Abstract: A bottom sheet feeding apparatus including a sheet separator and feeder and a sheet stacking tray which has a planar base portion defining a base plane, the front of the base portion having an opening within which the bottom sheet separator and feeder is positioned, the tray further including two sloping planar side wings, one at each side of the opening in the base portion. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet separator and feeder includes a slide plate with a vacuum applied thereto. The slide plate has a sloping front portion for more positively separating the bottom sheet in a sheet stack from the remaining sheets.

Abstract: A document sheet handler/copy sheet feeder employing a vacuum belt feeder having an air knife to aid in sheet separation. The quantity of air discharged from the air knife is varied in accordance with the weight or pressure of sheets placed in the document sheet handler/copy sheet feeder and actuating a valve having four flow settings: Off, Low, Medium, and High. The valve includes two concentrically arranged and individually rotatable cylindrical valve elements having various sized openings formed thereon. Selective rotation of the valve elements align various combination of the openings to provide the four flow settings.

Abstract: A document handler employing a vacuum belt feeder having an air knife to aid in sheet separation. The quantity of air discharged from the air knife is varied in accordance with the number of documents placed in the document handler as determined by counting the documents fed through the document handler during the initial feed cycle and actuating a valve having four flow settings: Off, Low, Medium, and High.