A single-sheet lifter (10, 10A) comprising: a base frame arranged in a vicinity of a loading area and extending vertically; a separation unit provided to the base frame so as to be able to move up and down, the separation unit including a contact member that comes into contact with a surface of an uppermost workpiece among a plurality of the workpieces loaded in the loading area, the separation unit being configured to go up following a lifting operation of a workpiece suction lifter of a loading machine and be retracted from above the loading area when the workpiece suction lifter sucks the surface of the uppermost workpiece to lift the workpiece, and configured to separate the uppermost workpiece from other workpieces by means of at least one of an injection pressure of air and a suction force; and a counter balancer configured to reduce a weight acting on the separation unit characterized in that: the single-sheet lifter (10, 10A) further comprising: a first rotating wheel provided to the base frame so as to be able to rotate; a second rotating wheel provided to the base frame so as to be able to rotate and move up and down; and a linear or band-shaped connecting member including one end connected to the separation unit and another end connected to the base frame, the connecting member being hung around the first rotating wheel, and hung around the second rotating wheel so as to suspend the second rotating wheel, wherein the counter balancer is configured to apply a downward force to the second rotating wheel. a base frame arranged in a vicinity of a loading area and extending vertically; a separation unit provided to the base frame so as to be able to move up and down, the separation unit including a contact member that comes into contact with a surface of an uppermost workpiece among a plurality of the workpieces loaded in the loading area, the separation unit being configured to go up following a lifting operation of a workpiece suction lifter of a loading machine and be retracted from above the loading area when the workpiece suction lifter sucks the surface of the uppermost workpiece to lift the workpiece, and configured to separate the uppermost workpiece from other workpieces by means of at least one of an injection pressure of air and a suction force; and a counter balancer configured to reduce a weight acting on the separation unit characterized in that: the single-sheet lifter (10, 10A) further comprising: a first rotating wheel provided to the base frame so as to be able to rotate; a second rotating wheel provided to the base frame so as to be able to rotate and move up and down; and a linear or band-shaped connecting member including one end connected to the separation unit and another end connected to the base frame, the connecting member being hung around the first rotating wheel, and hung around the second rotating wheel so as to suspend the second rotating wheel, wherein the counter balancer is configured to apply a downward force to the second rotating wheel. a first rotating wheel provided to the base frame so as to be able to rotate; a second rotating wheel provided to the base frame so as to be able to rotate and move up and down; and a linear or band-shaped connecting member including one end connected to the separation unit and another end connected to the base frame, the connecting member being hung around the first rotating wheel, and hung around the second rotating wheel so as to suspend the second rotating wheel, wherein the counter balancer is configured to apply a downward force to the second rotating wheel.