Patent ID: 6213458
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:(a) pick up means for picking up and feeding sheets stacked on a sheet feeding tray;(b) separating means having a feed device which rotates only in a feeding direction of the sheets and a reverse roller which is driven only in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the sheets for separating a single sheet from said sheets fed by said pickup means;(c) sheet feeding means having paired registration rollers for aligning and thereafter feeding said separated single sheet;(d) driving means for driving said pickup means, said separating means and said sheet feeding means, said driving means comprisinga driving motor,a coupling in a drive transmitting path between said driving motor and said reverse roller for generating a delay period of time between forward and backward rotations of said driving motor; anda torque regulator between said coupling and said reverse roller for interrupting a driving force from said driving motor for a predetermined time; and(e) control means for controlling a drive of said driving means so that, when said control means directs the driving motor to rotate forward, the single sheet, which has been picked up and separated by said pickup means and said separating means, collides with circumferential surfaces of the paired registration rollers which are stopped, thereby to align the single sheet for feeding, andwhen said control means directs the driving motor to rotate backward, the paired registration rollers start to feed the single sheet while said reverse roller stops rotating for said predetermined time and, thereafter, said coupling causes the reverse roller to start rotating in the direction opposite to said feeding direction of the sheet.