Patent ID: 6945526

Claim:
A method of picking a sheet from a stack of sheets, comprising: (a) engaging an end sheet bounding a stack of sheets with a movable engaging portion, wherein the movable engaging portion is in supporting connection with and movable relative to a rotatable picking member, wherein the picking member generally rotates about a first axis; (b) rotating the picking member about the first axis in a picking direction with the engaging portion in engagement with the end sheet; (c) during execution of step (b) moving the engaging portion radially outward relative to the first axis as the picking member moves relative to the engaging portion, wherein additional force tending to move the end sheet from the stack is applied with increasing radially outward movement of the engaging portion, wherein the picking member is rotatable about the first axis in moving the end sheet from the stack, wherein the engaging portion is pivotable about a second axis, wherein the second axis is disposed radially from the first axis, and wherein (c) includes rotating the picker member about the first axis and pivoting the engaging portion about the second axis.