Abstract: A recording medium feeding device including: a feeding member that feeds a recording medium; a plate on which the recording medium is placed; a power outputting section that outputs a power for elevating the plate in a direction of pressing the recording medium against the feeding member; and a power transmitting section that transmits the power outputted from the power outputting section to the plate, the power transmitting section being adapted so as not to transmit the power to the plate, when a repulsive force against the power for elevating the plate is larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A sheet supply device including: a device main body; a storage cassette having a stacking portion on which a sheet is loaded; a lifting mechanism that lifts up the stacking portion by using driving power supplied from a driving source; a delivery unit that is disposed above the stacking portion and performs a delivering operation in a contact state with the sheet on the stacking portion lifted up by the lifting mechanism, thereby delivering the sheet to a downstream side in a conveying direction; a control unit that controls the delivering operation of the delivery unit; and a detecting unit that detects whether the sheet is loaded on the stacking portion at a predetermine detecting position above the stacking portion; wherein, when the detecting unit detects that the sheet is in existence, the control unit starts the delivering operation of the delivery unit.

Abstract: Printing sheets (4) are placed on a sheet placing plate (103). A pickup roller (6) contacts a surface of the uppermost printing sheet (4) placed on the sheet placing plate (103) and feeds the printing sheet (4) out of the sheet placing plate (103). A spring (109) resiliently urges the sheet placing plate (103) toward the pickup roller (6). A ratchet (108) moves in accordance with the movement of the sheet placing plate (103). The printing sheets (4) on the sheet placing plate (103) urges the pickup roller (6) upward so that a pickup frame (115) moves upward to a position detected by a position detecting sensor (65). In accordance with the detection signal from the position detecting sensor (65), a solenoid (71) moves a lock lever (110) so that the lock lever (110) engages the ratchet (108) to thereby restrict the movement of the sheet placing plate (103).

Abstract: A bunch sheet media processing system for an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) having improved reliability. A bunch sheet media in-feed device and a validation device are interconnected by a sheet media transport system such that sheet media can be transported between the bunch sheet media in-feed device and the validation device without passing through a bunch media processing device.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a sheet housing unit which houses a recording sheet and which includes an opening portion formed on an upper end side thereof; a cover member configured to open and close the opening portion; a feed roller which feeds the recording sheet housed in the sheet housing unit; a push member provided in the sheet housing unit configured to push the recording sheet housed in the sheet housing unit toward the feed roller while moving between a distal position spaced apart from the feed roller and a proximal position closer to the feed roller than the distal position; a force application mechanism which provides a push force to the push member; and a cooperation mechanism which displaces the push member from the proximal position to the distal position cooperatively with the cover member being opened.

Abstract: A paper cartridge of a printer including a cartridge body to load papers to be picked up, and a friction plate to provide a predetermined friction force to a front end of the papers picked up at the cartridge body. The friction plate is sloped at a predetermined angle in the body so that the friction plate can be moved by being pushed by the front end of the paper.

Abstract: A paper supply device for reliably delivering sheets of paper one at a time from a stock of multiple sheets even when the leading ends of the sheets are not neatly aligned together.

Abstract: An intermittent drive mechanism capable of noise reduction is provided. The intermittent drive mechanism comprises a drive gear, a fragmental gear, a first cam, an operating arm, an operating-arm drive mechanism, and a brake mechanism. The fragmental gear includes a mesh portion, of which teeth arranged in a predetermined region on a circumference mesh with the drive gear, and a non-mesh portion, which is free of teeth in the remaining region on the circumference and so does not mesh with the drive gear. The first cam rotates integrally with the fragmental gear. The operating arm contacts with the first cam to rotate the fragmental gear so as to put the same in a mesh state, in which the mesh portion meshes with the drive gear, from an optional, initial position in a non-mesh state, in which the non-mesh portion faces the drive gear. The operating-arm drive mechanism drives the operating arm upon energization of a solenoid.

Abstract: In the course of sheet feeding by a sheet feeding roller, a depressing arm is depressed by a sheet feeding cam provided coaxially with the sheet feeding roller, whereby a depressing pawl is moved in a direction to be engaged with the stacking plate pawl of an stacking plate and further, with the depressing pawl engaged with the stacking plate pawl, the depressing arm is lowered by a constant amount to thereby depress the stacking plate, whereby irrespective of the amount of stacked sheets, the timing at which the sheets and the sheet feeding roller are spaced apart from each other is always the same and the amount by which the stacking plate is depressed also becomes constant.

Abstract: In a standby state wherein a document is set in a document tray and can be supplied when needed, when a start signal is not inputted (S21: NO), a controller determines whether a document regulating plate has been operated or not based on a detection output of a document size detector for detecting a position of the document regulating plate (S31), and when the document regulating plate was operated (S31: YES), the controller lowers the document tray by a predetermined amount and stops it (S32). A lowered amount of the document tray can be arbitrarily set by a user through an operator control panel. With a sheet feeding apparatus, an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus constituted as described above, even in a state in which the document is set in the document tray, the set state can be easily canceled by operating the document regulating plate.

Abstract: A sheet feeding unit and an image forming apparatus having the same. The image forming apparatus includes a body and the sheet feeding unit to supply sheets into the body. The sheet feeding unit includes a sheet feeding cassette coupled to the body, a sheet lifting plate positioned in the sheet feeding cassette to stack sheets thereon, a pick-up device to feed the sheets piece by piece from the sheet feeding plate, and an adjustment unit to vary a sheet feeding force by which the sheets are fed from the sheet lifting plate. Accordingly, the sheets can be smoothly fed into the body without skewing through adjustment of a sheet feeding force of the pick-up device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a paper feeding cassette to stack a print medium, wherein the paper feeding cassette includes a plate to support the print medium and which elevates substantially straight, and a supporting unit to support the elevation of the plate.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding sheets one-at-a-time along a path is disclosed having: means for storing a plurality of sheets; a feeder/separator comprising feeding means for engaging the sheets and feeding them from the means for storing and a separator for engaging sheets fed by the feeding means to thereby feed single ones of the sheets one-at-a-time along the path whilst remaining sheets not being fed along the path are halted by the separator; and a clearance mechanism for engaging said remaining sheets and removing them from the separator region in a sheet clearance process.

Abstract: A sheet feeder apparatus is controlled for sequentially feeding sheets to a predetermined processing position. A detection signal of a sheet stacked in a rise and lower tray located at a lower limit position is received before receiving a feed signal to start feeding of the sheet. Upon receiving the feed signal to start feeding of the sheet, the rise and lower tray is moved from the lower limit position to an upper limit position, and the sheet is supplied.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes; a recording unit which records on sheet-like recorded media; a cassette housing provided at a lower end of an apparatus casing and which houses a paper feeding cassette which accommodates the recorded media; a bottom plate provided on the lower surface of the cassette housing and which supports at least a part of a lower surface of the paper feeding cassette; an arm body which turns upward and downward according to a stacking amount of the recorded media in the paper feeding cassette; feed rollers arranged at an tip end of the arm body and which rotate while pressing the uppermost surface of the recorded media; and a restricting unit provided on the bottom plate in the apparatus casing and which avoids contact of the feed rollers with the bottom plate when the paper feeding cassette is pulled out of the apparatus casing.

Abstract: A system for feeding and transporting documents includes a feeder stage and a transport stage. Documents are fed singly, in order, from a stack of documents in a hopper assembly. A flag/flag block arrangement provides a force to move the documents along the hopper floor toward the feeder and to feed a document with a presentation force. The flag block includes a horizontal element for concentrating the presentation force at a desired position at the feeder. The horizontal element has sufficient depth away from the feeder such that the documents are essentially free to expand, thereby concentrating the presentation force while reducing drag forces. The flag/flag block arrangement is useful, for example, when the system is used to process envelopes.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes an elastic support member, a following movable member disposed so as to contact an uppermost sheet of a stack of sheets stacked on a sheet tray and can follow and move in accordance with the change in the stacking amount of the sheets, a restraining mechanism that restrains the elastic support member in accordance with the stacking amount of the sheets so that the position of the uppermost sheet is held at a substantial constant, and a release mechanism that interlocks with the movement of the following movable member to release the restrained state. The restraining mechanism includes an engagement member that moves together with the elastic support member and a restraining member that restrains the movement of the engagement member. The restraining member moves along a straight locus at least near an engaging portion to engage with and disengage from the engagement member.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device in which sheets contained in a sheet container detachably attached to an apparatus main body are fed by a sheet feeder, including a sheet support member provided in the sheet container to vertically move while supporting the sheets, a lifter for raising and lowering the sheet support member, a cam member to lower the sheet feeder to bring it into contact with the sheets when the sheets are sent out and to raise the sheet feeder to an upper initial position on standby, a detector for detecting the height of the sheets according to the position at which the sheet feeder abuts against the sheets, and a controller for controlling the raising and lowering operations of the lifter on the basis of the detection result of the height of the sheets as obtained by the detector to maintain the uppermost surface of the sheets at a predetermined height, in which, when the sheet container is accommodated in the apparatus main body, the raising operation of the cam member is canceled by the sheet conta

Abstract: A print media delivery system on a door assembly that is connected to an associated frame is provided. The door assembly includes a door body openable to provide access into an associated frame. A tray is pivotally connected to the door body for receiving associated print media thereon. A pick roller is rotatably mounted to the door body for contacting the associated print media and advancing the associated print media into the associated frame. A gear has a missing teeth section and is connected to the pick roller for corotation therewith. A gear bias system urges the gear to rotate in a first direction when the door body is closed and said tray is open to selectively advance the missing teeth section past an associated drive gear and allow teeth of the gear to engage the associated drive gear when the door body is closed.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus is provided with a pressing arm that presses the separator to a paper feed roller, a document guide that has a pair of guide parts for pressing a document to the paper feed roller, and a spring part that applies spring force to the pressing arm and the document guide. The guide parts are located at both edges of the separator. The document guide guides the document so that the front edge of the document passes over the paper feed roller, and presses the document to the paper feed roller.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cassette for receiving a stack of sheets, with a pressing element which bears against a first end face of the stack of sheets and is movable in the pressing direction, with a drive motor for displacing the pressing element so that a second end face the stack of sheets facing away from the pressing element can be brought to bear against extracting elements of a sheet extracting device, and with a measuring device for determining the pressing force of the stack of sheets against the extracting elements an output signal of the measuring device serving for controlling the drive motor in order to generate a predetermined pressing force. The stack of sheets and the pressing element are arranged in a slide which is accommodated in the cassette movably in the direction of displacement of the pressing element, the pressing element being displaceable with respect to the slide by the drive motor.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding apparatus, provided with a simple-structure and low-cost multifeeding prevention mechanism, comprises a sheet stacker for stacking sheets, a feeding roller for feeding the stacked sheets, a separation roller, rotating according to the feeding roller, for separating the sheet, a separation roller holder for rotatably holding the separation roller and rotating to cause the separation roller to move to a position being in contact with the feeding roller and to a position being released from the feeding roller, and a urge unit for urge the sheet stacker to the feeding roller to cause the stacked sheets to come into contact with the feeding roller, wherein, after the separation roller came into contact with the feeding roller, it causes the stacked sheets to come into contact with the feeding roller.

Abstract: A paper feeding mechanism for automatically adjusting paper supply force includes a swing gear assembly, a lifting plate, and a cam. The swing gear assembly provides a driving force for automatic control, turning the cam to lift or lower the lifting plate and paper, and fine-tuning the lifting force for paper supply to avoid paper miss-feeds or multi-feeds.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a stack monitoring system for an imaging apparatus for monitoring media reserves.

Abstract: In a standby state wherein a document is set in a document tray and can be supplied when needed, when a start signal is not inputted (S21: NO), a controller determines whether a document regulating plate has been operated or not based on a detection output of a document size detector for detecting a position of the document regulating plate (S31), and when the document regulating plate was operated (S31: YES), the controller lowers the document tray by a predetermined amount and stops it (S32). A lowered amount of the document tray can be arbitrarily set by a user through an operator control panel. With a sheet feeding apparatus, an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus constituted as described above, even in a state in which the document is set in the document tray, the set state can be easily canceled by operating the document regulating plate.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus provided with a sheet stacking portion for supporting sheets thereon, a sheet feeding roller for feeding the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, and a manually moving member for selectively moving the sheet stacking portion between a first position in which sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion are brought into pressure contact with the sheet feeding roller and a second position in which the stacked sheets are spaced apart from the sheet feeding roller, the manually moving member being disposed above the sheet stacking portion and in a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction, and an image forming apparatus having the sheet feeding apparatus.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus of an image forming apparatus has a paper setting unit that includes a knock-up plate raising/lowering portion raising and lowering a knock-up plate with respect to a pickup roller, a paper guide slidably formed on the knock-up plate to guide papers in accordance with a paper size, and a finger device portion formed on both sides of the frame to press both corners of a leading end of a paper when the paper is picked up by the pickup roller, thereby causing the papers to be separated and fed sheet by sheet. By providing the finger device portion that presses both corners of the leading end of the paper with a predetermined pressure, the papers can be picked up and fed sheet by sheet, and undesired phenomenon, such as paper jam, and double-, or multi-sheet feed, can be prevented.

Abstract: A rapid prototyping process and apparatus that provides an intermittent material feed type variable-lamination rapid prototyping using a linear thermal cutting system, wherein intermittently fed materials are cut to have variable lengths, widths, and lateral gradients with the 4-axis control-type linear thermal cutting system controlled by a computer, and based on cutting operation data generated in the computer.

Abstract: A printer comprises a feeding device and a printing device. The feeding device has a substrate, a linkage mechanism, a deskewer, a recovery device and a scrubber. The linkage mechanism is disposed on the substrate and has a pallet used to support the media and moving between an initial site and a predetermined site in parallel. The deskewer is used for deskewing the media located on the pallet, the recovery device is disposed on the linkage mechanism, and the scrubber for feeding the media located on the pallet toward the printing device. Once the media is placed between the pallet and the scrubber or gradually delivered to the printing device by the scrubber, the pallet of the linkage mechanism is downwardly or upwardly shifted in parallel by the compressed recovery device.

Abstract: A paper cartridge for a printing apparatus includes a cartridge body; a pressure plate moving upward and downward in the cartridge body; a pick-up roller to pick up the paper stacked on the pressure plate; a spring to elastically bias the pressure plate toward the pick-up roller; a claw unit to support a front end of the paper stacked on the pressure plate and separate the paper picked up by the pick-up roller sheet by sheet; and a cover member pivotably disposed at the paper cartridge, to cover the paper stacked on the pressure plate to prevent the paper from being contaminated with foreign material such as dust.

Abstract: A feeder apparatus for feeding microfilm jackets to a printer, one at a time from a stack of jackets. The feeder apparatus comprises a tray-like housing, a weight assembly and a brake assembly. The weight assembly includes a pair of pivotally mounted weights which rest on the stack of jackets to create friction between the bottom jacket and a printer feed roller. The brake assembly is used to hold back all but the bottom jacket, as the bottom jacket is transported by the printer feed roller.

Abstract: An inexpensive paper folding machine includes a paper feeder that reliably propels sheets one at a time in a downstream direction. The feeder includes a paper supply station that biases a stack of sheets against a pickoff wheel. The pickoff wheel propels the topmost sheet to a gate tip. The gate tip is comprised of a singulator that is biased against the pickoff wheel. A clearance is set between a singulator screw and the singulator. The clearance is greater than the sheet thickness, but less than two times the sheet thickness. As a sheet is propelled by the pickoff wheel from the paper supply station, the sheet leading edge enters the nip between the pickoff wheel and the singulator. The singulator pivots to take up part of the clearance. If a second sheet is propelled with the topmost sheet, the second sheet cannot pass between the nip. The paper folding machine further comprises a skew compensator that compensates for sheets that are misoriented relative to the downstream direction.

Abstract: A document separating mechanism for an Automatic Document Feeder is an elastomer with the features of having a vertical plane and an arc surface, wherein the vertical plane is perpendicular to the main plane and capable of resisting the leading edges of the documents directly or indirectly. The arc surface is a turning plane for joining the vertical plane and the main plane. The document separating mechanism further includes the document guiding incline for making the documents being pressed by the feeding roller and arranged in order initially.

Abstract: A sheet feeder has a sheet tray for storing sheets, a moving bottom plate being disposed on the bottom of the sheet tray for stacking the sheets, the moving bottom plate being elastically urged by an elastic member, a sheet delivery unit having a sheet delivery member being placed in contact with the sheet stored in the sheet tray for delivering the sheets in order from the top through the sheet delivery member, and an interlock mechanism for regulating a move of the moving bottom plate in response to the sheet stack amount so as to keep constant the contact relationship between the top sheet position of the sheets stored in the sheet tray and the sheet delivery member.

Abstract: A high capacity document sheet processor combines significant speed and efficiency enhancing improvements in existing approaches to stack feeding particularly in the stack loading, feeding and singulating functions with novel operational arrangements adaptable to a universal paper handling and envelope inserting system.

Abstract: An automatic paper feeder for an image-scanning device with a pressure-adjustable mechanism for adjusting the paper feeding roller of the automatic paper feeder is disclosed. A pressure from paper sheets stacked on a paper tray of the automatic paper feeder is detected by a paper tray pressure detecting mechanism and transferred to a roller pressure adjusting mechanism to change a pressure between the paper feeding roller and a paper separating plate and adjust a feeding angle of the movable paper tray.

Abstract: A feeder apparatus includes a feed tray for stacking documents, a document detection sensor for detecting the documents on the feed tray, a supply roller for contacting a top surface of the documents on the feed tray and supplying the documents, and a support plate disposed in front of the feed tray for supporting a leading edge of the documents in a feed direction and being able to rise and fall between a lower limit position where the documents are loaded on the feed tray and an upper limit position where the top surface of the documents contacts the supply roller. The support plate is controlled to wait at a standby position below the upper limit position after the documents are loaded on the feed tray and move from the standby position to the upper limit position upon receiving a feed signal to start feeding the documents.

Abstract: A movable sheet separating unit is pushed all the time by a lifting spring in a direction toward a feeding roller. In a non-feeding state, a sheet lifting plate is engaged with an operating fraction so that the movable sheet separating unit is held in a standby position where a separating pad is separated from the feeding roller. In a feeding state, the sheet lifting plate rises and disengages from the operating fraction so that the movable sheets separating unit moves to a pressing position where the separating pad is pressed against the feeding roller. In the pressing position, the separating pad is pressed against the feeding roller via a rotatable support base by a pressing spring, and is displaced by rotation in a direction away from the feeding roller in accordance with a thickness of a sheet S passing through between the separating pad and the feeding roller. Thus, durability of the separating pad can be improved, and a feeder suitable for a fixing type feeding cassette can be provided.

Abstract: A paper feed unit includes a hopper on which sheets are stacked and which is turned around a rotation shaft. The hopper is turned to move apart from or move to a paper feed roller. The paper feed unit has three modes: a large release mode in which the hopper is turned to be most apart from the paper feed roller, a non-release mode in which the printing sheet is abutted against the paper feed roller, and a small release mode in which the printing sheet is slightly separated from the paper feed roller, and is at a medium level between the above two modes. When a paper feeding job is still present, a state that the uppermost printing sheet is slightly separated from the paper feed roller is retained by the small release mode, whereby a swing range of the hopper is minimized.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a sheet support, a feeding rotary member and a separating rotary member. The sheet support, the feeding rotary member, and the separating rotary member are so disposed that an angle formed on a side of the feeding rotary member by intersecting a tangential line of the feeding rotary member at a contacting position between the feeding rotary member and the sheet with a tangential line at the contact portion is an obtuse angle. A conveyance guide is disposed on a side of the separating rotary member with respect to the contact portion for guiding the sheet fed to the feeding rotary member to the contact portion, the conveyance guide having a projection guide for projecting the contact portion on an upstream side in the sheet conveyance direction of the contact portion more toward the side of the feeding rotary member than a guide surface of the contact portion.

Abstract: A paper feeding roller is provided in the vicinity of a first widthwise end of a transporting path extending to a recording apparatus. A hopper, for stacking a plurality of sheets of paper, includes an aligning face, on which leading ends of the stacked sheets are abutted to be aligned with each other. The aligning face is narrowed from a first side end thereof to a second side end thereof. Here, the first side end is in the vicinity of the first widthwise end of the transporting path, and the second side end is in the vicinity of a second widthwise end of the transporting path. The hopper includes a guide face provided on the first side end of the aligning face so as to extend parallel with the transporting path.

Abstract: A credit card stacker holding up to a predetermined number of cards in a lower section. Cards are supplied by a separator mechanism from the upper section of the card stacker, as they are depleted from the lower section by the issuing mechanism. The separator mechanism supports one edge of a card in the upper section only while the other edge of the card is supported by a predetermined number of cards in the lower section. When the number of cards in the lower section drops below the predetermined number, the separator allows cards to drop to the lower section.

Abstract: A credit card stacker holding up to a predetermined number of cards in a lower section. Cards are supplied by a separator mechanism from the upper section of the card stacker, as they are depleted from the lower section by the issuing mechanism. The separator mechanism supports one edge of a card in the upper section only while the other edge of the card is supported by a predetermined number of cards in the lower section. When the number of cards in the lower section drops below the predetermined number, the separator allows cards to drop to the lower section.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device for printers and other machines comprises a movable support (17) whereon a stack of sheets may be arranged and resiliently urged against selection wheels (19). A retracting mechanism (50) is arranged so as to push back during one phase of a selection cycle the movable support (7) by a predetermined distance which is substantially constant and independent of the thickness of the stack of sheets. The retracting mechanism (50) for this purpose comprises a connecting rod (58) displaced by a cam wheel (66) following a backward and forward movement. The connecting rod (58) bears a pawl (57) cooperating with a ratchet wheel (56) suitable for driving a lever (51) integral with the movable support (17). Additionally an actuating mechanism permits the partial opening of the guiding channel (28) when the sheet arrives in a printing zone (35).

Abstract: An arrangement for feeding documents piecemeal from a document bundle (9) comprises a banknote separator (200) which includes two mutually biased rollers (4,6) that are driven by a drive motor (1) that also drives a dispensing roller (3) which functions to dispense documents from the bundle. The rollers (4,6) of the roll pair are rotationally coupled together via a freewheeling hub. The second roller (6) does not rotate during dispensing of a document. Upon completion of a dispensing operation, the drive direction of the motor (1) is reversed, so as to bring the second roller (6) to a new angular position.

Abstract: An envelope hopper having a plurality of bottom rods to form a supporting surface for supporting a stack of envelopes and a paddle to push the envelopes towards an envelope feeder at the downstream end. A scrub wheel is rotatably mounted on a fixed, rotation axis on the paddle and is in contact with one of the bottom rods. The rotation axis of the scrub wheel is oriented at an angle relative to the rotation axis of the contacting rod, so that when the contacting rod rotates, it causes the scrub wheel to rotate, thereby producing a force on the paddle urging the paddle to move towards the downstream end. Preferably, the envelope hopper has a side rod on one side of the envelope stack, and the supporting surface is tilted from the horizontal surface, so that the envelopes are moved towards the side rod by gravity in order to register against the side rod. Preferably, the side rod also rotates in order to reduce the friction between the envelope stack and the side rod.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for picking media in inkjet printers using a non-linear system, so that only a single sheet of media is drawn into the printer for printing. Inkjet printers operate by drawing media into the printer for printing. Two coil springs, arranged in parallel, support the pressure plate to bring media stack in contact with the pick roller. At full media stack, both coils are compressed; at low media stack, only one spring is compressed, the other is uncompressed, thus providing sufficient contact pressure between media and pick roller.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for controlling the presentation of articles to the singulation head of a system for singulating a stack of edge-mounted articles, for example mixed mail, which mechanism senses the instantaneous pressure at which the lead article of the stack is pressed against the singulation head. A feedback control may be provided responsive to a difference between detected instantaneous pressure and a desired target pressure for controlling at least one drive member in a manner so as to reduce such difference. Where there is a pick window of instantaneous pressure at which singulation can be effectively performed, a control may also be provided to inhibit operation of the singulation head when the instantaneous pressure is outside the pick window.

Abstract: A paper accommodating assembly for an office machine is provided in the invention. The paper accommodating assembly includes a first paper accommodating device for accommodating paper sheets to be processed by the office machine and a second paper accommodating device for accommodating paper sheets being processed by the office machine. In particular, feeding path of the paper sheets accommodated by the second paper accommodating device is established or blocked in response to the movement of the first paper accommodating device. The paper accommodating assembly of the invention can reduce space occupied by the office machine and avoid paper jam due to the closing of the first paper accommodating device.

Abstract: The picking roller successively picks a plurality of sheets of paper stacked on the shooter from the bottom of the paper stack. The gate extends substantially perpendicular to a paper transport direction and forms a predetermined clearance between the picking roller. The separation pad is disposed in sliding contact with the outer circumferential surface of the picking roller and adapted to draw inside a single sheet of paper. The picking arm is driven to move to an upper position when sheets of paper are placed on the shooter, and to a lower position when the sheets of paper are fed in order to press the sheets of paper placed on the shooter toward the outer circumferential surface of the picking roller. The paper guide is disposed above the picking roller and has an opening and a bridge portion. The bridge portion extends across the opening and is fitted in a circumferential groove formed in an axially center portion of the picking roller.