Patent ID: 6332608
Filing Date: 2001-12-25
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:a sheet support for supporting sheets;separation means comprising a sheet feed roller rotating in a sheet feeding direction and a retard roller rotating in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction, said separation means for separating and conveying sheets stacked on said sheet support one by one; andsheet feeding out means for feeding out a succeeding sheet to an abutting portion of said sheet feed roller and said retard roller while a preceding sheet is conveyed by said sheet feed roller and said retard roller,wherein when a trailing end of the preceding sheet approaches a position spaced from the abutting portion of said sheet feed roller and said retard roller by a predetermined distance, said retard roller is rotated by a rotation of said sheet feed roller in order to convey the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet with the preceding sheet overlapping the succeeding sheet.