Credit system for postage meters

Claim 2

A credit apparatus for a machine, comprising: register means for registering the extent to which said machine has been operating; register locking means associated with said register means for preventing further operation of the machine after a first predetermined limit of operation has been registered by said register; disabling means including a lock, said disabling means associated with said register locking means for disabling said register locking means and for permitting said machine to continue operation and said register means to register a second predetermined limit of operation; and means associated with said disabling means for maintaining a record of the number of times said disabling means disables the register locking means.

Claim 3

A credit apparatus for a machine, comprising: register means for registering the extent to which said machine has been operating; register locking means associated with said register means for preventing further operation of the machine after a first predetermined limit of operation has been registered by said register; disabling means including a lock, said disabling means associated with said register locking means for disabling said register locking means; means to reset the register means of the machine and allow the machine to operate until a second predetermined limit of operation is registered by said register means; and means associated with said disabling means for maintaining a record of the number of times said disabling means disables the register locking means.

Claim 4

A credit apparatus for a machine, comprising: register means for registering the extent to which said machine has been operating; register locking means associated with said register means for preventing further operation of the machine after a first predetermined limit of operation has been registered by said register; disabling means including a lock, said disabling means associated with said register locking means for disabling said register locking means; means to reset the register means of the machine and allow the machine to operate until a second predetermined limit of operation is registered by said register means; and means associated with said disabling means for maintaining a record of the number of times said disabling means disables the register locking means.

Claim 7

The method of claim 3, wherein said register is conjointly reset everytime said machine is unlocked.

Claim 8

A credit system for a metering device, comprising: a descending register for said meter adapted to lock against further operation when a given first minimum balance is reached by said register; means connected to said descending register to unlock said register and conjointly reset said register for further registrative operation until a second Subsequent given minimum balance is reached by said register; and counting means associated with said meter for accounting the number of times the register is unlocked and reset, whereby a running credit balance is maintained and accounted for.

Claim 9

A credit system for a metering device, comprising: a descending register for said meter adapted to lock against further operation when a given first minimum balance is reached by said register; means connected to said descending register to unlock said register and conjointly reset said register for further registrative operation until a second Subsequent given minimum balance is reached by said register; and counting means associated with said meter for accounting the number of times the register is unlocked and reset, whereby a running credit balance is maintained and accounted for.

Claim 12

A credit system for a metering device, comprising: a meter having a descending register comprising a number of registery wheels one of which is a differentially geared wheel, said register adapted to lock against further operation when a given minimum balance is reached by said registry wheels; a locking comb disposed within the meter for engaging with and locking said wheels of said descending register, when said minimum balance is reached by said registry wheels; an actuating slide member disposed in said meter and reciprocally movable between a first position and a second position, said slide member engagable with the differentially geared wheel of said register so as to reset said register, and engagable with said locking comb so as to unlock the registery wheels of said descending register, as said slide member reciprocally moves between said first position and said second position; means supported by said meter for reciprocally moving said slide member between said first and second positions; and accountability means supported by said meter for keeping a record of the number of times said register is unlocked and reset, and hence, maintaining and accounting for a running credit balance for said register.

Claim 13

A credit system for a metering device, comprising: a meter having a descending register comprising a number of registery wheels one of which is a differentially geared wheel, said register adapted to lock against further operation when a given minimum balance is reached by said registry wheels; a locking comb disposed within the meter for engaging with and locking said wheels of said descending register, when said minimum balance is reached by said registry wheels; an actuating slide member disposed in said meter and reciprocally movable between a first position and a second position, said slide member engagable with the differentially geared wheel of said register so as to reset said register, and engagable with said locking comb so as to unlock the registery wheels of said descending register, as said slide member reciprocally moves between said first position and said second position; means supported by said meter for reciprocally moving said slide member between said first and second positions; and accountability means supported by said meter for keeping a record of the number of times said register is unlocked and reset, and hence, maintaining and accounting for a running credit balance for said register.

Claim 14

The credit system of claim 7, wherein the actuating slide member rotates the differentially geared wheel 18* as it moves from the first position to the second position, and again rotates the differentially geared wheel another 18* as it moves reciprocally back from said second position to said first position.

Claim 15

The credit system of claim 7, wherein the differentially geared wheel is the highest order wheel of said register.

Claim 16

The credit system of claim 7, wherein the descending register is constructed and arranged to operate in a continually descending mode, and wherein the resetting of the register requires that the register wheels of said register descendingly pass through a minimum balance position to a new reset position.