Abstract: A medium supply apparatus includes: a placement mount on which a plurality of media are placed; a transportation mechanism that transports an uppermost medium of the plurality of media placed on the placement mount; and an aspiration mechanism that aspirates air to attract the uppermost medium to the transportation mechanism, wherein the aspiration mechanism includes a blocking means for blocking air aspiration performed by the aspiration mechanism, in such a manner as to prevent another medium of the plurality of media that is located below the uppermost medium from being attracted to the transportation mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device has a mounting portion allowing a stack of sheets to be mounted in a top-bottom direction, a suction/transportation portion provided above the mounting portion for attracting a first sheet positioned on top of the stack, and a blowing portion for blowing air to a foremost edge of the first sheet in a transportation direction while the first sheet is being attracted by the suction/transportation portion, thereby separating the first sheet from a second sheet next to the first sheet. After the first sheet is separated from the second sheet, the suction/transportation portion transports the first sheet in the transportation direction. The suction/transportation portion sets a suction force applied to the foremost edge of the first sheet smaller when the blowing portion blows air to the first sheet than when the suction/transportation portion transports the first sheet.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for implementing more consistent vacuum belt transport movement for the transport of image receiving media in image forming devices, and for the transport of packages and components for processing and storage in myriad transport belt systems employing vacuum plenums to support and secure the materials being transported on the vacuum belts. A high-velocity stream of forced air is provided in a plenum positioned between the vacuum belt and the underlying structural components to create an area of low pressure to hold the media to the opposite side of the vacuum belt. The high-velocity air layer not only creates a pressure differential to support the vacuum pressure, but also provides an air bearing below the vacuum belt between the vacuum belt and the underlying structural components to allow the vacuum belt to move easily over the underlying structural components.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes an air blower adapted to blow air onto an end face of a stacked sheet bundle to thereby float the sheets of the sheet bundle, a conveying section adapted to convey the uppermost floated sheet, a brightness measuring section adapted to measure brightness of light reflected from the end face of the sheet bundle at two or more points in the height direction of the sheet bundle, a determination unit adapted to determine, based on the brightness of each point measured by the brightness measuring section, whether or not the air blowing amount of the air blower is appropriate, and a controller adapted to control the air blowing amount of the air blower based on the determination of the determination unit.

Abstract: A sheet cutting device includes a cutter including opposed blades to cut a sheet fed along a sheet feed path to the device, a cutter holder holding the cutter and reciprocally movable in a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed, and a guide member including a first path to guide the holder in the width direction of the sheet to cut the sheet with the cutter and a second path to guide the holder in the width direction after the sheet is cut. The second path is disposed away from the first path in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet feed direction and the width direction of the sheet. When the holder moves along the second path, the holder is retracted away from the sheet feed path in the thickness direction of the sheet.

Abstract: In the invention, after the last sheet is conveyed from a paper feed tray, the paper feed tray is lifted up so that the paper feed tray is brought into contact with a suction belt. An elastic cleaning member that removes paper particles, or the like, is installed at an area of the paper feed tray where the paper feed tray is in contact with the suction belt. The suction belt is driven while the cleaning member is in contact with the suction belt. The paper particles, or the like, removed from the suction belt by the cleaning member are collected in a paper-particle collecting device from a vacuum chamber via a vacuum duct.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a supply mechanism is provided. The supply mechanism supplies accumulated paper sheets to a takeout position sequentially. A takeout belt having adsorption hole runs along a surface of the takeout position. An opening of a negative pressure chamber is arranged so as to face the takeout belt. A suction unit sucks air existing at the takeout position via the opening and the adsorption holes. The suction unit causes a negative pressure to act on each of the paper sheets so that each is adsorbed onto an adsorption surface of the takeout belt. The suction unit has an air supply port to supply air into the negative pressure chamber. The air supply port is arranged so that the air supplied via the air supply port is directed to a position and in a direction different from those of the opening.

Abstract: A feeding device includes: a sheet material housing configured to allow a plurality of sheet materials to be stacked; an upper surface suction unit that sucks a top sheet material by generating negative pressure at a position facing the upper surface of the top sheet material; a sheet material conveying unit that causes the top sheet material, which is sucked up, to be sucked onto a conveying member and conveys the top sheet material; and a lower suction unit that exerts a suction force downward onto the sheet materials that are positioned near the top sheet material, wherein a suction force exerted on the top sheet material downward by suction of the lower suction unit is smaller than a suction force exerted on the top sheet material upward by suction of the upper surface suction unit and is larger than adhesion between the sheet materials.

Abstract: A sheet guiding rib protrudes below a sheet suction surface of a plurality of suction conveyer belts, the sheet guiding rib being provided at a position on a downstream side in a sheet conveying direction of a sheet suction region, in which a sheet can be sucked, of the sheet suction surface of the plurality of suction conveyer belts, and between the plurality of suction conveyer belts. At a time of conveying a topmost sheet sucked and deflected downward at a part of pressing a sheet surface detecting flag, a deflection amount of the topmost sheet is reduced by bringing the deflected part of the topmost sheet into abutment against the sheet guiding rib.

Abstract: Air is taken in through air holes of a paper transfer belt and through air inlets of an air intake duct, and a recording sheet of paper is sucked onto front surfaces of the paper transfer belts, forming the recording sheet of paper into a curved (waved) shape along the front surfaces of the paper transfer belts.

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

Abstract: There are provided a sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus, which enable stable sheet conveyance without depending on sheet size. An air suction portion having a duct portion for air suction is provided inwardly of an endless belt having a plurality of suction holes. Air is taken in through the suction holes of the endless belt and the duct portion for air suction by the air suction portion to absorb a sheet onto the endless belt. When the sheet having a sheet conveying direction length in which a sheet trailing end reaches the endless belt before a sheet leading end reaches a fixing device is conveyed, at least part of the portion of the duct portion through which the sheet trailing end passes before the sheet leading end reaches the fixing portion is closed by a shutter.

Abstract: A medium feeding device includes a medium-accommodating container, a loading member supported within the container and loading a medium thereon, a holding member, and a blocking unit. The holding member has a holding member body, gas suction openings, a peripheral member, a chamber surrounded by the peripheral member, and a suction unit connected to the gas suction openings and performing gas suction. The holding member holds the medium by suction. The gas suction openings include a gas suction opening disposed inside an edge of the peripheral member and outside an edge of the medium. The blocking unit blocks the suction of gas through the aforementioned gas suction opening.

Abstract: A suction wheel attracts sheets by suction and transports them. The suction wheel contains a suction wheel body rotatable about an axis of rotation and provided with a plurality of suction openings formed in the circumferential surface of the suction wheel body. Accordingly, the suction wheel body is of a non-circular shape. In particular, the suction wheel includes an attraction area for attracting a sheet, a retaining area for retaining and conveying a sheet, and a release area for releasing a sheet. A sheet feeder ideally incorporates such a suction wheel.

Abstract: Means (17, 22, 23, 24, 25) is provided for intermittently lifting a stack (13) of paper so that the topmost sheet is captured by the suction of a traction device (15) and carried forward by the endless belt of the latter to the input end (21) of a laminating machine. Before the trailing end of the captured sheet has left the traction device (15) the lifting means again lifts the stack (13) so that the next sheet is captured in an overlapping relation to the first.

Abstract: In a paper feeder, an air hole that allows air to pass through is formed on a paper transport belt, a fan for breathing and exhausting air and an exhaust duct having an opening for exhausting air. Air is exhausted from the fan through the exhaust duct, the fan and an air intake duct for breathing air are connected to each other, and air is breathed from the air hole through the air intake duct towards the fan. This paper feeder includes: an air state detection unit for detecting at least one of an air pressure and an air flow rate in the air intake duct; an opening and closing unit provided to the air intake duct for opening and closing the opening; and a control unit for opening and closing the opening based on a result of detection by the air state detection unit.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet feeding device having a sheet surface detecting mechanism installed to be movable up and down between adjacent adsorption conveyance belts 21, and detects a position of the top surface of the sheet by a sheet surface detecting member 61 that moves upward higher than the adsorbing surface of an adsorption conveyance belt 21. The position of the lower surface of the sheet surface detecting member 61 being pushed up by the blown upward sheet is regulated such that the difference in height between the adsorbing surface of the adsorption conveyance belt 21 and the lower surface of the sheet surface detecting member 61 is smaller than the difference in a height direction between the adsorbing surface of the adsorption conveyance belt 21 and the upper surface of a separation nozzle by a sensor abutting portion 62 that regulates upward movement of the sheet surface detecting member 61.

Abstract: A vacuum roller assembly adapted to singulate a sheet from a stack of sheets. The vacuum roller assembly comprising a stationary inner plenum having a substantially linear plenum slot disposed in fluid communication with the vacuum source and a rotating vacuum roller disposed over the stationary inner plenum and rotating about a rotational axis. The vacuum roller includes a plurality of apertures disposed in fluid communication with the substantially linear plenum slot and about the periphery in at least one region of the roller. Furthermore, each of the apertures is substantially slot-shaped and defines a major axis. The major axis is off-axis with respect to the substantially liner plenum slot of the inner plenum to reduce audible noise levels produced by the rotating vacuum roller as air flows through each rotating aperture into the stationary linear plenum slot.

Abstract: A suction wheel attracts sheets by suction and transports them. The suction wheel contains a suction wheel body rotatable about an axis of rotation and provided with a plurality of suction openings formed in the circumferential surface of the suction wheel body. Accordingly, the suction wheel body is of a non-circular shape. In particular, the suction wheel includes an attraction area for attracting a sheet, a retaining area for retaining and conveying a sheet, and a release area for releasing a sheet. A sheet feeder ideally incorporates such a suction wheel.

Abstract: Air is taken in through air holes of a paper transfer belt and through air inlets of an air intake duct, and a recording sheet of paper is sucked onto front surfaces of the paper transfer belts, forming the recording sheet of paper into a curved (waved) shape along the front surfaces of the paper transfer belts.

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

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

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

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

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

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet take out apparatus includes a supply table on which sheets are stacked; a detecting portion configured to detect a state of a top surface of the stacked sheets; a cylindrical take out rotor which is rotatably provided so as to face an end portion on a take out side of a top sheet and partially includes a suction hole to attract the sheet, the take out rotor taking out the sheets one by one by attracting the end portion on the take out side of the sheet with rotation; a suction portion which is provided inside the take out rotor and includes an air hole to attract the sheet through the suction hole, the suction portion provided so as to allow the air hole to rotationally move between a first opening position and a second opening position, the first opening position having a first distance away from the end portion on the take out side of the sheet, the second opening position having a second distance, which is longer than the first distance, away from the end portion on the

Abstract: A pickoff system for removal of mail pieces one at a time from the end of a stack includes a pickoff belt mechanism, a sensor positioned to determine mail piece movement speed, and a measurement device determines belt movement speed during operation of the pickoff belt mechanism. A vacuum system includes a vacuum pump and a vacuum manifold positioned to apply suction to the mail piece in a direction that tends to hold the mail piece against the belt of the pickoff belt mechanism. A controller is configured to compare the belt movement speed and the mail piece movement speed during operation, and when mail piece movement speed is slower than belt movement speed, indicating slipping of the mail piece relative to the belt of the pickoff belt mechanism, the controller temporarily increases suction force applied to a mail piece being transported by the pickoff belt mechanism.

Abstract: There are provided a sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus, which enable stable sheet conveyance without depending on sheet size. An air suction portion having a duct portion for air suction is provided inwardly of an endless belt having a plurality of suction holes. Air is taken in through the suction holes of the endless belt and the duct portion for air suction by the air suction portion to absorb a sheet onto the endless belt. When the sheet having a sheet conveying direction length in which a sheet trailing end reaches the endless belt before a sheet leading end reaches a fixing device is conveyed, at least part of the portion of the duct portion through which the sheet trailing end passes before the sheet leading end reaches the fixing portion is closed by a shutter.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting a paper or film object or a stack of such objects into an envelope. A feeding apparatus moves the object toward an insertion station and a vacuum drum has a surface adapted to engage and move the envelope toward the insertion station. A ramp element is coupled to the vacuum drum and is adapted to support a leading portion of the envelope as the envelope moves with the vacuum drum.

Abstract: A vacuum control assembly for use in an image production device is provided. The assembly has a plenum having a vacuum inlet; a perforated plate fluidly connected to the plenum, the perforated plate having a plurality of perforations; a baffle plate connected to an inside of the plenum such that the baffle plate can slide relative to the perforated plate and can pivot relative to the perforated plate; and a protrusion on the inside of the plenum. The baffle plate is capable of sliding relative to the perforated plate between a closed position and an open position, the closed position being where the baffle plate causes the vacuum inlet to be fluidly connected to a first plurality of the perforations, and the open position being where the baffle plate is pivoted away from the perforated plate, causing the vacuum inlet to be fluidly connected to a maximum number of the perforations.

Abstract: A vacuum friction feeder including at least one vacuum friction belt provided with a plurality of holes, a pair of rollers, a table top provided with at least one suction port, an exposure table having a substantially horizontal top surface and a separator. The at least one vacuum friction belt is adapted to rotate around the table top while supported by the rollers such that a suction pressure can be drawn through the plurality of holes provided in the at least one vacuum friction belt as the plurality of holes pass over the suction port. The exposure table is operatively associated with the table top and is adapted to be movable relative to the table top in a plane defined by the substantially horizontal top surface to adjust the portion of the bottommost product in the stack of products exposed to the at least one vacuum friction belt.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including a sheet tray for storing a plurality of sheets of paper, the sheet tray capable of being pulled out in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feed direction, a pair of side regulating members for regulating both lateral surfaces of the sheets, the regulating members being provided over the sheet tray and perpendicular to the sheet feed direction, a vacuum belt to suck a sheet of paper from above and feed the sheets, and a moving mechanism for moving the vacuum belt or one of the regulating members that is provided on a back side in the direction of pulling out the sheet tray in the vertical directions, in such a way that, when the sheet tray is pulled out, the uppermost end of the regulating member provided on the back side is lower than the lowermost surface of the vacuum belt.

Abstract: A valve unit which circulates and blocks air has a first block connected to upstream suction tubes, a second block facing this first block and connected to downstream suction tubes, a shield plate disposed in a space S between the first block and the second block, and a motor which rotates this shield plate. The shield plate is provided with a connection hole which connects the upstream suction tube to the downstream suction tube, and a connection hole which connects the upstream suction tube to the downstream suction tube.

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

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeding device including: a tray holding sheets; a chamber having an opening and generating a negative pressure thereinside; a suction belt that suctions and conveys a first sheet from the sheets and that is configured to be rotatable along with the chamber and deformable into a concave shape along with the opening; a regulating member disposed inside the opening to regulate a concaving amount of the suction belt; a sheet gate disposed in a sheet feeding passage to be opposed to the suction belt and configured to retreat when contacted by the suction belt; and a nozzle that blows air toward the sheet and toward the suction belt.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including a sheet tray for storing a plurality of sheets of paper, the sheet tray capable of being pulled out in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feed direction; a pair of side regulating members for regulating both lateral surfaces of the sheets, the regulating members being provided over the sheet tray and perpendicular to the sheet feed direction; a vacuum type belt to suck a sheet of paper from above and feed the sheets; and a moving mechanism for moving one of the belt and one of the regulating members that is provided on a back side in the direction of pulling out the sheet tray in the vertical directions, in such a way that, when the sheet tray is pulled out, the uppermost end of the regulating member is lower than the lowermost surface of the vacuum type belt.

Abstract: A feeder head assembly is provided for transporting a material in a printing apparatus. The feeder head assembly includes a housing and a cap. The housing is at least partially rotatable about a longitudinal axis. Also, the housing includes an inner hollow chamber and an opening into the chamber. The inner hollow chamber is adapted to be in fluid communication with a vacuum source for decreasing pressure within the chamber. The opening is defined by a rim. The cap is removeably secured to at least a portion of the rim. The cap includes at least one aperture passing therethrough, wherein the at least one aperture is in fluid communication with the vacuum source.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet feeding unit configured to suction a stored sheet with a negative pressure to feed the suctioned sheet, a suction duct connected to the sheet feeding unit, a suction fan configured to generate a negative pressure in the suction duct, a shutter disposed in the suction duct and configured to allow and shut off communication between the sheet feeding unit and the suction fan, and a communicating mechanism configured to cause a space in the suction duct between the shutter and the sheet feeding unit to communicate with an outside of the suction duct. The communicating mechanism is configured to cause the space in the suction duct to communicate with the outside of the suction duct according to the shutter shutting off communication between the sheet feeding unit and the suction fan.

Abstract: An apparatus for sequentially manipulating from a supply point of a hopper carton blanks each having a contacting panel and for transferring the blanks to an in-feed end of a packaging machine. The apparatus comprises carton pick up means for sequentially engaging the contacting panel and for withdrawing from the hopper a blank. The carton pick up means is supported by a holder frame that is connected to a swingable collar structure to move the blank in a first direction transverse to the contacting panel of the blank in the hopper. The holder frame is slidably connected to the collar structure through rods to move the blank in a second direction transverse to the first direction to transfer the blank to the in-feed end for further processing.

Abstract: A high speed sheet stacker includes a plurality of vacuum transport sub-assemblies interdigitated with an adjacent sub-assembly and provided with a spatial pitch that is less than or equal to a predetermined shingle distance. The collective vacuum transport assembly can thus acquire shingled sheets and transport the shingled sheets as a set, with each sheet being offset by at least one shingle distance. As a result, speed and acceleration requirements for the vacuum transport and the sheets being transported are greatly reduced compared to conventional vacuum transports that essentially transport sheets singularly. A shingled transport zone may be provided upstream of the vacuum transport system to accommodate sheets of varying size. In various embodiments, three to five vacuum transport sub-assemblies are provided to transport three to five sheets as a set.

Abstract: A sheet handling device for wide format sheets including a sheet support plate having a top surface containing suction holes which are connected to at least one suction chamber, the at least one suction chamber being divided into compartments that are connected, though an opening, to a suction device adapted to create a subatmospheric pressure in the compartments, wherein at least one internal wall between adjacent ones of the compartments defines a flow restriction orifice, and at least one of the compartments is directly connected to the suction device, and at least another one of the compartments is indirectly connected to the suction device through the orifice.

Abstract: A device is provided for use in the alignment of sheets transverse to a direction of sheet travel. A sheet retaining device, which conveys the sheets, is displaceably mounted for holding the sheets against a side guide. At least two sheets are situated one above the other in an offset manner in the direction of sheet travel. An effective retaining surface extends in the direction of sheet travel and has a longitudinal length greater than a transverse width. A ratio of the longitudinal length of the effective retaining surface to the width of the transverse width of the effective retaining surface is greater than three.

Abstract: A document feeder includes a feed belt, a vacuum system, a drive system, and a separator arrangement. The feed belt defines multiple openings through the feed belt and the vacuum system provides a vacuum through the openings of the feed belt to draw a top document into contact with the feed belt. The separator arrangement provides a gas flow directed toward at least a first edge region of the top document to separate at least the first edge region of the top document from one or more documents immediately below the top document. Preferably, the separator arrangement utilizes the Coanda effect to separate the top document. The drive system rotates the feed belt.

Abstract: In a sheet supplying device for feeding a sheet from a sheet stack configured by stacking plural sets of sheets collated by page order, each of which corresponds to one volume, for each set of sheets, in a state where the sheets are superimposed on one another so as to be sequentially offset from one another in a fore-to-aft direction, the sheet supplying device comprises: first transport means 2 for sucking a sheet in an uppermost position of a sheet stack P placed on a sheet table 1 so as to move the sheet rearward; second transport means 3 for sucking the sheet moved rearward by the first transport means 2 so as to transport the sheet forward; and a control unit 9 controlling suction operations of the first and second transport means 2, 3.

Abstract: A device for lifting a porous sheet from a stack of such sheets includes a gas stream supply mechanism that is configured to generate a gas stream and is positioned so that, in use, the gas stream impinges on a first sheet of the stack. The gas stream supply mechanism is configured so that the gas stream penetrates the first sheet to generate a cushion of gas between the first sheet and a second sheet, thereby lifting the first sheet from the second sheet. A capturing mechanism captures the first sheet.

Abstract: A method of separating a sheet of print media from a stack of sheets, the sheets being porous, includes blowing fluid on to a top surface of a topmost sheet of the print media on the stack so that the fluid passes through at least the topmost sheet of the stack and capturing at least a part of the topmost sheet for conveyance to a printing station of a printer.

Abstract: A method of feeding porous sheets of media from a stack of such sheets includes the step of applying a gas flow to a first sheet of a stack, via a gas conduit and nozzle so that the gas passes partially through the first sheet and impinges on a second sheet, generating a cushion of air between the first and second sheets to separate the first and second sheets. The gas flow is reversed so that the first sheet is drawn towards a pick-up surface and retained against the pick-up surface. A pick-up device that defines the pick-up surface is displaced along the feed path so that the first sheet is fed from the stack along the feed path.

Abstract: A printing assembly for printing on porous sheets of media from a stack of such sheets includes a retaining structure that is configured to retain the stack in an aligned condition. A pick-up device on the retaining structure includes a gas conduit that is in fluid communication with a gas supply and a nozzle arrangement that is in fluid communication with the gas conduit. The nozzle arrangement is shaped to define a pick-up surface. The pick-up device is displaceable along a feed path relative to the retaining structure. The nozzle arrangement is capable of directing a flow of gas onto a first sheet of the stack such that the gas passes partially through the first sheet and impinges on a second sheet, generating a cushion of air between the first and second sheets to separate the first and second sheets. The gas supply is reversible so that the first sheet can be drawn towards the pick-up surface and retained against the pick-up surface.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding porous sheets from a stack includes an air displacement device having an outlet conduit. Outlet nozzles are connected to the outlet conduit. The outlet nozzles are displaceable between a pick-up position proximate a first sheet of the stack and a feed position. The air displacement device is configured to generate a flow of air from the outlet nozzles sufficient to penetrate the first sheet such that a cushion of air is generated between the first sheet and a second sheet to lift the first sheet from the second sheet. An air extraction device has an inlet conduit. Inlet nozzles are connected to the inlet conduit. The inlet nozzles define a pick-up surface and are displaceable between a pick-up position proximate a first sheet of the stack and a feed position. The air extraction device is configured to generate a flow of air into the inlet nozzles such that the first sheet is drawn against the pick-up surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding porous sheets of media from a stack of such sheets includes a retaining structure that is configured to retain the stack in an aligned condition. A pick-up device is operatively arranged with respect to the retaining structure. The pick-up device includes a gas conduit that is in fluid communication with a gas supply and a nozzle arrangement that is in fluid communication with the gas conduit. The nozzle arrangement is shaped to define a pick-up surface. The pick-up device is displaceable along a feed path relative to the retaining structure. The pick-up device is positioned so that the nozzle arrangement is capable of directing a flow of gas onto a first sheet of the stack such that the gas passes partially through the first sheet and impinges on a second sheet, generating a cushion of air between the first and second sheets to separate the first and second sheets.