Patent ID: 7357386

Claim:
A paper feed apparatus includes a pick mechanism for successively taking out, by use of a pick roller, a plurality of sheets of paper stacked on a chute from the bottom side thereof, leading ends of the sheets being aligned by means of a stopper block in a state in which the sheets are stacked on the chute, characterized by comprising: a roller guide that is movable between a paper setting position and a retreat position and raises the leading ends of the sheets stacked on the chute to thereby prevent contact between the sheets and the pick roller, when the roller guide is raised to the paper setting position in a direction away from the pick roller; and an abutment guide for aligning the leading ends of the sheets, which ends have been raised by means of the raised roller guide, wherein when a pick operation is started, prior to retraction of the roller guide, sheet pressing operation of a pick arm and retraction of the abutment guide are performed, and then the sheets are taken out through a clearance formed between the distal end of the stopper block and the pick roller.