Abstract: An image forming apparatus of embodiments includes an accommodation unit and a notification unit. The accommodation unit accommodates both of a paper bundle and a packaging member therein in a state in which at least one of the paper bundle and the packaging member used to package the paper bundle satisfies predetermined conditions. The notification unit performs a notification of guidance on the predetermined conditions.

Abstract: Needle gripper features a gripper unit with a gripping surface facing a workpiece to grip, and a needle carriage with a gripping needle. The needle carriage moves into an active position extending the gripping needle beyond the gripping surface by one needle stroke depth, and in a passive position retracting the gripping needle, and features a drive unit with a drive actuator driven forward/backward along a drive direction that couples to the needle carriage so it moves into the passive/active positions by driving the drive actuator forward/backward. A setting device for setting the needle stroke depth includes a guide carriage displaceable perpendicularly to the drive direction along a guide direction, and a stop for the guide carriage. The drive actuator couples via connection arm to the guide carriage so when the drive actuator moves backward, the guide carriage moves in the direction toward the stop, which prevents further backwards movement.

Abstract: A conveyer magazine-type empty bag supplying apparatus including an empty bag separator for separating the topmost empty bag from a set of empty bags and feeding it forward, a positioning stopper for the front end of the fed-out empty bag coming into touch therewith, ratchet wheels coming into contact with the empty bag fed by the empty bag separator and feeding the bag forward, causing the bag to come into touch with the positioning stopper, and an empty bag suction members for adhering to and picking up the bag positioned by the positioning stopper. The ratchet wheels are provided on pivoting arms so as to be oscillatingly moved between its delivery position and its retracted position. The delivery position is between the positioning stopper and the empty bag suction members and the retracted position is on the front side which is beyond the stop surface of the positioning stopper.

Abstract: An automatic teller machine (ATM) may include a medium transfer portion to transfer paper mediums from a paper medium storage portion storing the paper mediums, a carrier position adjustment portion rotatably mounted at a rear end of the carrier transfer portion, to which a medium carrier stacking and carrying the paper mediums transferred along the medium transfer portion is rotatably mounted, and a sheet roller portion rotatably mounted between the medium carrier and the carrier position adjustment portion to transfer the paper mediums on the medium transfer portion into the medium carrier by a rotational operation and to align the paper mediums stored in the medium carrier, wherein the sheet roller portion contacts the paper medium such that a greater frictional force is generated at a middle area than an outer area when transferring the paper mediums on the medium transfer portion into the medium carrier or when aligning the paper mediums stored in the medium carrier.

Abstract: In a sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus of the present invention having stable performance without occurrence of double-feeding and non-feeding regardless of a type of sheet, a sheet holding portion which distorts a sheet as restricting sheet movement in a sheet drawing direction by pressing the upper face of sheets stacked on a bottom plate of a sheet cassette is disposed to the downstream in the sheet drawing direction of a feeding roller which is capable of performing forward and reverse rotation and a sheet holding position by the sheet holding portion is set to be closer to the feeding roller with decrease of sheet stiffness.

Abstract: A feeding device includes a tray for stacking sheet-like conveyance-target media, a first pressing unit, and a second pressing unit. The first and second pressing units face and apply a first and second pressing force, respectively, on a circumferential surface of a pick roller so that a first contact area and a second contact area overlap each other. The first pressing unit includes a first pressing unit separation roller, and the first contact area is defined wherein the first pressing unit and the pick roller make contact with each other. The second contact area is defined wherein the second pressing unit and the pick roller make contact with each other such that the first contact area and the second contact appear to partly overlap each other when viewed from an axial direction of the pick roller.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus separating a media combination from a stack of interleaved slip-sheets and printing plates and relates to image recording systems such as, for example, computer-to-plate (CTP) systems. Image recording systems include imaging systems that image an image recordable material in response to imaging information. Image recordable materials can include, for example, printing plates. Image recording systems can include integrated systems that additionally process the image forming materials. Additional processing can include, but is not limited to materials punching, materials bending, exposure to non-imaging radiation, chemical development and materials drying. The present invention relates to a materials handling system that separates a media combination from a media stack that includes image recordable materials. A slip-sheet separates each of the image recordable materials from one another in the media stack.

Abstract: A sheet bundle printer includes a platen roller facing a sheet bundle having peelably adhered multiple sheets of sheet and pulling up an uppermost sheet thereof, a print head feeding the sheet and performing printing thereon while peeling it off with the platen roller, a platen moving device reciprocally moving the platen roller between a pull up position and a print position, and a control device controlling the platen roller, the platen moving device and the print head, and executing a print processing operation including operations of pull up, platen upward movement, print and feed, and platen downward movement. The control device sets a state where the platen roller is located at a predetermined intermediate position in a path from the pull up position to a non-contact position immediately before the print position, to an operation start position of the print processing operation and executes the operation from that position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus separating a media combination from a stack of interleaved slip-sheets and printing plates and relates to image recording systems such as, for example, computer-to-plate (CTP) systems. Image recording systems include imaging systems that image an image recordable material in response to imaging information. Image recordable materials can include, for example, printing plates. Image recording systems can include integrated systems that additionally process the image forming materials. Additional processing can include, but is not limited to materials punching, materials bending, exposure to non-imaging radiation, chemical development and materials drying. The present invention relates to a materials handling system that separates a media combination from a media stack that includes image recordable materials. A slip-sheet separates each of the image recordable materials from one another in the media stack.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a pick roller and a resilient element disposed above the pick roller. The pick roller has a roller surface. The resilient element includes two side resilient arms and a center resilient arm located between the two side resilient arms. Free ends of the two side resilient arms are pushed forward by all sheets when the sheets arrive between the free ends of the two side resilient arms and the roller surface. A free end of the center resilient arm faces the roller surface of the pick roller and maintains a gap therebetween. When too many pieces of paper are drawn forward to the resilient element, the side resilient arms are pushed forward further more, the uppermost paper contacts the center resilient arm. The center resilient arm cooperates with the side resilient arms to provide the paper a pressure big enough to be conveyed forward.

Abstract: A gripping unit for gripping a paper from a top surface of a stack includes a first and a second friction wheel having rotation axes that are mainly parallel with respect to each other. The friction wheels are arranged to exert a friction force on sections of a paper. Further, the gripping unit comprises an actuator on which the first friction wheel is mounted for moving the first friction wheel towards the second friction wheel. The first friction wheel is arranged to rotate with respect to its axis during the movement towards the second friction wheel such that a paper section on which the first wheel exerts the friction force is forced into the direction of the second friction wheel.

Abstract: A value sheet handling apparatus comprises an actuating mechanism for exerting pressure onto a value sheet so as to move the value sheet, and further comprises detecting means to detect movement of the value sheet with respect to the actuating mechanism, wherein if the detecting means ascertains that the value sheet has not been moved by the actuating mechanism the pressure exerted Onto die flexible media is increased until motion of the value sheet is detected. Additionally or alternatively, the pressure is varied in dependence on the type of the value sheet. The value sheet is dispensed from a stack by buckling the sheet, the rest of the stack being gripped in the area exposed by the buckling of the sheet.

Abstract: A substrate manager for a substrate exposure machine is used, in one example, as a platesetter. As such, it comprises a substrate storage system, containing one or more stacks of substrates, such as plates in one implementation. A substrate picker is provided for picking substrates from the stack of substrates. The substrates are then handed to a transfer system that conveys the substrates to an imaging engine. According to the invention, a substrate inverter system is also provided. This system inverts the substrates from being imaging or emulsion side down to emulsion side up in the present implementation. This allows plates, for example, which are stored emulsion side down in cassettes to be flipped to an emulsion side up orientation, and then transferred, using the substrate transfer system to the imaging engine. This flipping process has two advantages. First, the plates can be emulsion side up during the transfer. This prevents any damage to the sensitive plate emulsions.

Abstract: A paper feeding cassette for an image forming apparatus includes an inclined supporter including an inclined plate fixedly disposed in a cassette body and a support plate for reciprocating, a separation guide including a fixing guide fixedly supported on the inclined plate and a moving guide movably supported on the support plate, and a reciprocating unit reciprocating the support plate. Accordingly, the moving guide selectively comes into contact with a sheet such that a friction resistance generated at a front end of the sheet varies in a degree in accordance with a type of the sheet.

Abstract: A media feed mechanism includes a picking device, a first feedroller and a second feedroller. The picking device picks a sheet of media from a media source. The first feedroller moves the sheet of media along a feed media path. During a skew correction phase, the first feedroller rolls in a forward direction feeding the sheet of media forward and the second feedroller turns in a reverse direction preventing the sheet of media from progressing past a nip of the second feedroller. This results in skew correction. After skew correction is performed, the second feedroller turns in the forward direction advancing the sheet of media for printing.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing flexible media such as cut sheets (1) from a stack has a rotatable separating member (4) which engages and reverse buckles one end of the top sheet (2) so that that end is lifted away from the stack and positioned between transport rollers (9, 10). The transport rollers (9, 10) are driven independently from the separating member (4) so that multiple sheets may be separated from the stack before being transported. The frictional engagement between the separating member (4) and the stack varies as the separating member rotates, so that only one sheet is separated with each rotation. The center of the top sheet (2) is held against the stack by a holding member (3) so that the top sheet buckles only over part of its length.

Abstract: A method for dismantling a stack (1) of flat objects (2, 3) piece by piece, in which the top object (2) of the stack (1) is moved in its plane, gripped at its freed edge and removed from the stack (1). The top object (2) is moved against a stop (5), at least in the region of one of its corners (2b), by a movable separating element (6, 6′) and, as a result of further movement, is bent in such a way that it escapes from the stop (5) and is moved out of the stack (1). The invention further relates to an apparatus for dismantling a stack (1) of flat objects (2, 3) piece by piece.

Abstract: A paper discharge device has a first conveyance path having an input port through which paper is introduced, a second conveyance path having a discharge port through which the paper is discharged, and a third conveyance path. A paper feeding mechanism feeds the paper through the first, second and third conveyance paths. A paper storage space temporarily stores the paper to prevent removal of the paper from the discharge port prior to completion of a paper cutting operation or a paper printing operation.

Abstract: A device (10) for feeding sheets from a ream (22) comprising a main feeding roller (24) subdivided into a plurality of sleeves (32) which rotate in contact with an uppermost sheet (23a), coming from the ream, to feed it along a path (30), and an auxiliary separating roller (26) adapted for separating the uppermost sheet (23a) from the other sheets of the ream (22), wherein the feeding and separating rollers (24, 26) are both arranged on the same side with respect to said path (30) and therefore rotate in contact with one and the same side of the uppermost sheet (23a). The separating roller (26) is accommodated in a central seat (34) made between the sleeves (32) of the main feeding roller (24) and is arranged prevalently inside the radial working envelope of the sleeves (32) of the main feeding roller (24), so that the feeding device (10) has an extremely compact structure.

Abstract: A grapple device for grasping, holding and releasing an object having a deformable cover material such as sacks and bags, has a mounting bracket and two rollers. The rollers are pushed toward each other by the force of at least one spring. When the rollers are powered to spin, the inward spinning of the rollers causes the sack material to be dragged in between the rollers due to friction between the surfaces of the rollers and the sack material. The spring pushes the rollers toward each other with sufficient force to hold the sack material in place between the rollers. The grapple device also includes a holding mechanism to engage at least one of the rollers and prevent rotation of the roller when engaged, so that when sack material is located in the inter-roller region and the holding mechanism is engaged, the contact between the sack material and rollers causes the sack to be held by the grapple device.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing slip sheets from printing plates has two concentric cylinders that are mutually rotatable about a common axis. Suction exerted via two elongated slots separates a deformable sheet from a relatively rigid object to which it is adhered. The deformable sheet is drawn into a recess presented by the two aligned slots. The concentric cylinders are then rotated to grip the deformable sheet between opposing edges of the slots.

Abstract: A device for preventing a slip-down of sheets of paper contained in an automatic sheet feeding section obliquely mounted in an ink jet printer is provided. The device includes a buckler body having a plate in contact with a bottom of sheets loaded in the automatic sheet feeding section, a guide projection formed at one side of an upper surface of the buckler body for jumping up a sheet located at the top of the loaded sheets, and at least one or more jack buckler having a plurality of teeth each having a slide side and a threshold side, the slide side guiding the sheet located at the top loaded sheets while the threshold side holds remaining sheets beneath the sheet guided by the slide side.

Abstract: A sheet separating device having a mechanism for buckling or humping a top sheet of a stack and thereby separating the top sheet from an underlying sheet that may be adhering to the underside of said top sheet.

Abstract: The invention provides a grapple device and a method for manipulating, i.e., grabbing, holding and releasing objects. The grapple comprises two parallel rollers with gripping surfaces, where the rollers are pushed towards each other with sufficient force to hold a graspable portion of a deformable object. When the grapple comes onto contact with any portion of the deformable object, a signal activates a set of gears causing the rollers to rotate in opposing directions so that a graspable portion of the object is dragged between the rollers. When sufficient material is caught between the rollers, a signal activates a brake automatically stopping the rotation of the rollers, whereby the rollers then hold the graspable portion of the object allowing the object to be moved to a desired location. When the object is properly located, a signal is generated which causes the rollers to rotate in the opposite direction to release the object.

Abstract: An object of the paper sheet feed mechanism of the present invention is to provide a paper sheet feed mechanism in which delivery of paper sheets is stable. The paper sheet feed mechanism comprises a feed roller conveying paper money to the right direction of the drawing, a spring pressing the feed roller against the paper money, a sensor detecting the press force that the paper money receives by being pressed by the feed roller, a push-up board pushing up the paper money, and a control section regulating the height of the push-up board based on the detection result by the sensor, and also comprises a pick roller conveying the paper sheet at a conveyance speed faster than a conveyance speed by the feed roller.

Abstract: A non-planar single sheet separator wall preferably inclined at about 25° C. from the vertical away from a paper stack first engages the side corners of the leading edge of a sheet of paper or other media picked from the top of the generally horizontal or downwardly inclined stack by a roller or pusher and causes the corners of the sheet to first curl upwardly along the wall before the central portion of the leading edge of the sheet engages the central portion of the separator wall. The separator wall configuration substantially eliminates downward curling of one or both leading corners of a sheet which is purposely upwardly bowed by an elastomeric pad near the center of the separator wall to reduce multi-sheet picks and separator jams.

Abstract: In order to securely prevent or detect overlap feeding of sheet materials, there is provided a sheet material feeding mechanism which deforms the sheet materials on a feeding line so as to form a gap between the overlapping sheet materials which firmly cling to each other. For preventing the overlap feeding of the sheets, the drive relationship between a feeding roller and a pair of a parting roller and a retarding roller located on the downstream side from the feeding roller is optimized to form the gap between the sheet materials. Further, for detecting the overlap feeding of the sheets, bending correction ribs are provided on guide plates formed on the upper and lower sides of the feeding line of the sheet materials so as to deform the sheet materials fed in the overlapping condition, thereby the gap is formed between the overlapping sheets.

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 device for preventing a slip-down of sheets of paper contained in an automatic sheet feeding section obliquely mounted in an ink jet printer is provided. The device includes a buckler body having a plate in contact with a bottom of sheets loaded in the automatic sheet feeding section, a guide projection formed at one side of an upper surface of the buckler body for jumping up a sheet located at the top of the loaded sheets, and at least one or more jack buckler having a plurality of teeth each having a slide side and a threshold side, the slide side guiding the sheet located at the top loaded sheets while the threshold side holds remaining sheets beneath the sheet guided by the slide side.

Abstract: An improved front type of automatic paper feeding apparatus having a paper aligning device for preventing a skewing of a paper to be fed.

Abstract: The holding elements (28), designed as hook-gripper elements (26), are driven in a circulating manner by means of a drive arrangement (44) in a plane at right angles to a stack (16) of printed products that have back margins (20). In the takeover section (46), the cantilever arm (36) of a hook-gripper element (26) comes to bear against the back margin (20) of the topmost printed product (14) of the stack (16). The hook-gripper element is then guided in a sliding manner on the printed product (14) in the direction of a stop, until the hook mouth (38) of the hook-gripper element (26) has seized the back margin (20). From the takeover section up to the transfer of the printed product (14) separated in this way from the stack (16), the direction of movement of the hook-gripper element (26) has a component toward the stop and a component away from the stack (16).

Abstract: A system and method for feeding paper into an image forming device which allows sheets of paper to be manually fed without becoming jammed. The paper feeding cassette uses one or more corner separators which hold down the corner(s) of the paper in the cassette while a feed roller rotates. The rotation of the feed roller in combination with the corner separators causes one sheet of paper to be removed from the paper cassette. During a manual feed operation in which a user manually feeds a single sheet of paper, a guide plate deflects the manually fed sheet of paper above the corner separators, thus preventing the sheet of paper from becoming jammed under the corner separators.

Abstract: Paper moving rollers, for use in printer or duplicating machines, particularly those using an autocompensating feed system, are disclosed. These rollers have a long effective life and provide reliable single feed of paper while minimizing double and multiple feeds. The rollers are made from a rubber composition comprising isoprene rubber, at least one ozone-resistant rubber, such as EPDM, and a rubber curing system substantially soluble in the rubber mixture. The process for moving paper in a printer or duplicating machine using these rollers is also disclosed.

Abstract: A sheet feeder system for a sheet-fed printing press includes a device for causing a sheet pile to sag at least partly in at least an upper region thereof, and at least two contact elements disposed in mutually spaced-apart relationship on an upper side of the sheet pile and having respective contact surfaces for pressing against the upper side of the sheet pile at least partly or temporarily, at least one of the contact elements being drivable so as to move the respective contact surfaces pressing against the upper side of the sheet pile towards and away from one another, respectively, for forming an interspace between the uppermost sheet of the sheet pile and a sheet immediately therebelow, and a method for individually separating sheets.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus includes a sheet supply roller provided at its periphery with a cylindrical portion for supplying a sheet and a cut-out portion having a radial distance smaller than a radius of the cylindrical portion, a friction separator moving toward and away from the sheet supply roller to separate sheets one by one when it is contacted by the cylindrical portion of the sheet supply roller, and a biasing mechanism for biasing the friction separator toward the sheet supply roller. In addition, a rotation controller stops the sheet supply roller so that the cut-out portion is opposed to the friction separator when the feeding of the sheet effected by the sheet supply roller is finished, and a guide is arranged for pinching the sheet, which is fed out by a force smaller than a pinching force for pinching the sheet between the cylindrical portion and the friction separator, between the friction separator and the guide when the sheet supply roller is stopped by the rotation controller.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for sewing the crotch portion of a pair of aligned blanks of limp fabric and stacking the sewn blanks which comprises robots (10 and 20) located one on each side of an operator. Each of the robots (10 and 20) is capable of gripping and removing a limp fabric blank from an associated stack of blanks and transporting the blanks to an operator. The robots (10 and 20) have arms (26) capable of axial movement and movement in a vertical plane and additionally capable of rotating about their axes through an angle of 180.degree.. At least one of the robots (10,20) is capable of rotation about a vertical axis, effecting horizontal movement of the arm (26). The apparatus also comprises a sewing head (30) for sewing the crotch portion of the pair of aligned blanks, and a blank support/transfer carriage (41) adjacent the sewing head mounted for horizontal movement in a direction substantially parallel with the direction of sewing.

Abstract: A gear train (1) pivoted (11) around its drive gear (3) rotates a drive roller (13) with increasing pressure until the top sheet of paper (15) is moved. The corner buckler (19) is moved around a pivot (25) under the paper tray to drive the buckler into the paper stack. A bottom roller (27) permits the drive roller to rotate when the tray is empty. To reduce the angular variation of the gear train, its pivot point may be lowered by positioning it to the side of the tray. The assembly adjusts automatically to correct feeding variations.

Abstract: A corner buckle feeder has a singulation roller and feed roller for initially separating and feeding glossy paper. The front corners of a sheet stack are unsupported in order to minimize the intersheet frictional forces that are influenced by temperature and humidity. The axis of the singulation roller is disposed at an angle with respect to an edge adjacent to the lead edge of the top sheet. The singulation roller drives the adjacent edge inward and the top sheet deforms along the leading edge to form a buckle.

Abstract: To separate sheet-type recording media of different stiffnesses from a stack, a separating roller acts by friction on the current first sheet of the stack, in order to push it against a ramp and lift it up from the stack along this ramp. The separating roller is mounted in freely movable manner in a plane parallel to the plane of the stack, so that, as a function of the stiffness of the recording medium, it rolls over the stack and away from the ramp until the front edge of the sheet is able to bend sufficiently at the ramp to be separated. Thereby the separating roller adjusts automatically to the distance from the ramp that is optimum for the stiffness of the current recording media.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting device for supporting sheets, a supply device for feeding the sheets supported by the sheet supporting device in a sheet feeding direction, a separating claw device for separating, one-by-one, the sheets fed by the supply device by regulating at least one front corner of the sheets relative to the sheet feeding direction. A switching device selectively switches positions of the separating claw device between a first position where the separating claw device is separated from the sheet supporting device and a second position where the separating claw device is adjacent to the sheet supporting device. A separation device separates, one-by-one, the sheets fed by the supply device in a condition that the separating claw device is in the second position.

Abstract: A single sheet supplier from a plurality of sheets inserted to reach a pair of inclined corner tabs past a resiliently restrained and under a roller. The roller is selectively rotated to force a paper sheet in contact therewith past the pair of inclined corner tabs which partially and temporarily block the progress of the sheet corners thereby causing them initially to buckle and then snap forward to separate the sheet engaged by the rollers from the remainder of the stack.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved fabric picking device having a circumferentially toothed picking wheel carried at one end by an elongated inner frame, a shoe adjacent thereto carried by an outer frame, the inner and outer frames being hingedly connected for limited relative movement at their ends opposite the wheel and shoe, of the wheel being responsive independently to controlled spring pressure such that the gap for receiving and pinching fabric between wheel and shoe is rendered self-adjusting for an infinitely variable range of fabric thickness.

Abstract: A sheet separating device for removing an uppermost sheet of an adhesive pad containing a plurality of such sheets includes a housing; a support plate for holding the pad, resiliently biased in an upward direction. A sheet separator mechanism is movable in forward and reward directions, includes a frame, a pick wheel mounted for rotation within the frame, and a knife blade having a closed periphery opening therein defined in part by at least one entry projection, wherein the pick wheel is located ahead of the at least one entry projection of the knife blade in the forward direction such that, in use, the pick wheel lifts an edge of the uppermost sheet extending transverse to the forward direction, and the at least one entry projection of the knife blade then moves between the uppermost sheet and a next underlying sheet as the uppermost sheet passes through the closed periphery opening.

Abstract: A device for picking up a top layer of limp sheet material from a lay-up of sheet material includes a head assembly including a pair of rollers between which the top layer is retainably gripped and a double-acting cylinder for lifting the head assembly, with the top layer held thereby, to an elevated condition above the remainder of the lay-up. The device compensates for the reduction in the height of the lay-up as the layers are singularly picked up from the layer and includes a controller for automatically controlling the sequencing of operations of the device.

Abstract: A printer apparatus having a sheet feeding roller which rotates in the forward direction only when the platen rotates in the reversed direction, and a auxiliary sheet feeding roller rotating in the forward direction both when the platen rotates in the forward direction and when it rotates in the reverse direction, when the platen rotates in the forward direction, the printing sheet is nipped at a predetermined amount between the platen and the driven roller, and thereafter while the platen is rotated in the reverse direction sufficient for pushing the thus nipped sheet back while the auxiliary sheet feeding roller rotates in the forward direction to eliminate an undesirable skew, whereby the printing sheet is bent being pushed in front and in rear, and thereafter the platen is rotated in the forward direction again, to transport the printing sheet to a printing start position.

Abstract: An apparatus 10 is employed for controllably separating a top sheet of paper 52 from a stack of paper 50 and delivering this top sheet of paper 52 to a printer. A rubber wheel 26 is maneuvered into contact with the top sheet of paper 52 and is rotated in a first direction to urge the top sheet of paper 52 toward a rear surface of a tray 12 in which the stack of paper is positioned. The top sheet of paper 52 contacts the rear surface and bows upward, away from a remaining portion of the stack of paper 50. This bowing action serves to separate the top sheet of paper 52 from the sheets of paper immediately below it. Thus, once the top sheet of paper 52 is separated, the diretion of rotation of the rubber wheel 26 is reversed so as to remove the top sheet of paper 52 and deliver it to the printer.

Abstract: The top sheet is separated and removed from a paper sheet stack by a paper feed mechanism which is selectively movable downwardly toward the stack. As the feed mechanism downwardly approaches the stack, a foot portion of the mechanism frictionally contacts the top sheet and is upwardly pivoted by the stationary paper stack. Upward pivoting of the foot portion causes it to frictionally shift the top sheet in a first horizontal direction relative to the rest of the sheets. A drive wheel portion of the feed mechanism, supported for conjoint pivoting with the foot portion about its pivot axis, then frictionally engages the shifted top sheet in place of the foot portion. In response to the upward pivoting of the foot portion, a driven gear supported for pivotal movement therewith and rotationally locked to the drive wheel portion is caused to mesh with a drive gear operative to rotate the driven gear and thus the drive wheel portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for picking an uppermost sheet from a stack of sheets, having a rotatable take-up roller for pressing the stack to separate an uppermost sheet, a support member for supporting the take-up roller, and a drive mechanism for moving said support member. The apparatus further includes a guide member for guiding the support member in a outward direction, and an elastic retainer plate having one end secured to the guide member. The drive mechanism, responsive to the movement of the support member, is also used to rotate the take-up roller. The take-up roller and the retainer plate cooperate to clamp the separated sheet therebetween, for gripping and separating the sheet from its stack.

Abstract: A self-contained duplex/simplex feeder module adapted to be used for both top and bottom sheet feeding for simplex and duplex copying includes a pair of feed-in rolls with one of the rolls serving as a feed-out roll when top sheet feeding is required. A static eliminator is also included to enhance the feeding of sheets for duplexing as is a false bottom used for top sheet feeding and normal force device for bottom sheet feeding.

Abstract: A pick mechanism for sheet feeding apparatus of a type in which the top sheet of a stack of media is separated from the remainder of the stack by pick movement to engage and lift the rear end of the top sheet from the remainder of the stack for subsequent separation and feeding from the stack, and including means for lifting the pick independently of elevating movement caused by engagement of the pick with a sheet. The pick lifting arrangement operates to lift the pick in the event of a failure thereof to engage the rear edge of a sheet and also to gently lower the pick back onto the next successive top sheet in the stack to be fed. A detector system is provided by which the conditions of sheet feed due to pick movement are detected and used to control driving components associated with the apparatus.