Patent ID: 8636277

Claim:
A media picking device for an imaging apparatus having a reference edge surface and a movable media input support that moves into and out of the imaging apparatus, the media input support including a media storage location and a media edge alignment guide moveable to a selected position within a predetermined range of travel with respect to the reference edge surface, the media picking device comprising: a shaft for receiving torque from the imaging apparatus; a pick arm mechanism rotatably and slidably mounted at a first end thereof on the shaft; a pick roller mounted at a second end of the pick arm mechanism for contacting a topmost media sheet of a stack of media sheets and drivable by the shaft to pick the topmost media sheet of the stack of media sheets in a media feed direction; and a translation mechanism coupled to the pick arm mechanism, the translation mechanism comprising: a carriage slidably positioned on the shaft, abuttingly positioned about at least a portion of the first end of the pick arm; an actuator member operatively coupled to the carriage and abuttable with the media edge alignment guide upon insertion of the media input support into the imaging apparatus, wherein as the moveable media input support is inserted the media edge alignment guide moves the actuator member which translates the carriage and pick arm mechanism along the shaft transverse to the media feed direction and, when the moveable media input support is inserted, the media edge alignment guide stops, the actuator member stops and the pick arm mechanism and carriage stop translating; and a frame disposed adjacent the translation mechanism for supporting the actuator member and the carriage, the actuator member and the carriage each slidably attached to the frame in corresponding elongated slots provided on the frame.