Patent ID: 7887038

Claim:
A sheet material feeding device in which sheet materials stacked in a plurality of sheet material stacking units are fed selectively, the device comprising: a first sheet material stacking unit; a second sheet material stacking unit disposed above the first sheet material stacking unit and movable relative to the first sheet material stacking unit; a feeding roller movable between a first position where the feeding roller presses the sheet material stacked in the first sheet material stacking unit and a second position where the feeding roller is spaced apart from the first sheet material stacking unit; a holding member holding the feeding roller when the feeding roller is at the second position and releasing the feeding roller when the second sheet material stacking unit is in a state of being retracted from a position between the first sheet material stacking unit and the feeding roller, thereby causing the feeding roller to press the sheet material stacked in the first sheet material stacking unit; and a pressing member configured to move the sheet material stacked in the second sheet material stacking unit toward the feeding roller so as to cause the sheet material to be pressed against the feeding roller, the pressing member causing the sheet material stacked in the second sheet material stacking unit to be pressed against the feeding roller when the second sheet material stacking unit is positioned between the first sheet material stacking unit and the feeding roller while the holding member is holding the feeding roller at the second position.