Abstract: An automatic document feeder for moving a stack of individual sheets from a stack loaded position to a single sheet separator in a document processing apparatus uses a gate comprised of a rotatable stack stop having a finger movable between a stack blocking position and a stack transmitting position. The stack stop is driven through a drag clutch from a single source of rotary power which also drives the conventional single sheet separator and other movable parts of the document processing apparatus. Presentation of the stack to the single sheet separator is thus automated since the operator of the document processing apparatus loads the document stack against the gate comprised of the automated stack stop to avoid operator loading of a stack directly to the nip of the single sheet separator and resultant mispicks and multipicks of sheets from the stack.