Patent ID: 7731178

Claim:
A feeding device comprising: a hopper, adapted to support a medium; a feeder, operable to feed the medium in a first direction; a separator, operable to nip the medium with the feeder at a nip point; a guide, having a guide surface which guides the medium in the first direction and is provided with a recessed portion at a downstream side of the nip point in the first direction; and at least two levers, operable to pivot in a pivoting area that includes a point corresponding to the nip point in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and arranged in the second direction, wherein the guide provided with the recessed portion is disposed between the levers, and the levers are controlled so that end portions of the levers are positioned so as to correspond to the recessed portion in the second direction after a leading end of the medium has passed through the nip point, and the guide surface includes top surfaces of a plurality of ribs which are arranged in the second direction with a prescribed interval, and at least one of the ribs which is adjacent to the levers is provided with the recessed portion.