Patent ID: 7392979

Claim:
A paper supply device for feeding sheets of paper along a paper feed direction comprising: a paper insertion part for holding a plurality of said sheets of paper with each sheet of paper having opposite ends and a leading edge directed inwardly toward the paper insertion part; a supply roller that is rotationally driven having a fan-shaped profile including a circular arc part and a bowed part; a pressure member disposed opposite the supply roller for urging the leading edge of each individual sheet of paper in the paper insertion part toward the supply roller in accordance with a given rotational position of the supply roller; a first elastic member connected to the pressure member to cause the pressure member to apply force of a first magnitude against the circular arc part of the supply roller; a separation pad disposed to the paper insertion part downstream from the pressure member in the paper feed direction and being responsive to a displacement of the pressure member for changing the angle of contact of the supply roller with the leading edge of each sheet of paper so as to separate one sheet from a plurality of sheets; a second elastic member connected to the separation pad to cause the separation pad to apply force of a second magnitude against the circular arc part of the supply roller and wherein the magnitude of force applied by the second elastic member for urging the separation pad to the circular arc part of the supply roller is greater than the magnitude of force applied by the first elastic member for urging the pressure member to the circular arc part of the supply roller.