Patent ID: 6260839
Filing Date: 2001-07-17
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A paper feeding apparatus having a parting roller and a retard roller for preventing overlap feeding, which are disposed in pair above and below a pass line on which sheets of paper are fed one by one in order from the top of a stack of the sheets of paper, said retard roller being provided with a torque limiter between the retard roller and a spindle for driving the retard roller, said torque limiter being set so that its critical torque is bigger than a torque on a sliding friction force between sheets of paper nipped between the parting roller and the retard roller, wherein the paper feeding apparatus comprises a pressing force adjusting device which can vary a pressing force acting on the sheets of paper nipped between the parting roller and the retard roller by pressing the retard roller toward the parting roller, wherein said pressing force adjusting device includes a base which supports the spindle of the retard roller rotatably while keeping the retard roller parallel to the axis of the parting roller and which makes the retard roller movable in both the directions of contacting with and parting from the parting roller, a torsion spring which is disposed around a pivot shaft of the base and which has a hook at its one end connected to the base, and a cam which is engaged with a hook of the other end of the torsion spring and can set a tightening degree of the torsion spring in correspondence with a rotational posture thereof.