Patent ID: 6497404
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: B42C,B65H

Abstract:
A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:a sheet reception inlet for receiving a set of first sheets; a tray for storing a stack of second sheets; a sheet stack-feed station for receiving the first sheets in a stack and placing the second sheet over the stack of the first sheets; a first conveying path extending from the sheet reception inlet to the sheet stack-feed station; a sheet conveying means for conveying the first sheets received at the sheet reception inlet in a sequence along the first conveying path to the sheet stack-feed station; a second conveying path extending from the tray to the first conveying path and communicated at a junction with the first conveying path; a sheet feeding means for conveying the second sheet along the second conveying path and feeding it to the first conveying path; a sheet transferring means for transferring each second sheet from the tray to the sheet feeding means; and a controlling means for controlling the action of the sheet conveying means, the sheet feeding means, and the sheet transferring means, wherein second controlling means includes means for the sheet feeding means to change from a deactivated mode when the second sheet is transferred from the sheet transferring means to the sheet feeding means, and means operable, upon the first sheets having been stacked in the sheet stack-feed station, to activate the sheet feeding operation whereby the second sheet is conveyed out from the first conveying path and placed over the stack of the first sheets.