Sheet feed apparatus

Claim 1

An improved sheet feed apparatus comprising a frame, a tray for supporting a stack of sheets adapted to be fed along a predetermined path, said tray being mounted for pivotable movement on an axis in an upward direction, a cam member operatively engageable with the lower portion of said tray to pivot said tray in an upward direction during operation on a high rise portion of said cam and then return said tray to its original position upon actuation of said cam to a low rise portion thereof, drive means including a motor connected to a worm member driving a worm wheel operatively rotating said cam member in response to discrete electrical signals, control means associated with said stack including first circuit means operative in response to the level of said stack for energizing said motor in intermittent fashion for actuating said drive means when the top of said stack falls below a predetermined plane until said sheets have been fed from said tray and second circuit means operative when said tray reaches its uppermost position for continuously energizing said motor to return said tray to its starting position, and a spring member connected to said frame and the bottom of said tray to facilitate the return of said tray to its starting position.