Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding device for feeding sheets automatically one after another to an operation station including a sheet tray for supporting a stack of sheets thereon, a separation roller being contact with a lowermost sheet of the stack of sheets, a separation member including a free end portion maintained in contact with the separation roller. At least one sheet pressing member is located in such manner that its free end portion forces the sheets against the separation roller in a position which is located upstream of the separation member is in contact with the separation roller.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding apparatus permits a choice between an automatic feed mode in which sheets disposed in a stack on a sheet receiving table can be sequentially separated and fed one by one from the bottom of the stack, and a manual feed mode in which a single sheet is manually fed. The sheet separation from the stack occurs by utilizing a separating roller which rotates in a direction in which the sheet is fed, and brake device which is disposed in abutment against the separating roller. The manual feed mode is enabled when the brake device is moved away from the separating roller.