored a control program thereof, in which the amount of an electronic revenue stamp that became invalid can be used again as a possible amount to issue without any communicati... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7033096 | Method of, and configuration for, opening a security housing A method of opening a security housing that requires authorization and unlocking moves the printing module transversely by a transverse mover into an additional unlocked position, as a result of which, the security housing or an access thereto is unlocked. The confi... | 04/25/2006 |
| 6942144 | Secure remote access to metering product enclosure A system for providing remote control access to internal components of a device. The system comprises a housing comprising a cover and a base, at least one device being located within the housing and at least one latching mechanism internal to the housing adapted to... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6941286 | Method and apparatus for providing refunds in a postage metering system A method for facilitating refunds in a postage metering system includes the steps of receiving at a computer a request for a refund of a postage amount; using the computer for accessing a dispute account data base for identifying a dispute account associated with th... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6915280 | Method and apparatus for printing postage The present invention is a postage meter apparatus and method for printing in which print software is decoupled from print data such that print image data can change without impacting software. The decoupling can be performed using distributed architecture. Addition... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6811337 | Method of, and configuration for, opening a security housing A method of opening a security housing that requires authorization and unlocking moves the printing module transversely by a transverse mover into an additional unlocked position, as a result of which, the security housing or an access thereto is unlocked. The confi... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6561425 | System and apparatus for generating a unique identity for a computer-based product Computer-based products such as postal security devices are manufactured as generic, nondescript units. Each has a unique identifier or embedded hardware serial number readable by data communications such as serial electrical communications. At customizat... | 05/13/2003 |
| 6050486 | Electronic postage meter system separable printer and accounting arrangement incorporating partition of indicia and accounting information A postage metering system includes means for printing postage a postage indicia. The printing means has first meter data stored therein. Means are coupled to the printing means for accounting for value printed by said printing means. The accounting means ... | 04/18/2000 |
| 5719381 | Postage meter with hollow rotor axle A postage meter has a secure housing, an accounting register within the secure housing, and a print rotor the rotation of which defines a paper path. The rotor axle is formed of two halves, and within the two haves is a lengthwise cavity along which setti... | 02/17/1998 |
| 5689098 | Postage meter with improved postal lock A postage meter has a secure housing and a printing means and accounting register within the secure housing. Formed in the secure housing is postal lock. In the postal lock, a door is movable between first and second positions relative to a cavity. When t... | 11/18/1997 |
| 5640902 | Single motor meter drum and shutter bar drive of a postage meter The apparatus of this invention utilizes a cam-driven mechanism to convert a single rotary input driven by a single motor to two or more output motions each having its distinct cycle and profile of motion. This multiplicity of outputs often times requires... | 06/24/1997 |
| 5585613 | Postage metering apparatus including means for guarding against printing a postage value without accouting therefor In postage metering apparatus having printing structure, structure for selecting respective postage values to be printed, structure for requesting printing selected postage values, structure for accounting for each postage value requested to be printed, a... | 12/17/1996 |
| 5524536 | Print mechanism enabling mail carriers to be distinguished The present invention relates to the specific field of processing mail. More particularly, it relates to a print mechanism enabling a ail carrier to be recognized from the franking print applied to an article of mail, the carrier having been previously se... | 06/11/1996 |
| 5513563 | Indicia security via variable dot size A system is disclosed that makes it more difficult to print fraudulent indicia. Security is achieved by varying the dot size of pixels in the printed image according to a predetermined arrangement.... | 05/07/1996 |
| 5496990 | Versatile locking mechanism for postage meters A postal-lock mechanism for preventing unauthorized recharging of a postage meter and identifying tampering of a postage meter is disclosed. It contains a cylinder-like assembly mounted in the postage meter housing. The postage meter is "locked," i.e. mad... | 03/05/1996 |
| 5392704 | Mailing machine A mailing machine is disclosed 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 po... | 02/28/1995 |
| 5392703 | Tape feeding, cutting and ejecting apparatus for a mailing machine An apparatus is disclosed which is a tape feeding, cutting and ejecting apparatus for a mailing machine which has a feed deck for envelopees and a postage meter for printing postage indicia on successive envelopees as they are fed along the feed deck. The... | 02/28/1995 |
| 5390594 | Tape feeding, cutting and ejecting apparatus for a mailing machine Disclosed is a tape feeding, cutting and ejecting apparatus for a mailing machine which has a feed deck for feeding envelopes therealong and a postage meter for printing postage indicia on successive envelopes as they are fed along the feed deck. The tape... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5379690 | Single value postage dispensing apparatus The invention is concerned with a low cost postage value generating apparatus of simple construct wherein the number of postage imprints are determined rather than an accounting of the postage dispensed. The apparatus is a single value postage generating ... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5359359 | Disposable postage meter assembly A disposable postage meter assembly for printing charges and captions on envelopes and/or postage strips includes a base unit and a non-rechargeable disposable module. The base unit and the disposable module have devices for setting variable information.... | 10/25/1994 |
| 5340965 | Mechanical postage meter resetting device and method A postage meter resetting apparatus includes a stepper motor as a first motive arrangement for turning the resetting shaft of a mechanical postage meter, another stepper motor as a second motive mechanism to enable or disable resetting by the first steppe... | 08/23/1994 |
| 5309830 | Rotary print drum for a postage meter including revolving electronic circuits A rotary print drum in combination with a postage meter comprises at least one print wheel rotatably mounted on the print drum, a motor and a gear train for rotating the print wheel, an electronic circuit in a form of a printed circuit being fixed to one ... | 05/10/1994 |
| 5278541 | Enhanced reliability in portable rechargeable devices In a postage meter which has a meter section powered by house current in normal operation, but which requires auxiliary power source batteries while in transit, a circuit is provided which, in connection with a stored program, tests the auxiliary power so... | 01/11/1994 |
| 5204807 | Postage meter housing arrangement having RF and electromagnetic induction shielding In order to eliminate complex sheet forming operations, to provide an effective heat sink and to shield against radio frequency interference and electromagnetic induction effects, the housing arrangement has two assemblies which each comprise, inter alia,... | 04/20/1993 |
| 5171975 | Tape feed device A postage meter mailing machine including a tape feed assembly positioned within the postage meter mailing machine between a home position and a second position. The tape feed assembly rotatably supports first and second rollers and associated drive gear ... | 12/15/1992 |
| 5154118 | Automatic settable date printing apparatus An automatically settable date printing apparatus adapted particularly for use in postage meters which print an indicia on envelopes as they are fed seriatim past a rotary printing drum in the postage meter in which a plurality of print wheels print the d... | 10/13/1992 |
| 5142127 | Tape feed device for a postage meter mailing machine A mailing machine base includes a postage meter insertable and removable from a receptacle means, said receptacle means being mounted within said base and a tape feed assembly positioned between a home position and a second position. A tape frame assembly... | 08/25/1992 |
| 5120937 | Locking device for removable postage meter having improved driver coupling The improved coupler in combination with a mailing machine base having a postage meter base. A postage meter is insertable and removable from a receptacle. The receptacle is mounted within a base and includes a lock engagement assembly for locking the pos... | 06/09/1992 |
| 5113059 | Postage meter security system A postage meter having a plurality of value wheels extending through a window in a housing, and die protector bars between the value wheels, the die protector bars having a first position at which they extend a further distance from the housing than the v... | 05/12/1992 |
| 5093560 | Locking device for removable postage meter The improved combination is comprised of a postage meter insertable into and removable from a base receptacle. The postage meter includes a housing, an aperture in housing and aperture shield positionable along the housing to selectively cover or uncover ... | 03/03/1992 |
| 5049727 | Locking device for removable postage meter A postage meter having a movable shutter covering the printing die of the meter and mechanisms associated either with the postage meter or a meter base for locking the shutter and moving it, are disclosed. In one embodiment a keyswitch is provided which c... | 09/17/1991 |
| 5020429 | Die protection assembly for preventing fraudulent printing by an electronic postage meter A postage meter module includes die protector blades to prevent fraudulent taking of postage meter imprints. A first plurality of die protectors are retracted to expose the adjacent printwheels when the meter makes a check on its internal condition. The r... | 06/04/1991 |
| 4985613 | Locking arrangement A locking arrangement is disclosed for a machine, such as a postage meter, which includes a rotatable member (12) which rotates when the machine performs an operating cycle and a mechanical or electromechanical register (22; 20) for being incremented or d... | 01/15/1991 |
| 4952784 | Unit drive assembly A unit drive assembly (2; 84; 102) is used with postage meters (4) of the type which include a stationary base (6; 86; 104, 106) and moveably print head (8; 88; 108). The base and print head are mechanically connected so that input information to the base... | 08/28/1990 |
| 4922085 | Mailing machine tape module and tape drive thereof A tape advancing system for advancing a tape past a printing device in a mailing machine selective draws one of two tapes, from a supply reeled and presents the selected tape for postage indicia printing. The tape system includes, a first motor for select... | 05/01/1990 |
