Jogging device for a mail processing machine

In a mail processing machine having a receiving deck for stacking mail items for printing and a selector for extracting a mail item from the stack for delivery to a print station along a transport path, a jogging device for jogging the stack of mail items against a reference wall comprising:

• a stationary slideway fixed on the mail processing machine and extending from the reference wall across the transport path along a longitudinal axis;
• a moveable slideway mounted on the stationary slideway for sliding motion along the longitudinal axis;
• a friction shoe secured to the stationary slideway and engaging the moveable slideway to generate a friction force on the moveable slideway to maintain the position of the moveable slideway;
• an external strip mounted on the moveable slideway for movement, thereon relative to the moveable slideway, a predetermined distance along the longitudinal axis, the external strip being biased by a resilient element for sliding movement away from the reference wall for the predetermined distance;
• a jogging flap mounted at an end of the external strip that is away from the reference wall, said jogging flap, extending in alignment with the transport path, transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein said jogging flap may be moved with the moveable slideway and the external strip into contact with the stack of mail items;
• wherein, upon contact with the stack of mail items, the jogging flap is backed off via movement of said external strip through said predetermined distance by the bias force of the resilient element;
• and
• wherein said jogging flap is hinged to the end of said external strip both about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis.