A printing apparatus, in particular, a franking machine, includes a base, a printing-head mounting moveably connected thereto, and printing head displaceably connected to the mounting. Two or more different types of timing detection are used for each event. The shank further includes a deformable expansion region between the first end and the second end of the shank. The sensor device with the housing is held in a support element mounted on the frame piece of the seat belt retractor frame.