Patent ID: 6547235
Filing Date: 2003-04-15
Classification: B65H,G03G,H04N

Abstract:
A sheet feeding apparatus for separating sheets stacked on a sheet supply tray into a single sheet and feeding the sheets to a predetermined sheet processing position, comprising:draw-out means for touching and drawing an uppermost sheet on the sheet supply tray; support means connected to the draw-out means for rising and lowering the draw-out means; sheet supply means for separating the sheets drawn out by the draw-out means into a single sheet and feeding the single sheet; stopper means situated between the draw-out means and the sheet supply means, said stopper means being moved to a first position to restrict leading edges of the sheets stacked on the sheet supply tray and to a second position for allowing the sheets drawn out by the draw-out means to pass; and displacement means situated to cooperate with the stopper means to displace the stopper means to a third position between the first position and the second position in association with a lowering movement of the draw-out means so that the stopper means is displaced from the first position to the third position by the displacement means, said stopper means being displaced from the third position to the second position by the leading edges of the sheets drawn out by said draw-out means.