Abstract: A desktop card print having an improved automatic card feed hopper that employs a card picking mechanism that includes an automatic gate mechanism in combination with a card edge assist picker while providing a card exception slot for manual feeding of a card, a removable ribbon cassette that employs a magnetic encoder mechanism for tracking the motion of a ribbon mounted on the ribbon cassette, a scanning station that is configured and arranged to capture an image of one or more surfaces of the card as it passes the scanner, and a power take-off (PTO) gear adjacent the rear end of the printer for use in driving an additional processing mechanism to be mounted at the rear of the printer.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus, including a sheet-supply tray device which accommodates and holds a plurality of recording sheets and which supplies the recording sheets, one by one, in a sheet-supply direction; and an image recording device which records an image on each of the recording sheets supplied from the sheet-supply tray device.

Abstract: A recording apparatus having a function of sorting recording sheets is reduced in size and cost. The recording apparatus conveys the recording sheets, records on the recording sheets, discharges the recording sheets, and sorts the discharged recording sheets. The recording apparatus includes: a movable carriage that holds a recording head for recording on the recording sheets; and a sorting mechanism that controls positions of the recording sheets so that the discharged recording sheets are sorted, and the sorting mechanism is configured to be operated by the carriage and sort the recording sheets in accordance with a position of the carriage.

Abstract: A sheet feeding procedure supplies recording media from a medium enclosing portion to a medium conveying path. An overlap-feed detecting procedure monitors a thickness of recording media supplied to the medium conveying path, thereby detecting the overlap-feed media. Sheet returning procedures (A) and (B) return the overlap-feed media into the medium enclosing portion when the overlap-feed media are detected. A looseness forming procedure applies rotational forces of different rotation speeds to upper and lower surfaces of the overlap-feed media during the medium returning procedure, thereby forming a looseness in the overlap-feed media. A medium re-feeding procedure supplies again the returned recording media to the medium conveying path from the medium enclosing portion. In the medium feed control, the overlap-feed can be further certainly recovered.

Abstract: A printer is equipped with a supply roller for sending a piece of sheet from pieces of sheets stacked within a cassette; a pair of feed-in rollers for sending the piece of sheet supplied from the supply roller toward a printing region; and a sheet sensor provided between the supply roller and the pair of feed-in roller. The printer rotates the pair of feed-in rollers in a forward direction in a case that the sheet sensor detects presence of the sheet at a timing when it is found that printing data for a subsequent sheet is not stored within the printer. On the other hand, the printer rotates the supply roller in a reward direction when the sheet sensor detects non-presence of the sheet at the timing when it is found that the printing data for the subsequent sheet is not stored within the printer.

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: An image recording apparatus includes a sheet-supply tray device, a sheet-supply roller and an image recording device. The sheet-supply tray device includes a first tray which accommodates a plurality of first recording media on a first tray surface and a second tray which is placed on the first tray and accommodates a plurality of second recording media on a second tray surface thereof. The second tray includes a base portion which is supported on the first tray and a pivotable portion whose state is changeable between a stacked state in which the pivotable portion is supported on the first tray.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed tray for loading a recording sheet, a sheet feed roller that conveys the recording sheet toward an image forming device, a conveyor roller that is disposed downstream of the sheet feed roller in a recording sheet conveying direction and that applies a conveying force on the recording sheet, a sheet position detection device that detects a position of the recording sheet in a conveying path, and a conveyor roller control device that controls a rotation amount of the conveyor roller in accordance with the detected position of the recording sheet. The control device allows the rotation amount of the conveyor roller to become greater, when a recording sheet contacts the sheet feed roller and the conveyor roller, than a rotation amount of the conveyor roller when the recording sheet contacts the conveyor roller but might not contact the sheet feed roller.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus, including a sheet-supply tray device which accommodates and holds a plurality of recording sheets and which supplies the recording sheets, one by one, in a sheet-supply direction; and an image recording device which records an image on each of the recording sheets supplied from the sheet-supply tray device. The sheet-supply tray device includes a first tray which accommodates and holds at least one first sheet of the plurality of recording sheets; a second tray which accommodates at least one second sheet of the plurality of recording sheets, and which selectively takes a stacked posture thereof in which the second tray is stacked on the first tray, and an opening posture thereof in which at least a portion of the second tray opens at least a portion of the first tray; and at least one dropping preventing cover which prevents the at least one second sheet from dropping out of the second tray in a state in which the second tray takes the opening posture thereof.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiment, a printing system comprises a media feeder that receives and stores asymmetrically thick media from an outside source and outputs such media to the printing system via a feed mechanism. A conveyer system transports the asymmetrically thick media from the media feeder utilizing at least one linear belt wherein a sensor is employed to determine the presence of the asymmetrically thick piece of stock. A controller coupled to the conveyer determines the location and orientation of an image on a piece of the asymmetrically thick stock. An imaging system receives the asymmetrically thick media from the conveyer system and places an image on the media in the proper location and orientation based at least in part on information from the controller.

Abstract: A printer includes a housing in which a pair of guide rails is mounted. A print media tray is arranged to move along the guide rails within the housing. A motor assembly is configured to move the print media tray along the guide rails so that the print media tray can be ejected and retracted relative to the housing. A print engine is mounted within the print media tray and includes an ink ejection printhead in fluid communication with a replaceable ink cartridge. The ink cartridge can be accessed when the print media tray is ejected.

Abstract: A peripheral, such as a printer, includes a peripheral body, a first tray arcuately moveable about the body, and a second tray arcuately moveable about the body allowing for various media feed path arrangements between the first and second trays.

Abstract: A non-gated print media crossover for a printing system includes crossover pathways which intersect at a crossover junction. A control system controls arrival of sheets of print media at the crossover junction whereby a sheet conveyed on the first crossover pathway traverses the junction in an intersheet gap between sheets traversing the junction on the second crossover pathway. The printing system includes print media processing units, such as marking engines, paper sources, and output destinations, which are connected by a conveyor system incorporating the crossover.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting the print area by positioning a sheet in an imaging device utilizing length data from a prior sheet. A first sheet length is measured and thereafter utilized to determine the print zone for a subsequent sheet.

Abstract: A removable media input tray for holding a stack of media sheets is provided. The input tray is configured so that it can be fitted into a chassis of a printing apparatus. The input tray includes a reference guide wall and at least two datum members movably attached to the reference guide wall. The reference side wall is formed with at least two openings through which portions of the datum members extend. The input tray also includes a width adjuster, which is configured to bias the stack of media sheets against the datum members. The datum members are brought into contact with a side wall of the chassis when the input tray is inserted into the chassis, thereby causing the datum members to be aligned to the same side wall.

Abstract: In a sticky note printer, a sticky note is peeled off and fed one by one from a bundle of notes set in position. In empty-feed motion, the sticky note is fed in a normal direction from a peel-off position through a sticky note ejecting slot to a pull-out position in which the sticky note protrudes outside the sticky note printer. In feed-back motion, the sticky note is fed in a reverse direction from the pull-out position to a retracted position in which printing can be performed. In feed-again motion, the sticky note is fed in the normal direction from the retracted position to the pull-out position. The empty-feed motion is made when the sticky note has been pulled away from the pull-out position. The feed-back motion or the feed-again motion is made, when an instruction for printing is given, in a manner synchronized with the printing operation.

Abstract: A sheet bundle printer peeling off and performing printing on an uppermost sheet of a peelably adhered sheet bundle includes a print head performing printing on the sheet, a platen roller, at a print position, cooperating with the print head to feed both the sheet and an ink ribbon, pinched therebetween, and a platen moving mechanism moving the platen roller between the print position and a non-print position. The platen moving mechanism includes a manual operation device manually moving the platen roller from the print to non-print positions and a press roller that made to contact or moved away from the platen roller by the manual operation device to move the platen roller from the print to non-print positions while pressing it when the press roller contacts it. At the non-print position, the sheet is allowed to pass between the press roller and the platen roller.

Abstract: A sheet feed tray including a regulating wall member being assembled in a displaceable manner with a placing tray, which includes a first tray side engagement portion, and regulating a position of a recording medium such that a wall portion of the regulating wall member contacts with the end portion of the recording medium, a first engagement member being disposed in the regulating wall member and including a first regulating wall member side engagement portion, the first regulating wall member engaging with the first tray side engagement portion regulates a displacement of the regulating wall member, an elastic unit being elastically deformable and generating a force for holding an engaging state between the first tray side engagement portion and the first regulating wall member side engagement portion, an elastic deformation regulating unit regulating a deformation amount of the elastic unit, and releasing operation unit releasing the engaging state.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes multiple sheet discharge trays arranged on a downstream of a fixing unit in a layer structure, and multiple sheet-receiving units provided corresponding to the multiple sheet discharge trays arranged in the layer structure. Each of the sheet-receiving units respectively includes a climbing slope from a sheet discharge direction start point to a sheet discharge direction end point, and an angle of the climbing slope of a sheet-receiving unit is close to plane, as the sheet-receiving unit is arranged on a further downstream. It is thus possible to provide the image-forming apparatus in which discharged sheets of paper are not piled up on the sheet-receiving unit in a curled state or the discharged sheet does not push out the sheet piled on the sheet-receiving unit.

Abstract: A printer has an ASF connection/disconnection sensor 18a as a sheet feeding device detector which detects if an ASF 60 is installed to the main printer unit 1, a roll paper holder connection sensor 38 as a roll paper holder detector which detects if a roll paper holder 40 is installed to the main printer unit 1, and a control circuit board 35 which controls operation of the main printer unit 1 according to the detection status of the ASF connection/disconnection sensor 18a and roll paper holder connection sensor 38.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes first and second rollers, a power source, and first and second drive units. The first and second rollers can be independently rotated to apply a feeding force to a sheet. The sheet feeder can switch the first drive unit to a meshing state and the second drive unit to an escape state so as to input a rotational driving force from the power source to the first drive unit and can also switch the first drive unit to the escape state and the second drive unit to the meshing state so as to input the rotational driving force from the power source to the second drive unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a paper feeding cassette which selectively stores at least two kinds of paper sheets having different size with respect to a paper feeding direction, and includes a posterior end cursor which restricts a posterior end position of the stored paper sheets with respect to the paper feeding direction, wherein the height of the posterior end cursor is changeable. According to this construction, a smaller space is provided to stack large-sized paper sheets which are not frequently used while a larger space is provided to stack small-sized paper sheets which are frequently used can be reserved.

Abstract: A credential production device is provided. The credential production device includes a card holder. The card holder includes a housing having a base and a card press. The card press is configured to apply a load to a top card of a stack of cards supported above the base. The load includes a perpendicular load component oriented perpendicularly to the base and having a magnitude that increases as a thickness of the stack of cards decreases.

Abstract: A cartridge device applied to production lines for automatic screen printing is revealed. The cartridge device includes a frame, a plurality of cartridges for loading articles to be printed, two cartridge lifting members for driving the cartridge to move up/down, two cartridge convey member for driving the cartridge move horizontally, two printed substrate (articles) delivery members for delivering the articles to be printed, and two shift mechanisms for taking out or putting in the articles to be printed from the cartridge or the printed substrate delivery members. By one shift mechanism, the article to be printed on a work line is moved from the printed substrate delivery member into the cartridge for running material collection or the article to be printed is moved from the cartridge to the printed substrate delivery member for performing material feeding. Thus the two work lines of the production line can perform automatic material feeding, collection and storage simultaneously or respectively.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus controls an image forming device on the basis of outputs from a detecting device for detecting a recording material accommodated in a storage device. The detecting device faces a recording material supporting member, and is able to come in contact with the recording material supported on the recording material supporting member. A supporting portion that supports the detecting device so as to be rotatable and a holding portion that holds the supporting portion so as to be movable allow for reliable and stable detection of the recording material by the detecting device even when the position of the recording material supporting member is changed.

Abstract: An integrated home entertainment unit includes a print media source, a print engine coupled to the print media source configured to hold a print medium, an optical disk drive configured to output formatted digital data, and a controller. The controller has a processor and a decoder, and controller being communicatively coupled to the optical disk drive and to the print engine. The decoder is configured to decode the formatted digital data to produce output data. The processor executes instructions to control the print engine to print an image on the print medium supplied from the print media source using at least a part of the output data. A housing has mounted therein the print media source, the print engine, the optical disk drive, and the controller.

Abstract: An image recording device includes a conveying mechanism disposed in a predetermined conveying path including a plurality of rollers for conveying a recording medium by a predetermined conveying distance while nipping the recording medium. The device also includes an upstream-side trailing edge detector for detecting a trailing edge of the recording medium, a downstream-side trailing edge detector for detecting the trailing edge of the recording medium, and a skip warning region determination unit for determining whether the trailing edge is located in a skip warning region. Moreover, the device includes a storage unit for storing a correction value table including a predetermined correction value, and a correction unit for correcting the predetermined conveying distance when the trailing edge is in the skip warning region.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: a body; a first gear assembly mounted to the body so as to cooperate with a motor gear for driving rotation of the first gear assembly, the first gear assembly having a code feature; and a second gear assembly mounted to the body so as to cooperate with the first gear assembly to be rotatable therewith, the second gear assembly, in use, cooperating with a capper for capping a printhead so that the rotation of the second gear assembly moves the capper out of and into its capping position, wherein the code feature of the first gear assembly is arranged to cooperate with a holding feature of a mounting arrangement used to mount the second gear assembly to the body, the code feature being configured so that the cooperation with the holding feature maintains the first gear assembly at a predetermined position during the mounting of the second gear assembly.

Abstract: An ejection tray includes a container that contains a plurality of stacked recording sheets printed by a printing unit of an image forming apparatus, a movable cover mounted on the container, and a sorting member that sorts out a desired recording sheet from the recording sheets stacked in the container. The desired recording sheet sorted out in the container is allowed to be taken out when the cover is opened.

Abstract: A conveying roller is disposed downstream of a feeding roller in a conveying direction and conveys a sheet of recording medium to a printing position along a conveying path. A medium detecting unit is disposed between the feeding roller and the conveying roller along the conveying path and detects the sheet of the recording medium. A printing unit performs printing at the printing position. A target-rotational-amount setting unit sets a target rotational amount for feeding the sheet of the recording medium to the conveying roller, based on a rotational amount of the feeding roller measured from when the feeding roller begins feeding the sheet of the recording medium accommodated in the feeding cassette until the medium detecting unit detects the sheet of the recording medium. A controller controls the feeding roller to continue rotating until the rotational amount of the feeding roller reaches the target rotational amount.

Abstract: A recording apparatus, in which a recording medium is fed from one side of the recording apparatus, and the recording medium that has been recorded is ejected from the one side of the recording apparatus, is capable of making its size when not in use smaller than the size when in use and also achieving a reduction in the depth dimension of the recording apparatus as compared with the case where a feed tray and a discharge tray are rotary storage trays. The recording apparatus includes a feed tray on which a recording medium is stacked and which is rotated to move between an in-use position and a stowed position, and an eject tray on which the recording medium that has been recorded is stacked and which moves between an in-use position and a stowed position in a discharge direction of the recording medium.

Abstract: An ink and print media cartridge includes a print media housing assembly that defines a region in which print media can be stored and includes a feed mechanism to feed the print media from the housing assembly. An ink housing assembly is fast with the print media housing assembly. The ink housing assembly defines at least one ink chamber in which ink can be received and an ink outlet in fluid communication with the or each respective, ink chamber. The ink housing assembly includes a deformable partition that extends across the at least one ink chamber, such that the ink is contained on one side of the deformable partition.

Abstract: The present invention easily provides a compact recording apparatus including a paper chamber capable of containing paper and a ribbon chamber containing an ink ribbon in a manner such that the ink ribbon on a supply shaft can be taken up onto a take-up shaft, by utilizing the dead spaces in the paper chamber and the ribbon chamber. The distance between the paper chamber and the rotation center of the take-up shaft is larger than the radius of a ribbon take-up portion of the take-up shaft and is smaller than the radius of a fully taken up roll of the ink ribbon.

Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus comprising a tray that outputs information by which various kinds of fixed form sized of recording mediums can be discriminated and a controller to acquire a approximate size of a recording medium having an unfixed form size by conducting an operation for detecting a fixed form size of the recording medium by referring to the information if the recording medium having the unfixed form size is stacked on the tray, wherein, according to the approximate size, the controller controls an operation for displaying information corresponding to unfixed form size or sizes registered in advance.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus feeds a paper picked up by a pickup roller directly to a photoconductive drum and controls a linear velocity of the pickup roller so that it is slower than that of the photoconductive drum. The different linear velocities of the pickup roller and the photoconductive drum produces different velocities at the transfer nip (the area of contact between the photoconductive drum and a transferring roller) and the point where paper is picked up by the pickup roller. To compensate for the different velocities, the pickup roller can be rotated faster than the photoconductive drum for an angle that corresponds to the velocity difference. Additionally, when a velocity difference occurs between two rollers for feeding the paper, one of the rollers can be further rotated to compensate for the velocity difference.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for raising a base having media thereon. In an example embodiment, the method includes first raising a base having media thereon, ceasing the raising the base upon detecting the media, detecting an absence of the media, and second raising the base upon the detecting the absence of the media.

Abstract: Print sheets 7 stacked up are inserted into a package member 8 so that the sheets 7 in this state can be set in a printer together with the package member 8. The package member 8 is provided with an identification mark 31 while the printer is equipped with a reflective sensor so that the identification mark 31 will be placed in a reading area of the reflective sensor only when the sheet package 9 is loaded in the printer in a correct direction.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a sheet feeding tray, a sheet discharge tray, an image recording portion including an ink jet recording head and a platen, a first roller portion, disposed between the sheet feeding tray and the image recording portion, and a second roller portion, disposed at a position across the image recording portion from the first roller portion, for feeding the recording material, and a guide, positioned between the sheet feeding roller and the first roller portion, for separating the recording material fed from the sheet feeding tray and that to be fed to the sheet discharge tray. After the recording material fed from the sheet feeding tray passes between the ink jet recording head and the platen and is nipped by the second roller portion, recording is carried out when the recording material is fed in an opposite direction between the ink jet recording head and the platen.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a paper feed tray that can be opened and closed with respect to the apparatus body and a cover tray that can double as a manual feed tray. The paper feed tray has first side walls and first protrusions formed on the inner surfaces of the first side walls. The cover tray has: connection portions that are configured to be detachably connected to pivot shafts provided at the apparatus body and that are connected to the pivot shafts so as to rotate about the pivot shafts; second side walls; and second protrusions formed on the outer surfaces of the second side walls. The cover tray serves as a cover for covering sheets of paper stacked on the paper feed tray when it is in a position where the second protrusions are located below the first protrusions.

Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design for controlling shared access of a media tray is disclosed. The design structure includes operations that include monitoring communications between a virtualized media tray and a computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray; receiving an access request from a requesting computing device not currently connected to the virtualized media tray; determining, in dependence upon the monitored communications between the virtualized media tray and the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray, to switch connection of the virtualized media tray from the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray to the requesting computing device; and switching connection of the virtualized media tray from the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray to the requesting computing device.

Abstract: A paper delivering device to deliver printing paper, including: a lower frame; an upper frame rotatably coupling with the lower frame by a hinge part and rotating between a driving position in which the upper frame is disposed to parallel with respect to the lower frame with putting a delivery pathway of the printing paper between there and an opened position where the upper frame is spaced from the driving position; an upper delivery roller disposed on a lateral surface facing to the lower frame in the upper frame; a plate, interposed between the lower frame and the upper frame, to be detachable from the lower frame in a surface direction of the printing paper; and a lower delivery roller disposed on a lateral surface facing the upper frame of the plate and delivering the printing paper by oppositely rotating with the upper delivery roller when the plate is disposed at the lower frame.

Abstract: A manual sheet feeding mechanism adapted for use in a sheet processing apparatus includes a manual feeding tray and a guiding member. The manual feeding tray is adapted to be mounted on a side wall of the apparatus so as to be pivotable about an axis between an open position and a closed position. The manual feeding tray has a placement surface for placing a sheet to be manually fed into the apparatus. The guiding member is adapted to position a sheet placed on the placement surface and is provided so as to be movable on the placement surface. The manual sheet feeding mechanism also includes a moving member that is adapted, when the manual feeding tray is pivoted toward the closed position, to move the guiding member on the placement surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of container units containing sheets, a sheet feeding device provided for each of the plurality of container units and configured to feed the sheets; and a controller switching between modes including a first mode and a second mode in order to automatically switch a sheet feeding position from a container unit in current use to another container unit. In the first mode, the sheet feeding position is switched to the other container unit in the state in which a prescribed amount of sheets are left in the container unit in current use, and in the second mode, the sheet feeding position is switched to the other container unit after the sheets in the container unit in current use are exhausted.

Abstract: A media tray includes a tray body having a first wall. A first media guide is moveably supported along the tray body. A second media guide is moveably supported along the tray body and disposed approximately transverse to the first media guide. First and second brackets are supported along the first wall. The first bracket is operatively connected to said first media guide and the second bracket is operatively connected to the second media guide. A printing system includes a plurality of size-indicating devices, and a media tray is in operative association with the size-indicating devices. A method of operating a printing system includes moving the first or second media guides to reposition the first or second brackets.

Abstract: An ejection tray includes a container that contains a recording sheet printed by a printing unit of an image forming apparatus, and a cover mounted on the container. The cover has a display for displaying information, and the display displays an information screen corresponding to information that can be printed on the recording sheet.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement and/or stand for supporting a print feed mechanism relative to a printer. The mounting arrangement includes first and second support members defining first and second mating surfaces, respectively. The first support member is adapted to support the print feed mechanism and the second support member is adapted to support the first support member. Furthermore, the first and second mating surfaces define a mating interface or plane which is inclined relative to a horizontal plane. The relative position of the first and second support members is maintained by a means for coupling the first and second segments along the inclined mating plane. The coupling means is, furthermore, operative to selectively position the first support member relative to the second support member so as to separate the print feed mechanism segment from the printer by a fixed separation distance.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a sheet feeding tray, a sheet discharge tray, an image recording portion including an ink jet recording head and a platen, a sheet feeding roller, a first roller portion, disposed between the sheet feeding tray and the image recording portion, and a second roller portion, disposed at a position across the image recording portion from the first roller portion. After the recording material fed from the sheet feeding tray is passed between the ink jet recording head and the platen and is nipped by the first roller portion, recording is carried out when the recording material is fed in an opposite direction between the ink jet recording head and the platen.

Abstract: A printing medium supplying unit comprises a printing medium loading plate configured to move up and down based on an amount of printing medium loaded on the printing medium loading plate and an elevation control unit configured to adjust an elevation height of the printing medium loading plate such that a standby position of the printing medium loading plate can vary based on an amount of the printing medium loaded on the printing medium loading plate, wherein the standby position of the printing medium loading plate is a position in which the printing medium loading plate does not supply the printing medium to an image forming unit.

Abstract: A printing medium supplying unit usable with an image forming apparatus which includes a casing and a feeding unit to feed a printing medium, and the image forming apparatus having the same. The printing medium supplying unit includes a feeding cassette to store and to supply the printing medium; and a guide unit rotatably coupled to the feeding cassette to guide the printing medium to the feeding unit.

Abstract: A card supplying mechanism includes a card stacker with a motor-driven rotatable eccentric cam for sequentially raising and lowering a moving member having an oblique, step-shaped card touching surface. A motor rotates the cam to a position of maximum diameter, thereby lifting vertically-stacked cards with the oblique, step-shaped card touching surface. The motor then drives further to rotate the cam to a position of minimum diameter, thereby separating one end of the cards on an oblique card support surface so as to mutually offset stacked cards. A kick roller then discharges from the stacker a bottommost stacked card. The card supplying mechanism provides a reliable supply of cards by virtue of both improved card separation, and reduced load on the bottommost card that is to be supplied.