Paper-feeding device

Claim 1

In a paper feeding device for supplying sheets one at a time from a stack of paper sheets, said device including a paper receiving member for housing therein a plurality of paper sheets in a stack, paper supply roller means for feeding an uppermost paper sheet of the stack in a feed direction along a feed path, a pair of paper feed rollers positioned downstream of said supply roller means for receiving therefrom the uppermost paper sheet and for conveying such uppermost paper sheet in said feed direction, position controlling means for controlling the positions of leading ends of the paper sheets of the stack in said paper receiving member, said position controlling means comprising a member mounted adjacent a forward end of said paper receiving member for pivotal movement, during each operation of feeding by said paper supply roller means of an uppermost paper sheet from the stack, between a blocking first position, whereat said member blocks the leading ends of the paper sheets of the stack, and a release second position, whereat said member is spaced away from the leading ends of the paper sheets of the stack, said member having an upper end pivoting generally downstream with respect to said feed direction during movement of said member from said first position thereof to said second position thereof and pivoting generally upstream with respect to said feed direction during movement of said member from said second position thereof to said first position thereof, separating means positioned between said supply roller means and said pair of feed rollers for separating from the uppermost paper sheet any paper sheets therebeneath and supplied therewith by said supply roller means and thereby for preventing the simultaneous supply of plural paper sheets to said pair of paper feed rollers, said separating means comprising an upper feeding roller rotated in said feed direction and a lower separating roller rotation in a direction opposite to said feed direction, said upper feeding roller and said lower separating roller being positioned toward each other to nip therebetween the uppermost paper sheet and any paper sheets therebeneath and supplied from said supply roller means such that rotation of said separating roller in said opposite direction prevents feeding to said pair of feed rollers of any paper sheets other than the uppermost paper sheet, and said upper feeding roller and said lower separating roller being spaced from each other in a separated position to not nip therebetween the uppermost paper sheet and any paper sheets therebeneath upon the uppermost sheet being supplied to said pair of feed rollers, the improvement comprising auxiliary separating means for preventing the simultaneous supply of plural paper sheets when said upper feeding roller and said lower separating roller are spaced from each other in said separated position, said auxiliary separating means comprising: friction means mounted on said upper end of said member of said position controlling means and pivotal therewith for, upon said member pivoting from said second position thereof to said first position thereof, engaging the lower side of any paper sheet beneath the uppermost paper sheet and fed by said paper supply roller means and preventing any further advance thereof in said feed direction.