Multi-purpose feeder for successively delivering single sheet or multi-leaved articles from a stack thereof

A feeder for single or multisheet articles comprising:

• a support adapted to receive a stack of articles in an upright receiving zone thereabove,
• said support being reciprocable transversely of the zone in successive feed and return strokes;
• means for confining all but the lowermost article in the stack against movement with the support during said feed stroke,
• said confining means including an element adjacent the front of said zone with respect to the direction of feed, positioned inwardly from the lateral boundaries of said zone, and having a lowermost surface spaced above said support a distance sufficient to pass only said lowermost article therebeneath;
• and
• an article separator spaced inwardly from the lateral confines of said zone at a level below said element and shiftable from a lowered position at or below said upper surface of the support to a raised, article-engaging position above said upper surface,
• said separator being movable forwardly with said support in timed relationship with raising thereof to said raised position whereby to momentarily warp at least the leading edge of the lowermost article out of its flat plane as that portion thereof aligned with said element slips forwardly under the element while that portion acted upon by the separator is raised at least partially above said lower surface of the element, thereby facilitating separation of the lowermost article from the next adjacent article thereabove as the support completes its feed stroke.