Patent ID: 7243916
Filing Date: 2007-07-17
Classification: B65G,B65H

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for feeding porous sheets of media from a stack of such sheets, the apparatus comprising a support structure for supporting the stack; a gas conduit that is mounted on the support structure and has an outlet that is oriented so that, when the stack is positioned on the support structure, the outlet is directed towards a first sheet of the stack, the gas conduit being in fluid communication with a reversible gas supply so that a stream of gas can be directed out of the outlet and onto the first sheet to penetrate the first sheet and generate a cushion of gas between the first sheet and a second sheet to separate the first and second sheets whereupon the reversible gas supply reverses the direction of the stream of gas back into the outlet to draw the first sheet against the outlet; and a sheet feed mechanism arranged on the support structure, the sheet feed mechanism having a displacement mechanism for displacing the gas conduit to feed the first sheet from the stack.