Patent ID: 7887052

Claim:
A mailpiece feed device comprising a mailpiece-receiving deck for receiving a stack of mailpieces for printing, selector means for extracting the mailpieces for printing one-by-one from said stack, and superposed conveyor rollers including movable upper rollers for conveying downstream the mailpieces extracted one-by-one in this way, wherein said mailpiece feed device further comprises movable optical read means that are placed downstream from said selector means and that move synchronously with said movable upper conveyor rollers for conveying the mailpieces, so that, in cooperation with processor means, said optical read means scan and recognize automatically the data printed on said mailpieces; wherein said movable optical read means comprise a linear sensor supported by at least one suspension arm that is caused to move synchronously with said movable upper rollers by means of a transverse support pin that is secured to said movable upper rollers, and against which said suspension arms come to rest; and wherein said linear sensor is mounted between an upstream deflector and a downstream deflector and is fastened to said deflectors via two side cheek plates, said at least one suspension arm being hinged at a first end to a pivot pin secured to said upstream deflector and at a second end to a common transverse hinge pin secured to the frame of said feed device.