Patent ID: 7950648

Claim:
A feeding device for use with an apparatus, the device being adapted to hold sheets of paper therein, the apparatus including a feed mechanism for feeding a sheet of paper in a feed direction from the device, the apparatus further including a processing station for processing the sheet fed by the feed mechanism, the device comprising: a box containing the feed mechanism being adapted to feed a sheet of paper in a single feed position in the box through the box top; a first paper holder positioned in the box for holding a pile of sheets of paper therein; a second paper holder positioned in the box for holding another pile of sheets of paper therein; a shifting mechanism for moving the second paper holder between an exposed position over a top sheet held in the first paper holder and a retracted position which is upstream from the exposed position in the feed direction; linear rails fixed on side walls of the box and extending between the exposed and retracted positions; rollers supported rotatably by the second paper holder and adapted to roll on the rails; a first driving source coupled to at least one of the rollers, wherein the driving source causes the at least one roller to selectively rotate in first and second directions to cause the second paper holder to move between the exposed and retracted positions; and a locking mechanism, comprising: a stopper movably mounted on the box that is movable between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein when the stopper is in the locked position, the stopper blocks the second paper holder from moving out of the exposed position, and a motor that moves the stopper between the locked and unlocked positions.