Electronic franking machines

Claim 1

In an electronic franking machine comprising: franking value selection means, operable selectively to provide an electrical input representative of a franking value selected for a desired next franking operation of the machine, for setting the selected franking value into the machine; a digital electronic input register, having an input connected to said franking value selection means, for receiving and holding said selected franking value; an electrically adjustable printing device, settable electrically to any selected one of a plurality of different conditions enabling the device to be actuated respectively to print a plurality of different franking values; setting control circuitry, connected with said input register and said printing device, operable in dependence upon said electrical input to bring about setting of said printing device to the condition in which it is actuable to print said selected franking value; a digital electronic total register, for holding an accumulated value representative of the sum of the respective franking values used in preceding franking operations of the machine; and totalling circuitry, connected between said input register and said total register, for effecting addition of said selected franking value held in the input register to said accumulated value; whereby a new accumulated value is provided, to be held in said total register, after printing of said selected franking value, in place of said accumulated value previously held there, the improvement wherein said machine comprises an electronics unit which houses franking value selection means, said input register, said total register and said totalling circuitry and a separate printing unit which houses the said electrically adjustable printing device and with which said electronics unit is engaged during the operation of the machine, .[.said electronics and printing units being readily separable one from the other and having complementary coupling means for setting up operative electrical connections therebetween when the electronics unit is engaged with the printing unit..]. .Iadd.said electronics and printing units nesting together with the electronics unit being carried by the printing unit and with the electronics unit fitting into a spatial envelope defined by the exterior dimensions of the printing unit, the electronics unit being readily separable from the printing unit and the electronics and printing units being connected together by means of a plug projecting from one said unit which directly engages a socket in the other said unit to set up operative electrical connections therebetween when the electronics unit is engaged with the printing unit, said plug and socket connectors being concealed when said electronics and printing units are nested together. .Iaddend.