Patent ID: 7396010

Claim:
A sheet take-out apparatus comprising: a supply mechanism to move sheets in a stacked state to a take-out position where the sheets are moved in the forefront in turn; at least one take-out roller which contacts a forefront sheet in the stacked state and rotates to take out the forefront sheet moved to the take-out position; a pressing mechanism which presses the at least one take-out roller against the forefront sheet at the take-out position constantly at a fixed pressure; at least one pressure sensor to detect a contact pressure of the at least one take-out roller to contact the forefront sheet at the take-out position, and wherein the pressing mechanism includes: at least one supporting member mounting the at least one take-out roller rotatably; at least one motor to contact and to separate the at least one take-out roller to and from the forefront sheet at the take-out position by moving the supporting member; and at least one motor driver to energize the at least one motor to press the at least one take-out roller against the sheets in the stacked state, and wherein the at least one motor driver is controlled in response to the contact pressure detected by the at least one pressure sensor; wherein the supply mechanism includes a stacker to stack at least the forefront sheet and a second sheet in an erected state, and wherein the at least one take-out roller includes a lower roller arranged in contact with a lower portion of the forefront sheet in the stacker and an upper roller arranged in contact with an upper portion of the forefront sheet, to take-out the forefront sheet in a horizontal direction by rotating the lower and upper rollers, wherein, the apparatus further comprises: a floor belt supporting the forefront and second sheets stacked in the stacker by contacting the lower ends of the forefront and second sheets; a first moving mechanism to move the forefront and second sheets toward the at least one take-out roller by running the floor belt; a backup plate that contacts an upper portion of the second sheet stacked in the stacker; and a second moving mechanism to move the forefront and second sheets toward the at least one take-out roller by moving the backup plate, wherein the pressing mechanism includes: a first pressing mechanism to press the lower roller against the forefront sheet constantly at a first fixed pressure, and a second pressing mechanism to press the upper roller against the forefront sheet constantly at a second fixed pressure.