Patent ID: 6988726

Claim:
A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: (a) a first conveyance member for conveying a first sheet and a next adjacent sheet from a source of sheets, the first conveyance member having a first speed, the first and next adjacent sheets each having a lead edge and a tall end opposite the lead edge; (b) a second conveyance member positioned near the first conveyance member for conveying the first sheet away from the first conveyance member, the second conveyance member having a second speed less than the first speed; and (c) a sheet bending member positioned to engage the first sheet as the first sheet moves from the first conveyance member to the second conveyance member, the sheet bending member including a sheet feeding roller to feed the first sheet to the second conveyance member and a forming roller positioned to engage the tail end of the first sheet in cooperation with the sheet feeding roller to produce a gap between the tall end of the first sheet and the second conveyance member into which the lead edge of the next adjacent sheet from the first conveyance member can be fed.