Abstract: Provided is a sheet feeding apparatus capable of reliably feeding thin sheets in a separated state and an image forming apparatus including the same. A floating preventing member which regulates an upward movement of an uppermost sheet floated by air is provided so as to be lifted and lowered between a tail end regulating plate regulating the position of the sheet above a tray and an adsorbing and conveying portion which conveys the uppermost sheet floated by the air blowing from a downstream air blowing portion. The adsorbing and conveying portion is moved to a predetermined regulating position higher than the height position of the uppermost sheet and lower than the feeding surface of the adsorbing and conveying portion before the sheet is floated, which suppresses the movement of the sheet toward the tail end side caused by the curling of the sheet due to the air.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus are provided which can reduce the variability of overlapped portions when feeding sheets in an overlapping manner. When sheets are adsorbed to an adsorption conveyance belt, a suction shutter is switched from a block position to block a negative pressure to an adsorption position to adsorb the sheets by the negative pressure. When the sheets conveyed in an overlapping manner reaches a predetermined number and the next sheet is adsorbed, the timing to switch the suction shutter to the adsorption position is delayed compared to the timing at which a preceding sheet adsorbed in advance and a subsequent sheet overlap.

Abstract: A medium feeding device includes a loading member; a holding member that includes a movable holding-member body having a gas suction opening, and a suction device connected to the gas suction opening, the holding member being configured to attract and hold each of mediums on the loading member while the suction device performs suction; a holding-member-moving mechanism that moves the holding member between a suction position where the medium is attracted to the holding member and a feed position on a downstream side with respect to the suction position; a transport member that transports the medium held by the holding member at the feed position toward the downstream side; and a suction-force-changing mechanism that reduces a suction force after the medium is attracted to the holding member and before a trailing end of the medium attracted to the holding member passes over the gas suction opening.

Abstract: A medication delivering device includes a delivering unit and a negative pressure unit. The delivering unit includes a cylinder, a retractable part and a tip element. The cylinder has a first opening and a second opening. The retractable part connects the cylinder with the tip element. The tip element has a first end, a second end and a channel. The first end passes through the first opening and is received within the cylinder. The second end is located at an outlet of a pill container. The channel penetrates from the first end to the second end to link with the interior of the cylinder. The negative pressure unit connects to the second opening for providing negative pressure to the interior of the cylinder and the channel of the tip element, so that the tip element sucks up a pill on the outlet of the pill container.

Abstract: A mailpiece unstacker device comprises a feed magazine for moving the mailpieces in a stack and on edge in a certain direction towards an unstacker head. It is provided with materials sensors for delivering signals indicating that a current mailpiece has a cover made of a plastics material and/or includes a metal material. A control unit forces the feed magazine and the unstacker head to operate as a function of the signals generated by the sensors so that the mailpieces are presented facing the unstacker head in positions that are inclined backwards to various extents.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a leading edge contacting section having a leading edge contacting surface with which a leading edge side in a sheet conveyance direction of sheets stored in a sheet storage section, comes in contact; a blowing section having an air outlet which blows air to float the sheets from a side surface perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the sheets stored; a sucking and conveying section provided at an upward position over the sheet storing section, which sucks the sheet floated by the air from the blowing section, and conveys the sheet over an upper end of the leading edge contacting section; and a rise prevention member provided on a side of the sucking and conveying section, which comes in contact with the sheet floated by the air from the blowing section and prevents a contacting portion of the floated sheet from being risen.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a separation and extraction apparatus includes an extraction unit, separation unit, air supply mechanism, detector, and controller. The extraction unit extracts and conveys one or more paper sheets from a stack of paper sheets. The separation unit separates one paper sheet from the other paper sheet(s) of the one or more paper sheets. The air supply mechanism supplies air toward a side surface of the stack. The detector detects a bundle state of the stack, which is related to a contact state between the paper sheets. The controller sets an extraction condition depending on the bundle state, which includes drive conditions for the extraction unit, separation unit, and air supply mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet-supplying device has a sheet-accommodating tray, a raising/lowering unit, a first position sensor, a second position sensor, a controlling unit. The raising/lowering unit raises and lowers the sheet-accommodating tray substantially. The first position sensor detects a first position indicating a position in the stacked direction of one end portion of a topmost sheet stacked in the sheet-accommodating tray. The second position sensor detects a second position indicating a position in the stacked direction of another end portion of the topmost sheet. The controlling unit controls the raising/lowering unit to raise or lower the sheet-accommodating tray based on both the first position detected by the first position sensor and the second position detected by the second position sensor so that one end of the topmost sheet in the stacked status is positioned at a prescribed position in the stacked direction.

Abstract: A feeding device for feeding each of accumulated mail items P onto a conveyance path includes a pickup belt which runs along a pickup position, and a negative-pressure chamber opposing the pickup position with the pickup belt interposed therebetween. When each mail item is picked up from the pickup position and reaches a nip between conveyance belts, air is introduced into the negative-pressure chamber to eliminate negative pressure therein.

Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus is provided that includes a take-out member to take out a sheet from a take-out position by rotating the sheet in a state in which negative pressure is applied to the sheet and the sheet is adsorbed to the take-out member. A conveyor portion receives and conveys the taken out sheet by the take-out member and a control portion controls the take-out member such that, when the sheet at the take-out position is being adsorbed to the take-out member, the take-out member is rotated at a circumferential speed that is slower than a conveying speed of the sheet at the conveyor portion. In addition, when the sheet adsorbed to the take-out member is being transferred to the conveyor portion, the take-out member is rotated at a circumferential speed that is the same as a conveying speed of the conveyor portion at that time.

Abstract: A tier sheet dispensing apparatus for a conveyor system stores a stack of tier sheets and sequentially dispenses the tier sheets, one at a time, onto the top of a two-dimensionally arrayed layer of objects that is being conveyed on a conveyor system. The tier sheet dispensing apparatus has a curved surface that supports the stack of tier sheets. The curved surface bends the stack of tier sheets in a convex curve that facilitates the removal of a single sheet from the top of the stack. The apparatus also has a lift mechanism that moves vertically over the stack of tier sheets to selectively attach to the top tier sheet in the stack and raise the top tier sheet from the stack. The lift mechanism also moves transversely relative to the stack of tier sheets to position the attached tier sheet over the conveyor for placement of the tier sheet on the layer of objects conveyed by the conveyor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus enabling high-accuracy and stable sheet overlapping conveyance regardless of the size, basis weight, and kind of sheets. Timing when a subsequent sheet Sb is adsorbed by an adsorbing and conveying mechanism 151 of a sheet feeding device 312 which adsorbs and conveys sheets blown up by air blowing is controlled, and the subsequent sheet Sb is conveyed while being overlapped partially at an overlapping amount with a preceding sheet Sa adsorbed by the adsorbing and conveying mechanism 151 earlier regardless of the size, basis weight, and kind of sheets.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus may include a sheet storage unit, an air blowing unit, a suction conveyance unit, and a conveyance guide. A sheet in the sheet storage unit blown by the air blowing unit may be conveyed to the conveyance guide by the suction conveyance unit. The conveyance guide has a guide surface and inclined portions arranged upstream in the sheet conveyance direction, formed therein from a sheet conveyance center to ends in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction. The inclined portions are inclined from the upstream side towards the downstream in the sheet conveyance direction. As a distance in which an inclined portion resides away from the suction conveyance unit increases, the inclined portion becomes positioned more upstream in the sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: A timed feeder for feeding corrugated boards to nip rolls of a box finishing machine. An indexing drive mechanism, driven by a computer-controlled servo motor, activates a feed member and has a feed phase when it drives the board to the nip rolls, and a dwell phase when the feed member is away from the feed path and the output shaft of the indexing mechanism is at zero velocity. During the feed phase, the output shaft of the indexing mechanism accelerates the feed member and the board beyond the nip roll velocity and then decelerates them to the nip roll velocity at the point where the board enters the nip rolls. During the dwell phase the input shaft is either accelerated or decelerated to change the duration of the cycle.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a sheet stacking unit that stacks sheets, a sheet feeding unit that sequentially feeds the uppermost sheet of a stack of sheets stacked in the sheet stacking unit, an airflow supply unit that supplies an airflow to a side surface of the stack of sheets from an opening, a shield member that is disposed between the opening and the stack of sheets and a mechanism that changes the airflow from the airflow supply unit with respect to a stacking direction of the sheets by changing a relative position between the opening and the shield member in a direction other than the stacking direction of the sheets.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a loading platen on which sheets are loaded, an air blowing section which blows air to sides of a loaded sheet bundle loaded on the loading platen, and an adsorption/conveyance mechanism which adsorbs and conveys a sheet, a driving section moving the loading platen up and down, wherein the air blowing section includes a plurality of air blowing openings facing both sides of the loaded sheet bundle and blowing air to the both sides, wherein each of the plurality of air blowing openings is formed so that a first air flow flows above the loading platen and a second air flow flows below the loading platen when the loading platen reaches a highest position by the driving section, and wherein the loading platen is provided with a penetration thorough which the second air flow flows from below to above the loading platen.

Abstract: A recording device includes a plurality of holes formed in the medium support part, a suction unit configured to suck out air via the holes, closing members configured and arranged to move in a direction away from the holes, an urging unit configured to urge the closing members toward the holes, and a sliding member configured and arranged to slide in a direction intersecting a moving direction in which the closing members move. The sliding member is configured and arranged to contact the closing members, and by sliding the sliding member, at least one hole is switched between a state in which the hole is closed by the closing member and a state in which the hole is left open by the closing member.

Abstract: There is described an apparatus for guiding a value document along a portion of a transport path in a specified transport direction, having a film forming device which is configured for respectively forming on mutually opposing sides of the transport path portion a film of gas flowing in the transport direction, the film extending at least over the total width of the transport path portion and thus the total width of value documents transported along the transport path, so that the value documents are guided between the gas films.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a lift-blowing unit which blows air to a plurality of sheets stacked on a tray to lift an uppermost sheet from the sheets; a sheet absorbing unit which absorbs the sheet lifted by the lift-blowing unit by a negative pressure; an air suctioning unit which supplies the negative pressure to the sheet absorbing unit by air suction; a handling-blowing unit which handles the sheets by blowing air to the sheets absorbed onto the sheet absorbing unit; and a sheet transporting unit which transports the absorbed sheet, wherein the handling-blowing unit adjusts a volume of air blown thereby.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus which includes a sheet loading tray for stacking sheets; a suction and conveyance section which is placed above stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and sucks and conveys a sheet in the sheet conveying direction; an air blowing section which blows air at the stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and causes the sheet to float up; and a skew correction section which corrects a skew of the sheet conveyed by the suction and conveyance section.

Abstract: In paper feeder apparatus, the combination comprising first means including a support for a paper stack and transfer elements for successively transferring paper sheets from the top of the stack upwardly and laterally to a delivered position, and optical control means to determine the level of an upper paper or papers in the stack to control the vertical positioning of papers on the stack, to enable said upwardly and laterally sheet delivering as the stack height diminishes, and a controller for cyclically controlling said transfer elements to integrate cyclic upward and lateral movement of successive sheets transferring from the stack.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including: a sheet loading table; and an adsorption conveyance section having: multiple belts with through-holes; and an air suction section in an inside of the belts and absorbs air through the through-holes; wherein the conveyance section sucks air, allows the sheet to be adsorbed to the belt, and conveys it; the adsorption conveyance section further includes: a first roller provides driving force to the belts; a second roller rotated by the belts, and a third roller between the first roller and the second roller and rotated by the belts, and the belts are supported by those rollers; and an outer surface of the belts mostly protrudes towards the sheets on the table at a central part of the third roller in a cross section perpendicular to the conveyance direction containing a shaft of the third roller.

Abstract: A conveying device includes a guiding member that has a contact portion that comes into contact with an inner peripheral surface of a conveying belt in which a plurality of suction holes is formed, and an endless conveying belt that has ridges to hold a recording medium lest the recording medium come into contact with the suction holes. A plurality of slits is formed in the contact portion to attract the recording medium to the endless conveying belt through the suction holes. The slits are formed to prevent the conveying belt from falling in the slits when the conveying belt is pressed due to suction.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a controller having a processing unit to cause a first detector to detect an uppermost sheet, an elevator to lift and stop a sheet stack at a reference position, and a second detector to detect and store the position. In a primary operation of the controller, the uppermost sheet is attracted and conveyed for a given number of times while the second detector contacting it, a variation amount of angle is calculated and converted to a thickness of M sheets. With a driven contact roller retracted in a secondary operation, the sheet stack is lifted each time the uppermost sheets by a thickness of N sheets are attracted and conveyed based on the stored thickness of M sheets under N=XM (“M” represents a positive number, “N” represents a positive integer, and “X” represents a positive number of 1 or greater).

Abstract: A feeding device for feeding each of accumulated mail items P onto a conveyance path includes a pickup belt which runs along a pickup position, and a negative-pressure chamber opposing the pickup position with the pickup belt interposed therebetween. When each mail item is picked up from the pickup position and reaches a nip between conveyance belts, air is introduced into the negative-pressure chamber to eliminate negative pressure therein.

Abstract: A film handling system is described, including: a supply container for supporting a plurality of sheets of film; a film receiver; and a transport mechanism for retrieving a sheet of film from the supply container and transporting the sheet of film to the receiving mechanism, said transport mechanism comprising a vacuum head for adhering the sheet of film to the vacuum head; wherein the film receiver comprises a feed mechanism for conveying the sheet of film received by the film receiver, said feed mechanism including a sprocket for mating with at least one of a plurality of sprocket holes in the sheet of film transported by the transport mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet feeding unit includes a side warm-air mechanism that blows air toward a side surface of a sheet stack S from a warm-air outlet. The sheet feeding unit controls the lift mechanism so as to perform a sheet separating operation every time a predetermined number of sheets P are fed during a continuous sheet feeding operation.

Abstract: The method according to the invention of transferring stacked, sheet-like, flexible products (10), in particular printed products (12), to a belt conveyor (20) has a gripper (26) by means of which the product (10) at the bottom of the stack of products in each case is conveyed from a receiving region into a transfer region (19). In the transfer region, the product (10) is deposited on the belt conveyor (20). In order to accelerate the product as quickly as possible to the speed, and in the conveying direction (F), of the belt conveyor (20), the method has a contact-pressure roller (54) which follows the gripper (26) in the transfer region (19). This contact-pressure roller (54) presses the product (10) onto the belt conveyor (20), the gripper (26) releasing the product (10) at least more or less at the same time as the operation of pressing the product onto the conveying belt (64) of the belt conveyor (20) commences.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit that forms an image and a conveyance unit that conveys a medium to be recorded opposing the image forming unit. The conveyance unit includes a platen member that guides the medium to be recorded and has plural suction holes formed therein, plural air chambers that the plural suction holes formed in the platen member face, and plural suction units that suction air inside the plural air chambers through the suction holes. At least two or more of the plural air chambers are arranged in a direction crossing a conveyance direction of the medium to be recorded. One of the plural air chambers is connected to one of the plural suction units, and one or two or more of the plural air chambers is connected to at least one of the plural suction units.

Abstract: A sheet feeding unit includes a side warm-air mechanism that blows air toward a side surface of a sheet stack S from a warm-air outlet. The sheet feeding unit controls the lift mechanism so as to perform a sheet separating operation every time a predetermined number of sheets P are fed during a continuous sheet feeding operation.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device incorporable in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet holder to hold multiple sheets including an uppermost sheet placed on the sheet holder, a sheet separating and feeding unit disposed above the sheet holder and movable between a first position and a second position, a controller to control operations performed by the sheet separating and feeding unit moving between the first position and the second position, and a sheet regulator disposed downstream from the sheet holder in the sheet feeding direction to regulate movement of the multiple sheets on the sheet holder in the sheet feeding direction. The controller controls the separating and feeding unit to move the uppermost sheet forward to abut against the sheet regulator and backward to its original position on the sheet holder to separate the uppermost sheet from the multiple sheets on the sheet holder.

Abstract: To provide a sheet take-out apparatus for preventing double feed of sheets and controlling gaps to a desired value, a sheet processing apparatus, and a sheet take-out method. A take-out apparatus includes a supply structure for supplying postal matter to a take-out position, a take-out structure for taking out the postal matter from the take-out position, and a conveying structure for receiving and conveying the postal matter taken out on a conveying path. When a leading edge of the postal matter is held by the conveying structure, an absorbing operation of a vacuum pump is stopped and a moving speed of a take-out belt is reduced. Furthermore, when the postal matter is detected by a sensor, the take-out belt is stopped.

Abstract: A first embodiment of the present invention provides a method for transferring printed products and comprises the steps of pulling a printed product from a stack using a feed device running at a first preselected speed, accelerating the feed device after pulling the printed product from the stack and releasing the printed product from the feed device at a second preselected speed greater than the first speed.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is provided to separate a sheet from a plurality of stacked sheets and feed the sheet. The sheet feeding device includes a sheet stacking portion on which the sheets are stacked, a suction conveyance belt which separates the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, one by one and feeds the sheet, and a separation rotating roller which is rotatable upon abutting on a rear portion, in a feeding direction, of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion. The separation rotating roller rotates in a direction which returns the sheet in synchronization with sheet feeding operation performed by the suction conveyance belt.

Abstract: A sheet-supplying device, including: a sheet stacking plate on which plural sheets are stacked; an air-suction sheet conveying mechanism which draws up a sheet and conveys the sheet; an air-suction detecting sensor which detects that the air-suction sheet conveying mechanism has drawn up the sheet; a floating-air blowing section which blows air against side edges of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking pate to float the sheet; and a control section which controls the floating-air blowing section to conduct a sheet supplying operation, wherein the control section selects a first sheet supplying mode or a second sheet supplying mode, based on at least one of: information of a size of the sheets; information of a thickness of the sheets, and information of a type of the sheets.

Abstract: For separating individual flat and bendable objects (2) from the underside of a stack of such objects (2), and for the onward transportation of the objects, the invention provides a stacking space (1), a carrier wheel (3) on which suction devices (4) and grippers (5) are mounted, and transportation means (16), wherein the carrier wheel (3) is disposed below the stacking space (1) in such a manner that the suction devices (4), rotating with the carrier wheel (3), can consecutively take hold of an edge region of the object (2) at the bottom of the stack and bend it downward into the jaws of the following gripper (5), and in such a manner that the object (2) is then transported onward by the gripper (5) and can be deposited on the transportation means (6).

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus which includes a sheet loading tray for stacking sheets; a suction and conveyance section which is placed above stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and sucks and conveys a sheet in the sheet conveying direction; an air blowing section which blows air at the stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and causes the sheet to float up; and a skew correction section which corrects a skew of the sheet conveyed by the suction and conveyance section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a registration system for sheet fed processing machines that reduces or eliminates the need to calibrate the register and/or timing dials of such a machine. The system uses known measurements and the elapsed time between electrically generated pulses to determine the relative position of processing cylinders in the machine relative the timing of a feed mechanism. The relative positions are displayed in real-time and can be adjusted by an operator. The machine need not be ‘in time’ to properly register the machine.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a supporting surface including a curved surface that is convex in a direction opposite to gravity, the supporting surface supporting a sheet under the weight of the sheet, wherein an air venting path is disposed at the supporting surface, the air venting path allowing air to be vented from an air space between the supporting surface and the sheet placed on the supporting surface; a holding section holding an end of the sheet, the sheet drooping toward both sides of the supporting surface; and a feeding path through which the sheet is fed from the holding section side to a processing unit.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device including: a sheet feeding tray; a first air blowing section which blows air against a lateral side of the sheet bundle; a second air blowing section which blows air against a leading edge of the sheet bundle; a sheet adsorption conveyance section which conveys sheets one by one; a sheet type information transmission section; a shielding member arranged to open or shield the ventilating path; a shielding state switching section which switches to any one state of opening, partial shielding and overall shielding, wherein in the partial shielding state, less amount of air is allowed to pass than the opening state; a sheet adsorption detecting section; and a control section which controls to switch among the state of opening, partial shielding and overall shielding of the ventilating path, in accordance with the information from the sheet type and the sheet adsorption detection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing sets of sheets. The apparatus includes a frame, a hopper for moving a stack of sheets, a pre-singulator for separating a portion of a sheet from the stack, a sheet peeler for peeling part of a pre-singulated sheet from the stack, a sheet picker for gathering peeled sheets into a set, and a sheet discharger for clearing the set of sheets. The sheet peeler may include at least one rotating drum. The sheet picker may include one or more augers.

Abstract: Even if a sheet surface detection mechanism outputs a signal indicating that an uppermost sheet among blown-up sheets is within a conveyance range, if a trailing edge sheet surface sensor outputs a signal indicating that the uppermost sheet among the blown-up sheets is lower than the conveyance range when the conveyed uppermost sheet passes by the trailing edge sheet surface sensor, a lifting and lowering portion is controlled to lift the tray so that the uppermost sheet is positioned within the conveyance range.

Abstract: A pickoff system for removal of mail pieces one at a time from the end of a stack includes a pickoff belt mechanism positioned to frictionally engage an outer surface of a mail piece at the end of the stack and transport it transversely, which mechanism includes one or more belts mounted on a drive roller at one end driven by a drive motor and a follower roller at a trailing end. A pivot mechanism permits the trailing end to swing towards and away from the stack. A drive is connected to the pivot mechanism to move the trailing end towards and away from the stack, and a controller is connected to the drive to cause the drive to swing the trailing end towards the stack and swing the trailing end away from the stack in a manner effective to improve operation of the pickoff system.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit, a suction conveyance unit configured to convey an uppermost sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit, a suction unit configured to adsorb the sheets onto the suction conveyance unit, and an adsorption completion detection unit. In the sheet feeding apparatus, when the tab-attached sheets are stacked on the sheet stacking unit and fed such that their tab portions are on the downstream side in a sheet feeding direction, the suction unit starts to adsorb the sheet in response to a sheet feeding signal, and the suction conveyance unit starts to convey the sheet immediately after the adsorption completion detection unit detects the completion of the adsorption. When the sheets other than the tab-attached sheets are fed, the suction unit previously adsorbs the sheet onto the suction conveyance unit, and the suction conveyance unit starts to convey the sheet in response to the sheet feeding signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for collating or inserting inserts including a raceway for transporting sets of inserts at a raceway transport rate and an insert feed line for feeding an individual insert to each of the sets of inserts on the raceway at the raceway transport rate. The insert feed line having a singulater for separating the individual insert from bundles of inserts at a separation rate, the singulater including a lifter lifting at least one insert from the bundles of inserts, the lifting effecting separation of the individual insert from the bundles of inserts at the separation rate wherein, the singulater has a controller for controlling the singulater separation rate so that the singulater separation rate is variable with respect to a predetermined raceway transport rate, to allow the insert feed line to feed the individual insert to each set of inserts transported on the raceway at the raceway transport rate.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a sucking and conveying mechanism having a suction surface, which sucks sheets stacked on a sheet stacking table, from an upper surface of the sheets, sucks an uppermost sheet to be sucked on the suction surface, and conveys the uppermost sheet onto a sheet conveyance path; a floating air blowing mechanism which blows floating air against the sheets from a side surface of the stacked sheets; a sheet position detecting sensor which detects an upper surface height position of the sheets stacked, and detects a floating state of the sheets floated; and a controller which judges the floating state of the sheets detected in a floating state detecting period in connection with a blowing of the floating air, and controls an air volume of floating air blown from the floating air blowing mechanism based on the floating state of the sheets.

Abstract: A sheet feeding unit includes a side warm-air mechanism that blows air toward a side surface of a sheet stack S from a warm-air outlet. The sheet feeding unit controls the lift mechanism so as to perform a sheet separating operation every time a predetermined number of sheets P are fed during a continuous sheet feeding operation.

Abstract: An air blowing portion blows air to the end of sheets supported by a lifting and lowering tray. The sheets blown up by the air from the air blowing portion are sucked and conveyed by a sucking and conveying portion. The sheets are preliminarily blown up above the suckable rang. Then, the sheets are lowered to the suckable range before a sucking and conveying operation is started. In the above operation, the tray is lifted, and thereafter the tray is lowered until the sheets reach the suckable range while repeating a step operation of performing a lowering operation and a stop operation based on detection of the upper surface of the sheets by a sheet detecting mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a sheet tray in which a plurality of sheets is to be stacked; a sheet feeding section which vacuums a sheet from the plurality of sheets stacked in the sheet tray and feeds the sheet to an image forming apparatus; a first sheet separator which has a member which separates each sheet from the plurality of sheets when the sheet feeding section feeds the plurality of sheets; and a second sheet separator which has a forward roller rotated in a sheet transport direction, which feeds the sheet to the image forming apparatus, and a parallel retard roller rotatable in an opposite direction so as to separate each sheet from the plurality of sheets.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for guiding sheets to a sheet processing machines, provision is made to reduce the adhesion forces between sheets following one another by the trailing edge of the respective first sheet of a sheet stream being lifted. The sheet is lifted using a blowing/suction nozzle or a suction nozzle.