Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus which includes a sheet holder holding at least one sheet to be fed. A pick-up roller feeds the at least one sheet from the sheet holder in a sheet feeding direction. A separating roller is provided at a lower reach of the pick-up roller. This separating roller receives a reverse torque in an opposite direction of the sheet feeding direction through a torque limiter. A feeding roller is provided opposite the separating roller and feeds the at least one sheet from the pick-up roller in the sheet feeding direction. Further, a frictional element is provided to increase a rotational load of the separating roller.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus comprising a separating mechanism and a conveying mechanism. The separating mechanism separates a plurality of sheets to convey it one by one. The separating mechanism applies a friction force to the sheet to be conveyed in a direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction. The separating mechanism has a plurality of separating members disposed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The conveying mechanism receives and conveys the sheet separated by the separating mechanism. The conveying mechanism has a plurality of conveying rollers disposed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. An outermost profile width of the conveying rollers in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction is smaller than that of the separating rollers.

Abstract: A singulator adapted for feeding articles of varying thickness is comprised of a driver with a movable and resiliently biased retarder, called a dancer. The dancer moves back and forth along the article flow path, in response to the passage through the nip of the articles being singulated, to automatically set the gap at the singulator nip. A dancer body motion may be linear or pivoting. The path of article travel through the singulator nip is at an angle to the downstream article flow path. Thus, when a takeaway device pulls on the article, the dancer moves to open the singulator gap slightly to enable the article to more freely be taken away. A preferred dancer has an endless belt and is spring biased to lightly contact the driver at the nip in the absence of an article; and, periodic reversal of driver direction engages the dancer belt surface at the nip and moves it upstream, thereby exposing a new surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a paper feed mechanism in which copy paper stacked on a paper support member such as a manual insertion tray is fed along the sheet transport direction in a nipped state between an upper roller and a lower roller. The upper roller has, on its outer surface in the described order with respect to the rotational direction, a non-contact area which is not brought into pressing contact with the copy paper and the lower roller, a first contact area which comes into pressing contact with the copy paper and the lower roller and whose frictional coefficient relative to copy paper is set small, and a second contact area which comes into pressing contact with the copy paper and the lower roller and whose frictional coefficient relative to copy paper is set large. The lower roller is mounted on a torque limiter.

Abstract: A document feeder which includes a separator mechanism having a first separator member and a second separator member for separating and feeding document originals one by one into a document transportation path. The first separator member is provided in a main body, and the second separator member is provided in a cover which covers a portion of the main body and is adapted to be pivotally opened. With the cover being closed, the second separator member is positioned with respect to the first separator member by a positioning mechanism.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder (ADF), a document separating mechanism includes a separator belt. Documents stacked on a tray are caused to abut against the separator belt at their leading edges and then introduced into a nip between the belt and a feed roller to be separated one by one. The angle at which the documents abut against the separator belt is variable. The separator belt is movably mounted on a guide pivotable about the shaft of a separator roller. The above angle refers to an angle between the surface of the documents stacked on the tray and the surface of the portion of the separator belt against which the documents abut.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a separation mechanism for separating and feeding paper sheet. The respective convex portions and concave portions of the conveying roller and the separating roller are opposed to each other in a state of different-steps so as not to be brought into contact with each other. The conveying roller is rotated in the normal direction which is the same as that of feeding the paper sheet and the separating roller is rotated in the reverse direction to that of feeding the paper sheet. The separation mechanism for the fed paper sheet for separating sheet by sheet a plurality of manuscript document sheets piled on the document sheet tray is formed such that the diameter of the separating roller is made smaller than that of the conveying roller and the frictional coefficient of the separating roller is also made smaller than that of the conveying roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding a sheet from a sheet stacker. The sheet feeder includes: a main body of the sheet stacker for holding plural stacked sheets; a movable bottom plate, provided on the bottom portion of the main body and supported bivotally on an axis, for supporting the plural stacked sheets; a lifting lever for lifting the movable bottom plate; and plural pickup rollers, aligned on an axis in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction, for having a pressure contact with a sheet of the plural stacked sheets on the movable bottom plate, and for feeding the sheet from the main body in the sheet feeding direction. In the sheet feeder, a protruded portion is formed either on the movable bottom plate or on the lifting lever so that a contact portion where the movable bottom plate comes in contact with the lifting lever is of a point contact, and the contact portion is provided at the center of the closest two of the pickup rollers in the direction of their axis.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic original supplying apparatus in which originals are stacked on an original tray as an original bundle and the originals in the original bundle are separated one by one from an uppermost one or from a lowermost one by a separation portion disposed at one side of the original tray. The apparatus comprises a guide passage for directing the original bundle to the separation portion, and a guide member provided at a tip end of the guide passage for upward and downward pivotal movement so that, when the originals are separated from the uppermost one, the guide member is rocked upwardly to protrude upwardly from the guide passage in an inclined fashion to thereby push a tip end of the original bundle to be directed to said separation portion, and, when the originals are separated from the lowermost one, the guide member is rocked downwardly to be retarded from the guide passage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus with a sheet stacking plate on which a plurality of sheets can be stacked, a sheet supply unit for successively supplying the sheets rested on the sheet stacking plate one by one, and a sheet regulating device for regulating a tip end of the sheet stack rested on the sheet stacking plate. The sheet supply unit has a rotary member and the rotary member has a cooperation portion for switching regulation and release of the tip end of the sheet stack by the sheet regulating device. Further, when the rotary member is rotated in a sheet conveying direction, the sheet regulating device is shifted by the cooperation portion to a position where the regulation of the tip end of the sheet stack is released.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus comprising a sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet, a sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means, a separation means disposed downstream of the sheet supply means in a sheet supplying direction and including a normal rotation member rotated in the sheet supplying direction and a reverse rotation member rotated in a reverse direction opposite thereby to separate the sheets fed out by the sheet supply means one by one, and a drive force transmission switching means for transmitting a rotational force to the reverse rotation member to rotate the reverse rotation member in the reverse direction when the sheets supported by the sheet supporting means are fed out continuously, and for stopping the transmission of the rotational force to the reverse rotation member when a single sheet is inserted into the separation means.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus is provided including a sheet stacking unit for stacking a plurality of sheets, a first roller for supplying an uppermost sheet on the sheet stacking unit and a second roller for supplying a lowermost sheet on the sheet stacking unit. A separation roller is disposed between the first and second sheet supply rollers to pass a single sheet toward a predetermined direction and to separate the other sheets from the single sheet for return. The first and second sheet supply rollers and the separation roller are made of the same material, and the first and second sheet supply rollers are disposed upstream of the separation roller in a sheet supplying direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for separating stacked sheets one by one and feeding the sheets includes a rotative feeder rotating in a feeding direction for feeding the sheets; a retard roller disposed so as to be capable of contacting the rotative feeder rotating in reverse direction for separating the sheets one by one; a driver for driving the rotative feeder and the retard roller; a clutch for transmitting drive power from the driver to the rotative feeder when in a powered-on state, and for rendering the rotative feeder in a rotation free state without transmitting the drive power of the driver to the rotative feeder when in a powered-off state. The apparatus further includes a controller for, before the start of feeding of the sheets, rendering the rotative feeder in the rotation free state while the controller renders the clutch in the powered-off state and controlling the driver to rotate the retard roller in the reverse direction to the feeding direction of the sheet.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus comprising:a main unit including an image formation section;a sheet storage section being disposed in said main unit for storing a large number of stacked sheets;feed means for giving a transport force to the sheets in said sheet storage section in a predetermined direction from said sheet storage section;a friction member being placed facing said feed means so that it comes in elastic contact with said feed means for forming a nip portion for separating sheets transported in overlapped relation; anda support member for forming said friction member with a projection projecting from said nip portion in either one direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the sheet for said feed means and supporting said friction member.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus has a sheet separator for separating and feeding sheets one by one. The separator is formed of a plurality of separation portions each including a sheet supply roller rotated in a sheet feeding direction and a sheet return roller rotated in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction, each disposed along a width-wise direction of the sheet. A sheet supplying force of a central separation portion disposed substantially at a center of the sheet in the width-wise direction is selected to be greater than that of the other separation portions.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for separating stacked sheets one by one and feeding the sheets which includes a feed roller for feeding sheets, a retard roller for separating the sheets one by one between the retard roller and the feed roller, and a torque limiter for transmitting a predetermined torque to the retard roller. The sheet feeding apparatus also includes a roller shaft for movably supporting the retard roller, a gear for transmitting a drive force to the roller shaft of the retard roller, a coupling member for coupling the retard roller and the gear, and universal joints connecting the gear with the coupling member, and the coupling member with the roller shaft, respectively. The torque limiter is disposed on the coupling member.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a separation device including a rotational feeding member rotatable in the direction of sheet feeding and a counter-rotational member rotatable in the direction counter to the sheet feeding direction, and an elastic member disposed in resilient contact with the rotational feeding member in a region near a nip formed between the rotational feeding member and the counter-rotational member, so as to perform sheet separation in cooperation with the rotational feeding member. The leading ends of the sheets delivered from a sheet tray by a delivery roller are staggered in the nip between the rotational feeding member and the elastic member, and the staggered sheets are separated one-by-one in the nip between the rotational feeding member and the counter-rotational member.

Abstract: An optical recording and sorting apparatus and method by which documents are stripped from the other documents in a stack and aligned, the data from each document is recorded, and then the documents are segregated into categories based on the data recorded. An apparatus for sequentially registering the documents is used that both separates the documents at desired distance from each other and aligns the documents on a desired movement path.

Abstract: An envelope construction for high speed printing includes a front panel having a flap with a sealing adhesive strip on its back side, and a rear panel secured to the front panel at its marginal edges to form a pocket. The thickness of the adhesive strip is substantially the same as the thickness of the rear panel so that when the flap is opened, the overall configuration of the envelope is flat to facilitate stacking and feeding. The combination of the strip and the rear panel are both secured to the back side of the front panel, and the combination adds a layer of a uniform thickness to provide the desired flat aspect. Like such envelope constructions are arranged in a stack within a paper tray. The topmost one of the envelope constructions is separated from the stack seriatim at high speeds to feed them individually to the printer for printing thereon.

Abstract: A sheet feeder including a rotateable feed roller for feeding sheets in a path of travel and retarding apparatus operatively coupled with the feed roller for forming a nip therebetween; wherein the retarding apparatus rotates along with the feed roller when a single sheet is in the nip and the retarding apparatus does not rotate when a plurality of sheets are in the nip.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supply apparatus comprising supply rotary means rotated in a sheet supplying direction, and separation rotary means contacted with the supply rotary means and rotated in a sheet returning direction opposite to the sheet supplying direction. Wherein the separation rotary means has a first layer made of elastic porous resin material, a second layer disposed outside of the first layer and made of impregnated resin coating impregnated into a surface of the porous resin material, and outer third layer made of coating resin material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus having a sheet stacking device for stacking and supporting sheets, a sheet supply roller having different radial dimensions along a periphery thereof to feed out the sheets from the sheet stacking device, and a separation unit having a feed rotary member rotated in a sheet feeding direction and a reverse rotary member rotated in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction to separate the sheets fed out by the sheet supply roller one by one.

Abstract: A replacement roller cartridge for a cut sheet retard feeder. The cartridge assembly includes a feed roll, a nudger roll, and a retard roll aligned so that the axis of rotation are substantially in the same plane within an articulated frame. The frame is inserted into the feed head and pivoted into an active position. Upon insertion into the feed head, the retard roll is captured by a separate retard bracket so that when the feed head is pivoted into the active position the retard roll is withdrawn from the frame and forms a feed nip with the feed roll. The articulated frame is geared so that the frame folds back against itself to provide a very compact unit. A gear train is provided on both sides of the cartridge to drive the feed roll and the nudger roll. The cartridge assembly provides a low cost, easily replaceable unit that eliminates the need for a service technician to replace worn feed rolls.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device has a feed roller with a plurality of large-diameter portions and a retard roller having a plurality of large-diameter portions alternately disposed with respect to the large-diameter portions of the feed roller. Originals are individually separated between the feed roller and the retard roller. The distance between the two rollers is automatically adjusted so that when a load caused by a separated sheet in a sheet feeding direction is large, the amount of overlap between the large-diameter portions of the two rollers is reduced, and when the load is small, the amount of overlap is increased. Thus, optimum separation is performed in accordance with the thickness of the sheet and the coefficient of friction of the surface of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism includes first, second, and third feed rollers, first and second servo motors, a reverse roller, a torque limiter, a pick-up roller, and a plurality of photoelectric sensors. The first, second, and third feed rollers are respectively mounted on a feed path of sheets including mail pieces, on an upstream side of the first feed roller in the feed direction, and on the upstream side of the second feed roller in the feed direction, and are respectively rotated by the one-way clutches in only a feed direction. The first and second servo motors respectively drive the first and second feed rollers, and the second feed roller independently. The reverse roller is pressed against by the first feed roller through the feed path, and is driven to rotate in a counter feed direction. The torque limiter constantly applies a predetermined driving torque to the reverse roller in the counter feed direction.

Abstract: A stack height control assembly that is remote from the feedhead. A floating coupler and sensor flag arrangement is mounted so that it is engaged with a paper supply drawer as the drawer is moved into an operative position. The feedhead acts as the stack height sensor and through a mechanical engagement with the sensor, which is removed and remote from the supply drawer, signals as the stack is depleted and the elevator mechanism should raise the stack. This control scheme removes complex electrical connectors from the drawer assembly and allows a wide range of substrates to be fed from the paper supply drawer. By allowing the sensor/coupler arrangement to float so as to align with the drawer, the need for extremely tight manufacturing and assembly tolerances with respect to the drawer/sensor arrangement is also obviated.

Abstract: A paper feeder includes a feed roller and a reverse roller urged against the feed roller by a fulcrum. The fulcrum is located at a specific angles as measured from plane parallel to the contact area of the rollers clockwise from the feed direction of one sheet of paper. The specific angles results in a widened range of the contact pressure between the rollers.

Abstract: A sheet feeder may include a feed roller for compelling a sheet from a stack of sheets into a sheet path and a pair of separation rollers rotating in the same direction for urging sheets along the sheet path. The separation rollers may be selectively and separately disengaged from their motive source in coordination with operation of a motor for the feed roller to provide multiple checks for sheet multifeeds. At each check, extra sheets are returned to the stack of sheets. The separation rollers may each include plural annular spaced-apart sheet contact surfaces that are interleaved with the contact surfaces of the other roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism has a pick up roller which picks up one sheet from a pile on a tray and sends It to contact between a separation roller and a retardation roller. A shaft which positively rotates in a sheet feeding direction is provided with a first gear and the separation roller via an arm pivotable about the shaft and a spring clutch. The arm carries a second gear which receives rotary power from the first gear, a third gear engaged with the second gear and the pick up roller connected with the third gear. The arm is biased upwardly and a negative torque is applied to the second or third gear. Below the separation roller, provided is the retardation roller which is mounted on another shaft via a torque limiter and pressed against the separation roller. The another shaft rotates in a direction opposite the sheet feeding direction. Up and down movement of the pick up roller is mechanically controlled.

Abstract: A sheet feeder may include a feed roller for compelling a sheet from a stack of sheets into a sheet path and a pair of separation rollers rotating in the same direction for urging sheets along the sheet path. The separation rollers may be selectively and separately disengaged from their motive source in coordination with operation of a motor for the feed roller to provide multiple checks for sheet multifeeds. At each check, extra sheets are returned to the stack of sheets.

Abstract: A sheet feeding roller holding mechanism includes a sheet feeding roller which is detachably mounted on one end of a sheet feeding shaft. A body frame holds the other end of the sheet feeding shaft. The sheet feeding shaft is supported by a supporting member at the end of the shaft proximate the body frame, and a plate part is mounted to the body frame to support the supporting member. The body frame further supports a vibration preventive member. A part of the vibration preventive member abuts on a predetermined portion of the plate part, the supporting member or the sheet feeding shaft in a manner so as to prevent deformation. The vibration preventive part may include an elastic member. This roller holding mechanism may be used in an image forming apparatus.

Abstract: Paper from a bin (1) enters a nip between a drive roller (13) and a torque-limited restraint roller (15). The drive roller is mounted on a pivoted bracket (7), having a gear train of a drive gear (9) and a driven gear (11). The drive roller is coaxial with the driven gear and turns with the driven gear. The bracket is self-compensating in that it automatically applies normal force to the drive roller sufficient to permit movement of paper (3). When the paper is more than one sheet, sufficient force is automatically applied to the drive roller to move the top sheet while the restraint roller holds or moves backward the bottom sheet.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus having a sheet stacking device for stacking and supporting sheets, a sheet supply roller having different radial dimensions along a periphery thereof to feed out the sheets from the sheet stacking device, and a separation unit having a feed rotary member rotated in a sheet feeding direction and a reverse rotary member rotated in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction to separate the sheets fed out by the sheet supply roller one by one.

Abstract: A paper sheet separating apparatus has a feeding roller to feed a paper sheet in a transporting direction and a reversing roller to give a predetermined torque in the opposite direction to the transporting direction so that paper sheets are separated and fed one by one from accommodated paper sheets. The paper sheet separating apparatus includes a reversing roller mounted on a reverse shaft via a torque limiter. The torque limiter includes a clutch body which rotates integrally with the reverse shaft, a hub which is rotatably supported on the shaft and a spring which is disposed between the clutch body and the hub. The hub forms a part of the reversing roller.

Abstract: A system for transporting mixed documents having a loading conveyor for transporting documents to a document prefeeder. The document prefeeder transports documents from the loading conveyor on an angled conveyor to a stack feeder that accumulates a shallow stack of documents. A single document feed removes single documents from a shallow stack on the stack feeder and transports the single documents to a main conveyor. A camera on the main conveyor reads each document such as mail, and prints information concerning the document, such as a bar code, on each document. The documents are moved by the main conveyor to an output conveyor for sorting and accumulation.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder (ADF), a feed roller is rotatable in an intended direction of document feed in contact with documents stacked on a document table. A reverse roller is rotatable in the direction opposite to the intended direction of document feed in contact with the documents. A a one-way clutch is mounted on a drive shaft, which drives the reverse roller, such that the clutch uncouples when the reverse roller rotates in the direction opposite to the intended direction of document feed or couples when it rotates in the intended direction of document feed. A shutter is rotatably mounted on the body of the ADF and has a stop for causing the documents stacked on the table to abut thereagainst. When the reverse roller rotates in the direction opposite to the intended direction of document feed, the shutter, received power from the clutch, moves in a direction for closing a document inlet, causing the stop to protrude to above the table at a predetermined position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus having a sheet support for supporting a plurality of sheets, a separating roller rotated in a direction for feeding the sheets, a reversely rotatable roller rotatably supported by a rockably provided reversely rotatable roller holder and bearing against the separating roller, drive force transmitter for transmitting to the reversely rotatable roller a drive force for rotating the reversely rotatable roller in the direction opposite to the direction for feeding the sheets, and a torque limiter provided on the drive force transmitter for cutting off the transmission of a driving torque of a predetermined torque value or greater.

Abstract: The provision of the overlapped transfer-preventing mechanism having a pivot 5a integrated with the lower separating roll 5 which is variably separated from the upper separating roll 4 rotably driven, the lower separating rolls is rotable in a direction opposite to said paper supplying direction when the lift plate 37 is lifted up in a paper-supplying position.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding device includes a mounting unit for mounting a stack of sheets, a feeder for feeding each sheet of the stack of sheets, and a pressing unit for pressing the stack of sheets against the feeder by operating on the stack of sheets whenever necessary after feeding a sheet, a recording unit for recording the number of operations of the pressing unit, and a controller for causing the pressing unit to operate when a sheet feeding operation of the feeder starts after the number of operations of the pressing unit has reached a predetermined number.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating and advancing documents includes a first assembly having movable belts for frictionally engaging and advancing one of the documents along a path, and a second assembly having stationary belts and retrogressingly moving a portion of an endless belt along the path to frictionally engage and halt the remainder of the documents. The retrogressional movement of the endless belt distributing wear experienced by the engaging and halting of documents over the length of the endless belt. The movable belts of the first assembly and the belts of the second assembly are disposed in relative juxtaposition whereby the one document is gripped between the first assembly and second assembly and advanced along the path under the influence of the first assembly.

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism for feeding sheets is described including an advance preventive member which is abuttable on the sheet feeding roller by a spring. The advance preventive member functions to prevent multiple feeding of sheets. The sheet feeding cassette has a first sheet advance preventive part which acts on a second sheet advance preventive part on the advance preventive member when the sheet feeding cassette is moved toward or away from the sheet feeding roller, to thereby separate the advance preventive member from the sheet feeding roller against the urging force of a spring. Specific designs of the first and second sheet advance preventive parts may be included to vibrate and rotate a roller of the advance preventive member.

Abstract: Sheet stacking apparatus comprises a sheet feed system formed by a belt (9) movable past a sheet stacking hopper (1) in a sheet accept direction to feed sheets to the hopper. At least one pusher member (23) is movable in the sheet accept direction through the hopper to push successive portions of a stack (24) in the hopper (1) out of the path of an incoming sheet so as to permit unrestricted entry of a sheet into the hopper.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller, which has a plurality of large-diameter portions and which rotates in a sheet-feeding direction, an inversely-rotating roller, which has a plurality of large-diameter portions alternately disposed with respect to the large-diameter portions of the feeding roller and which rotates in a direction reverse to the sheet-feeding direction, and an automatic adjustment unit for automatically adjusting the amount of overlap between the large-diameter portions of the feeding roller and the large-diameter portions of the inveresely-rotating roller in accordance with a sheet-feeding state.

Abstract: Remittance processing apparatus and method in which the leading edges of a pair of documents such as a payment coupon and a check conveyed along a path are engaged with a gate to control passage of the documents along the path. The gate is held in a closed position until the leading edges are aligned with each other and thereafter opened to release the documents. The documents are then engaged by feed rollers rotating at speeds such that one of the two documents is fed ahead of the other to a stacking tray with a stacking belt which engages one side of the documents. The tray is urged toward the belt with a force which remains substantially constant regardless of the number of documents stacked in the tray.

Abstract: A paper sheet conveying apparatus, a paper sheet separator comprising a conveyer belt (24) movable in a paper sheet delivering direction at all times, a drive roller (42) rotating in one direction, and a separator roller (41) disposed between the drive roller (42) and the conveyer belt (24) so as to come into engagement with either one of the drive roller (42) or the conveyer belt (24) exclusively while maintaining a predetermined gap from the other so that a paper sheet on the conveyer belt (24) is moved back toward the upstream side when the separator roller (41) comes into engagement with the drive roller (42). The drive roller (42) is supported by a pivotable support arm (44) operatively connected for adjusting the predetermined gap.

Abstract: A sheet feeding and separating apparatus for feeding sheets from a stack by exerting a drive force against the top sheet. The sheet is urged off the stack by a nudger roll toward a retard nip formed where a feed roll contacts a retard roll. The retard roll is movable relative to the feed roll, and thus is capable of producing drive forces of varying magnitude at the retard nip to propel a sheet toward the copying mechanism. A controller signals the nudger roll to urge a sheet off the stack and then monitors a sensor to determine whether the sheet passes through the retard nip. A misfeed condition occurs when the sensor fails to detect a sheet within a predetermined length of time. In response, the controller moves the retard roll toward the feed roll to increase the drive force exerted on the sheet. The retard roll is further adapted to detect the occurrence of a multifeed when multiple sheets contact the retard nip.

Abstract: A retard sheet feeder that utilizes a slip clutch with an integral biasing device to separate double fed sheets. A retard roll is provided in circumferential contact with a feed roll to form a drive nip. The retard roll is free to rotate in the feeding direction by the use of a spring that is axially aligned with the roll and allows the roll to slip in the feed direction once a predetermined torque level is reached. The spring may be either internal to the roll or external to the roll. When the drive torque to the retard roll is reduced such as when a double sheet is in the drive nip, the torque is not sufficient to overcome the stored spring energy and the roll is rotated in a reverse direction by the spring to drive the double sheet out of the nip.

Abstract: A printer includes an opening in communication with a tray receptacle for receiving a paper tray. The printer further includes a pick roller assembly; a separator shaft including a first separator roll; an arm structure connecting the pick roller assembly to the separator shaft and enabling a pick action to be imparted to the pick roller assembly; and a feed roller coupled to the separator shaft. A removable media tray is positioned in the tray receptacle, holds a stack of paper sheets and includes a second separator roll and a gear that couples the second separator roll to the separator shaft. A controller causes (i) a rotation of the separator shaft and separator roll in a first direction to enable a paper pick action and to simultaneously rotate the second separator roll to enable a paper sheet separation action, and (ii) a rotation of the separator shaft in a second direction to disable the pick action and to rotate the feed roll to accomplish a paper feed.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding mixed mail in a mailing machine. The apparatus includes: a feed deck for stacking and feeding a plurality of envelopes; a device for urging the lowermost envelope along the feed deck; a feed roller located downstream of the urging device; a restraint belt system located above the feed roller, the downstream end of the belt system defining a feed nip with the feed roller; and an ingestion roller biased against the feed roller upstream of the feed nip.

Abstract: A copy item transport device is used in an image forming apparatus having an image bearing member and a pair of registration rollers before the image bearing member, and includes a separator for regulating multiple copy items to one copy item for each image formation. The separator is constructed by a forward roller being driven in a forward direction of transporting the copy item to the registration roller pair, a reverse roller in contact with the forward roller. The reverse roller is driven in a reverse direction of transporting the copy item backward, but rotatable in the forward direction together with the forward roller when receiving a greater transmitted forward torque from the forward roller than the reverse torque. The reverse drive to the reverse roller is stopped at the same time or after the forward drive to the forward roller is stopped to assure the nip of copy item by the registration roller pair.