Abstract: A device for separating sheets (10) of a recording medium stored in a horizontally disposed stack includes an advance roller (16) resting on the stack and following the decreasing height of the stack. The advance roller (16) is drivable in order to acquire the topmost sheet (10.1) of the stack under frictional closure and to slide it for separation with its leading edge up on an obliquity (14). In order to be able to separate sheets (10) of different stiffness, the advance roller (16), while it is driven on the topmost sheet (10.1), drifts from the obliquity (14) until the leading edge of the sheet (10.1) runs up on the obliquity (14). The advance roller (16) is movable vertically. The counter force acting during the driving of the advance roller (16) is additionally supported in a rocker in order to increase the contact pressure against the topmost sheet (10.1) in case of the sheets of great stiffness.

Abstract: A separating apparatus has a sheet feeding unit for feeding sheets, a separating pad for separating the sheets between the separating pad and the sheet feeding unit, a pad holding member for holding the separating pad, a spring for biasing the pad holding member to thereby bring the separating pad into pressure contact with the sheet feeding unit, a support for supporting the pad holding member on a frame pivotably and movably in a sheet feeding direction, and an abutting surface against which the pad holding member abuts when the pad holding member moves to a downstream side in the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A card feeder for a card printer provides a stack of cards at an input end of the printer. The cards are supported on a pair of rollers that are driven at differential speeds and through one-way clutches so that a card being fed from the stack will pass through an outlet opening and can be accelerated by further drives. The outlet opening is controlled as to size by a slidable gate that permits changing the thickness of the opening to permit use of different thickness cards in the hopper. The feeder includes cleaning rollers that are formed as a module that can be inserted and replaced, and also an encoding station where the card can be encoded such as for a magnetic strip, or for non contact radio frequency or other smart card chips contained on the card being processed prior to the printing operation.

Abstract: An apparatus capable of performing pick operations on multiple sizes in a printing device is disclosed. This apparatus separates a media sheet from a stack and drives it along a media path. The apparatus also corrects any pick skew of the media sheet caused during the pick operation before the media sheet is transferred to the drive roller. By ensuring that the traversing media sheet has a leveled leading edge, the pick skew of the media sheet is substantially eliminated.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus has a sheet support for supporting sheets, and a sheet supply roller for feeding out the sheets supported by the sheet support. An abutment member is pivotally supported to be rocked between a regulating position to regulate a tip end of the sheets supported by the sheet support and a non-regulating position to allow supply of the sheets by the sheet supply roller. An operation unit shifts the abutment member from the regulating position to the non-regulating position when the sheets are supplied by the sheet supply roller and shifts the abutment member from the non-regulating position to the regulating position after the sheets are supplied.

Abstract: The present invention is made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus which can monitor a sheet conveying condition even with small sheet interval, an image forming apparatus having such a sheet conveying apparatus, an image reading apparatus having such a sheet conveying apparatus, and a sheet processing apparatus having such a sheet conveying apparatus.

Abstract: A resilient friction pad is pushed by a spring against a conveying roller for feeding paper automatically in a printer. The function pad is placed in a recess at the end of the paper tray. A flat auxiliary spring may be used to share the pressure of a heavy paper load and to prevent the separation of the resilient friction pad and the conveying roller. A support block may be placed underneath the resilient friction pad to prevent sagging of the resilient friction pad. A corrugated arm may be inserted between the push-up spring and the resilient friction pad to provide wider contact between the resilient friction pad and the conveying roller.

Abstract: The invention relates to when the printing medium, such as paper are separated one at a time by a separation piece, the engagement of a projected part of a paper supporting plate and a contact part of a pressure applying part is released and the separation piece is pressed by a separation piece contact part. Thereby, the separation piece contacts the paper supplying roller with a large urging force from the first and second pressing springs. When the paper is transferred after the separation of the paper by the separation piece, the projected part of the paper supporting plate contacts the contact part of the pressure applying part to release the pressure of the separation piece from the separation piece contact part. Thereby, the pressure power generated between the paper supplying roller and the separation piece is selectively switched. When the paper is separated, the pressure power is increased to prevent overlapped transferring of the papers.

Abstract: A document feed arrangement has a nip between a feeder and a separator where documents in a stack are urged, singly into the nip and advanced therebeyond by the feeder. A continuously rotating nudger urges the documents into the nip. The nudger has an open space separation from the nip and feeder. In addition, the nudger is disposed adjacent the end document in the stack and arranged to periodically thrust the end document across the separation into the nip. As soon as the end document leaves the nudger it immediately contacts the next-to-the-end document in the stack and begins to thrust it forward. The feeder surface is defined by a large radius at the point of the nip so that the surface of the feeder bends away from the nip. The feeder advances the end document from the stack through the nip without simultaneously advancing a second document. The separator surface is defined by a smaller radius than the feeder for restraining the remaining documents of the stack.

Abstract: A dam has a plurality of substantially parallel ribs with recesses therebetween. At least one of the recesses has a slat therein with bumps or protrusions along its sheet-engaging surface. If more than one sheet is fed from a stack to the dam, the sheets strike the slat surfaces and bumps, causing the sheets momentarily to stop and then separate.

Abstract: A paper feeding system has a housing, a paper tray, a paper path positioned before a front end of the paper tray, a paper engaging mechanism installed above the paper tray, a paper separating mechanism, and a driving device. The paper engaging mechanism comprises an engaging arm and an engaging roller. The engaging arm comprises a first fixing shaft rotatably installed on the housing, and a second end installed with the engaging roller. When the engaging arm swings down to the paper tray, the engaging roller pushes at least a sheet of paper from the paper tray to the paper path. The paper separating mechanism comprises a separating roller and a friction pad installed respectively above and below the paper path. When two sheets of paper pass between a gap between the friction pad and the separating roller, the separating roller will move only the top sheet forward. The driving device is used to drive the engaging arm, the engaging roller, and the separating roller.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a sheet feeding device and method, and image reader which facilitate setting of a sheet pile, serve to separate and feed a sheet succesfully. The present invention provides a separation gate between draw and separation rollers for achieving a multistage separation. The separation gate is made movable in synchronization with the draw roller so as to maintain a certain separation condition, despite of the draw roller that may descend according to the number of piled sheets.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resolving doubles on singulated flat articles being passed in a downstream direction to a takeaway mechanism by use of a doubles resolver mechanism ahead of the takeaway mechanism. The doubles resolver mechanism includes a doubles resolver head through which negative pressure may be applied to articles passing thereunder, and a mount for the head which positions the head against such articles with a substantially constant force regardless of the thickness of the article. Negative pressure is applied to the head except when the head is detected as having resolved a double, at which time such pressure is momentarily removed to permit the double to be cleared.

Abstract: The present invention provides a paper feeding apparatus for use in an image reader, e.g. such as an image scanner, which is designed especially to prevent overlap feeding of sheets of paper, and can adjust both the pressing forces between a hopper for carrying sheets of paper in a stacked manner and a pickup roller for paper feeding and between a parting roller and a retard roller for the prevention of overlap feeding. The paper feeding apparatus of the present invention serves to feed the sheets of paper one by one from the hopper and to restrict overlap feeding by the parting roller and the retard roller. This optimizes the paper feeding in the pass line from the hopper to the preventing mechanism for overlap feeding, thereby achieving a secure prevention overlap feeding.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for dispensing paper media is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an engagement device disposed proximate a first side of the paper media. The engagement device contacts the first side of the paper media to urge the paper media in a dispensing direction and a retract direction, according to a command from a processor. The apparatus also comprises a stripper device disposed proximate a second side of the paper media so as to avoid contact with only one paper media unit disposed between the stripper device and the engagement device, but so as to at least intermittently contact a second paper media unit when more than one paper media unit is disposed between the stripper device and the engagement device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for delivery of sheet media to a printer includes a chassis, a drive motor, a media tray with elevatable pressure plate, a plurality of pick rollers situated opposite movable pinch rollers that come into contact with the pick rollers to form a roller assembly therebetween when in an extended position. A movable separator forms a throat between one of the pick rollers and the leading edge of the separator when it is in an extended position. A common transmission is used to simultaneously position the pinch rollers, separator, and the pressure plate. The apparatus also includes a media retarder for preventing multiple sheets of media from advancing through the apparatus at the same time. The method includes delaying the rotation of the pick rollers until a stack of media has been raised to press against the pick rollers, and the pinch rollers and separator are in an extended position.

Abstract: A taking part has a taking unit that comes in contact with the piled sheets to generate a taking force and to take the sheets one by one with the taking force. A movable lever is arranged in a side of the taking unit with respect to the piled sheets, and a driving unit gives a driving force in a linear or rotational direction to the movable lever. A force controller controls the driving force given to the movable lever by the driving unit. A detecting unit detects a position of the movable lever, and a sheet supplying unit supplies the piled sheets to the taking unit. A sheet supplying unit controller controls the sheets supplying unit on the basis of the position of the movable lever detected by the detecting unit. The sheets are pressed by the lever at a preparatory step, and then the sheets are lifted and pressed to the taking unit while canceling the driving force by the lever. The sheet and the taking unit are assured to become in good contact with each other to make the taking operation stable.

Abstract: A bill feed-out device adapted for dispensing bills from a bill storage box includes a bill stacking plate disposed in the bill storage box to support stacked bills on its upper surface, kick rollers provided below the bill stacking plate to be contactable with a bottommost bill of the bills stacked on the bill stacking plate for kicking the bottommost bill laterally, a feed-out roller, having multiple large-diameter portions and multiple small-diameter portions, for feeding further downstream bills kicked out by the kick rollers, separation rollers, each of which have multiple large-diameter portions and multiple small-diameter portions and whose multiple large-diameter portions can mesh into the multiple small-diameter portions of the feed-out roller for separating one by one bills present between itself and the feed-out roller, a stacked bill number detector for detecting the number of bills stacked on the bill stacking plate, a bite amount regulator responsive to the number of stacked bills detected by th

Abstract: An apparatus capable of performing pick operations on multiple sizes in a printing device is disclosed. This apparatus separates a media sheet from a stack and drives it along a media path. The apparatus also corrects any pick skew of the media sheet caused during the pick operation before the media sheet is transferred to the drive roller. By ensuring that the traversing media sheet has a leveled leading edge, the pick skew of the media sheet is substantially eliminated.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating an upper sheet from a lower sheet comprising a first roller having an axis of rotation and a sheet engaging surface arranged to frictionally engage the upper sheet, a second roller having an axis of rotation arranged in spaced relation to the axis of rotation of the first roller, the second roller having a sheet engaging surface arranged to frictionally engage the lower sheet, and, drive means for rotating the first and second rollers about their respective axes of rotation to produce different surface speeds at the sheet engaging surfaces of the first and second rollers, whereby the upper and lower sheets are separated into a non-coincident configuration by respective frictional engagement with the first and second rollers. The invention also comprises a method for separating the aforementioned upper and lower sheets.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeder of a printing machine feeds paper by a rotational pressing force exerted between a paper friction fed section and a paper feeding roller. The automatic sheet feeder includes an idle pad roller rotated in contact with the paper feeding roller by the rotational pressing force exerted on the paper feeding roller in absence of paper in the paper loading section, and an elastic member for elastically controlling the rotational movement of the idle pad roller in contact with the idle pad roller while the idle pad roller is rotated by the rotational pressing force of the paper feeding roller. Accordingly, even when the paper feeding operation is carried out in the absence of paper in the paper loading section, the frictional load between the paper feeding roller and the paper friction pad is minimized through the rolling friction operation of the idle pad roller.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling a sheet feeder assembly for an imaging apparatus, the sheet feeder assembly including a motor coupled to a gear train for applying a rotational force to a sheet picker roller, a media supply tray for holding a media stack having a plurality of media sheets, and a buckler for buckling a top sheet of print media to separate the top sheet from the media stack, the method including the steps of driving the sheet picker roller at a initial velocity until a backlash of the gear train is eliminated and/or the top sheet has been buckled; and thereafter, accelerating the sheet picker roller from the initial velocity to a target velocity using selectable sheet picker roller velocity profiles.

Abstract: A sheet-material feeding device individually separating and sequentially feeding a bundle of sheets of a sheet material mounted on a sheet-material mount. The device includes a detector for detecting the presence of the sheet material on the sheet-material mount, and a pressing member for pressing the sheet material on the sheet-material mount when the presence of the sheet material has been detected by the detetector. A sheet-mounting angle of the sheet-material mount can be changed so that an upstream portion of the bundle of sheets is lower than a portion where the sheets are separated.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prevent a sheet of continuous-form paper from slackening when it is fed back in a printer capable of feeding both sheets of continuous-form paper and cut-form paper.

Abstract: Sheet feed apparatus for supplying sheets such as banknotes from a store (1) to a sheet transport system. The apparatus comprises a feed system (4) for withdrawing sheets from the store (1). A separator system (12) is provided to which sheets are fed by the feed system (1), the separator system being adapted to feed sheets singly to the sheet transport system (22, 23). A controller (29) controls operation of the feed and separator systems (1, 12) independently.

Abstract: A paper-feeding apparatus is used for feeding print medium from a paper cassette. The paper cassette holds a stack of print paper therein. The feeding roller is disposed close to a forward end of the paper cassette. The feeding roller engages a top page of the stack of print paper to feed the top page from the paper cassette to a printing area. The paper separator engages the feeding roller to cooperate with the feeding roller to separate the top page from the stack of print paper. The paper-positioning member is, for example, an arm. When the feeding roller is not feeding the print medium, the arm pushes back the forward ends of pages of print medium toward the rear end of the paper cassette, thereby aligning the forward ends of the pages of the stack of print paper. The paper feeding apparatus may further have an urging member, e.g., a spring, which urges the paper separator against the feeding roller, and an urging-force-changing member, e.g., a cam that changes an urging force of the urging member.

Abstract: The invention is a sheet feeder for engaging and removing a sheet of paper or other material from a stack and feeding it along a path. The sheet feeder can include a skimmer, a bumper, a separator, and a guide plate. The skimmer can include a timing belt or other positive drive, so the drive motor turns the drive roller to feed sheets in a uniform manner. The skimmer element can be laterally reciprocated to assist in separation of the top sheet from lower sheets in a stack. The bumper extends across the feed path and has a guide surface positioned to confront the leading edges of the sheets of the stack and direct the leading edge of an advancing engaged single sheet away from the remainder of the stack. The separator is designed for advancing the engaged sheet while retarding any adjacent sheets. In one embodiment, a friction roller rotates on one side of the feed path, advancing a single sheet forward along the feed path.

Abstract: A machine for processing documents has a document feeder adapted to selectively adjust document feed rate and interdocument separation. The document feeder has a feeder surface for feeding documents into the machine. There is a nip between the feeder surface and a separator surface. The end document of a stack is urged, singly into the nip and advanced therebeyond by the feeder surface. The separator surface restrains the remaining documents of the stack. A control adjusts the speed of the separator surface to be continuously variable and independent of the speed of said feeder surface, with the separator surface speed adjusted to optimize the document feed rate, optimize interdocument separation, and minimize damage to the documents being fed into the machine.

Abstract: There is provided a process for feeding in a recorder a recording medium having a glossy surface from a tray in which the recording media is loaded and piled up, in which the last sheet of the recording medium can be fed smoothly without adsorption to the tray. An extra sheet is laid between the tray and the recording media in order to prevent the adsorption of the last recording medium to the tray and to ensure that the last sheet of the recording medium is also led out smoothly from the tray.

Abstract: To provide a bill dispensing device capable of handling bills widely differing from each other in paper quality and creases with high reliability and of handling all the bills of widely different lengths with respect to a delivery direction. A bill dispensing device comprises a bill container for containing sheets, rotating feed rollers for feeding bills to the next device, respectively having highly frictional parts (rubber members) in their circumferences, and nonrotatable gate rollers disposed opposite to the feed rollers and respectively having highly frictional parts in their circumferences. Pickup rollers respectively having highly frictional parts in their circumferences are disposed coaxially with the feed rollers and not opposite to the gate rollers so as to rotate together with the feed rollers.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to separating and feeding previously printed document sheets from a stack with reduced inter-sheet document image smearing using a retard-type sheet separator-feeder. For duplex documents, the intermittent drive system for the retard feeder drives the sheet being fed downstream out of the retard nip for only a short initial feeding distance which is only a minor portion of the document dimension, then reverse drives the sheet in the upstream direction for only a short reverse distance sufficient to eject all the sheets from the retard nip other then the one being fed out. Meanwhile a nudger system feeding sheets from the stack to the retard nip is disengaged. Then the feeder is driven in the downstream sheet feeding direction again, but for a much longer sheet feeding distance, Thus, the sheet being fed by the retard feeder may be fed out of the retard nip without duplex document image smearing against other sheets in the retard nip.

Abstract: A separator and sequencing apparatus comprising a first selective document transport means for selective movement of documents and a second selective document transport means for selective movement of documents positioned adjacent to the first selective document transport means, the first and second selective document transport means configured to move at least one of a pair of documents located in said separator and sequencing apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet feeder provided with a feed roller having a circumferential surface portion and a cutout surface portion and capable of reliably feeding sheets regardless of the thickness and weight of the recording medium. The feed roller has a roller shaft extending from both side thereof. Each roller has an inner peripheral surface through which the roller shaft extends, and has an outer peripheral portion serving as a contact portion for contacting with a separation pad when the cutout surface portion is in confrontation with the pad. An annular space is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the roller and an outer peripheral surface of the roller shaft. A spacer is movable over the roller shaft and is insertable into and rectactable from the annular space. In the insertion position, a distance between an axial center of the roller shaft and the contact portion is increased. In the retracted position, the distance is decreased because of the urging of the separation pad toward the roller.

Abstract: Disclosed is an paper feeding device or a pack holder capable of preventing noise or a misfeeding when printing envelopes or postcards. The pack holder can be adjusted to feed standard size paper or postcards and envelopes. A sliding plate is used when feeding postcards and envelopes so that the last postcard or envelope in the stack can be fed into the machine successfully. The sliding plate allows only one of the two feeding rollers to make contact with a friction pad during the feeding of postcards and envelopes.

Abstract: A sheet feeder unit being capable of separately supplying cut sheets of any thickness without causing any residual deformation. Cut sheets (11) in a pile are advanced one by one with a pair of feeding rollers (31) contacting thereto from one side thereof. A friction member (33) is disposed in the middle between the pair of feeding rollers (31) which is backed away by a proceeding cut sheet (11) thereby separating the outermost cut sheet (11) from the other sheets by the frictional force of contact therebetween.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a support plate inclined backward and a feed roller for feeding one by one the sheets of paper stacked on the plate. A first support surface and a second support surface are formed at or near the bottom of the plate to support the front ends of the sheets. The second surface is lower in frictional resistance than the first surface. The second surface can be moved by an operating lever between a first position, where it is protruded from the first surface toward the sheets, and a second position, where it is retracted from the first surface away from the sheets. If the sheets are relatively rigid, their front ends are supported by the second surface in the first position, and they can therefore be fed smoothly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet separating and conveying apparatus for separating stacked sheets and for conveying a separated sheet, comprises a sheet convey means for conveying the sheet, a friction means disposed in a confronting relation to the sheet convey means, a biasing means for urging the sheet convey means and the friction means against each other, a preliminary convey means adapted to be urged against the sheet convey means at an upstream side of a contact position between the sheet convey means and the friction means in a sheet conveying direction, and a friction releasing means for separating the sheet convey means and the friction means from each other, and wherein, when the sheet convey means and the friction means are separated from each other by the friction releasing means, the preliminary convey means is maintained in a condition that the preliminary convey means is urged against the sheet convey means.

Abstract: In a scanning unit such as a facsimile machine, an automatic document feeder transports individual sheets from a stack of documents along a document path over a scanning window to an output tray. An upper guide member includes an integrated chassis which provides most of the functional features required for picking individual sheets from a stack of documents in an input tray and transporting the sheet past a scanning window. The various components incorporated in the integrated chassis include a document separation mechanism, pre-scanning pinch rollers, post-scanning pinch rollers, a spring-loaded limiter with minimal paper path obstruction, a hinging mechanism to facilitate manual access to the document path, a latching mechanism, referencing datums, and ESD grounding including ESD brushes adjacent the document path and an ESD shield for a circuit board housed in the upper guide member.

Abstract: A sheet feeder provided in an image forming device and includes a sheet feed roller, a pair of rollers provided at both ends of the sheet feed roller and rotatable independent of the sheet feed roller, and a separation pad provided in confronting relation to the sheet feed roller and the pair of rollers. The sheet feed roller has a circumferential surface portion and a cut-out surface portion. When the cut-out surface portion is opposite a sheet and the separating pad, outer peripheral surface portions of the pair of rollers contact the sheet at approximately the same level position that the circumferential surface portion of the feed roller contacts the sheet. This maintains the separating pad in approximately the same position.

Abstract: A sheet feeder provided in an image forming device and includes a sheet feed roller, a pair of collars provided at both ends of the sheet feed roller and rotatable independent of the sheet feed roller, and a separation pad provided in confronting relation to the sheet feed roller and the pair of collars. The sheet feed roller has a cylindrical roller having a diameter smaller than that of the collar and a roller shaft. An irregular diameter sleeve including first and second radius portions is mounted on the roller shaft, and the collar is loosely rotatable on the irregular diameter sleeve. The first radius portion has a first radius greater than a second radius of the second radius portion. When the first radius portion is angularly rotated to a position in confrontation with the separation pad, a distance between an axis of the roller shaft and the lower end of the collar is greater than the radius of the feed roller.

Abstract: A dam has a slat disposed therein with protrusions along its sheet-engaging surface. If more than one sheet is fed from a stack to the dam, the sheets strike the slat surface and protrusions, causing the sheets to buckle and then separate from each other.

Abstract: A two-stage document singulating apparatus includes first and second singulators disposed along a document feed path. The first singulator acts to separate individual documents from a stack which are subject to a stack advance mechanism force. The second singulator separates multifeeds that pass through the first singulator and which are no longer subject to the stack advance mechanism force.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus including an auxiliary pusher section, disposed at a sheet loading plate, for pushing one end of each sheet loaded on a rotatable sheet loading plate towards a sheet feeding section. The auxiliary pusher section includes a pusher member for contacting each of the sheets, and a spring for biasing the pusher member towards the sheet feeding section. The auxiliary pusher section pushes the sheets against the sheet feeding section to allow reliable feeding of the sheets.

Abstract: A paper separating unit and an electronic printing apparatus which includes said paper separating unit wherein paper is picked by a pick roller from a paper container, is fed into a gap between a first feed roller and a separate roller which are rotating in the same rotational direction, then the first sheet of paper is separated from the other and is fed to a second feed roller, and when the first paper is acceleratedly fed, and a motor which drives the first feed roller and the separate roller is stopped, a one-way clutch which prevents a separate roller from reverse-rotating together with the paper conveyed by the second feed roller so that feeding more than one sheet of paper can be firmly prevented.

Abstract: A belt (28) is moved into contact with a sheet (70) to be fed from the stack (18) under the control of a solenoid (48), which when energized causes pivoting of a crank mechanism (42) and an pulley (26) which supports the belt (28). The belt (28) frictionally engages the sheet (70) as to separate it from the stack (18) and move it into engagement with feed rollers (56) of a transport mechanism. The belt (28) is then retracted from the sheet (70) which is moved away from the stack (18) by the feed rollers (56). After a predetermined time period, the belt (28) is moved into contact with the next sheet of the stack (18) to be fed and the process is repeated until the desired number of sheets have been fed from the stack (18). The belt (28) is driven so that it rotates continuously during the pick operation and is brought to rest on retraction of the belt (28) after the final sheet has been picked from the stack (18).

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism including a pick apparatus for selectively moving a sheet of media from a stack. A kicker is disclosed in several embodiments and serves to retain media on the stack. In a first embodiment, a cam is coupled to the pick apparatus for deflecting the kicker from the first position at which it retains media on the stack to a second position at which paper is allowed to move through the mechanism. In a particular implementation of the first illustrative embodiment, the mechanism includes a frame and a shaft mounted on the frame for rotational movement relative thereto. The pick apparatus includes a pick tire mounted on the shaft and adapted to rotate therewith. The kicker is mounted on the frame for retaining media on the stack in a first position. The cam is adapted to deflect the kicker during a first portion of a rotational cycle and to release the kicker when the cam is in a second rotational position.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus includes a sheet supporter for supporting sheets, a supply rotary device for feeding out the sheets supported by the sheet supporter, a separation member for separating sheets fed by the supply rotary device one by one by elastically changing an inclination angle of the separation member when the sheets fed by the supply rotary means abut against and ride over the separation member, and a sheet guide member removably disposed above the sheet supporting means and adapted to guide the sheet in such a manner that the sheet is subjected to resistance of the separation member smaller than resistance from the separation member to the sheet when the sheets are supplied from the sheet supporter.

Abstract: A sheet feeder providing accurate separation of an uppermost sheet from remaining sheets of a sheet stack stored in a hopper regardless of a size and rigidity of the sheets. The sheet feeder includes a sheet feed roller positioned in confrontation with the hopper for feeding the sheet in a sheet feeding direction. A wall of a frame confronts an outlet end portion of the hopper. The wall is provided with a slanted surface sloping toward the sheet feeding direction, and a stop member protrudable from or retractable into the slanted surface. A recessed portion is open to the slanted surface, and the stop member can be assembled to the recessed portion from an upper open side of the recessed portion. A pair of opposing side walls providing therebetween an upper open space are provided. A rotation shaft of the sheet feed roller can be assembled to the pair of side walls from the upper open space.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus comprising a pair of rotary drive shafts disposed in parallel with each other and rotated in the same direction, a sheet feed roller provided on one of the rotary drive shafts, and a reverse rotation roller provided on the other rotary drive shaft and urged against the sheet feed roller, and wherein sheets are separated and fed one by one between the sheet feed roller and the reverse rotation roller, and further wherein at least one of the sheet feed roller and the reverse rotation roller is provided with a through hole through which the rotary drive shaft passes, and the through hole has an intermediate portion through which the rotary drive shaft passes, and an escape portion provided at an end and adapted to permit inclination of the rotary drive shaft to maintain parallelism between one roller and the other roller if the rotary drive shaft is inclined.

Abstract: The sheet feeding device comprises a frame with a fixed receptacle for the sheets and pick-up rollers mounted on a first shaft which is pivotingly fitted on the frame by means of a rocking support device. A second shaft is linked to a motor and bears, by means of two pivotingly mounted support members, the first shaft and the rollers. Two pinions integral with the shafts and an intermediate pinion provided with a braking member allow the rollersto be brought into rotation starting from the shaft. Accordingly, the latter commands rotation of the entire support device and presses the rollers against the uppermost sheet with a surface force which increases when the resistance to movement of the uppermost sheet increases. Extremely reliable paper feeding operation is achieved as a result, with a simple construction method and at low cost.