Patent ID: 6896253

Claim:
A sheet material feeding apparatus comprising: sheet material stacking means for stacking sheet materials, wherein said sheet material stacking means comprises a pressure plate, and the sheet materials are stacked on the pressure plate; a feeding roller for feeding the sheet materials stacked on said sheet material stacking means; a separation roller, rotating according to said feeding roller, for separating the sheet material; a separation roller holder for rotatably holding said separation roller, said separation roller holder rotating to cause said separation roller to move to a position being in contact with said feeding roller and to a position being released from said feeding roller; means for rotating said separation roller holder to cause said separation roller to move to a position being in contact with said feeding roller and to a position being released from said feeding roller; urging means for urging the pressure plate to said feeding roller to cause the sheet materials stacked on the pressure plate to come into contact with said feeding roller; and a cam provided on a shaft of said feeding roller, being engaged with a cam follower portion of the pressure plate to push down the pressure plate, wherein, after said separation roller comes into contact with said feeding roller, it causes the sheet materials stacked on said sheet material stacking means to come into contact with said feeding roller.