Feed device for a printer or typewriter

An individual sheet feed device for a printer or typewriter, comprising supports carrying stacks of sheets, said supports having holding elements for holding the sheets in substantially vertical stacks, a removal mechanism associated with each of said supports, said removal mechanism adapted to remove a sheet from the stack and to positively drive the removed sheet to a position for feeding said sheet into the printer, said removal mechanism including separation means for the top sheet of the stack having roller means adapted to engage and move said sheet by friction in a first direction against gravity to disengage said sheet from said holding elements and to positively drive the removed sheet in a second direction opposite the first over the holding elements to a position for feeding the sheet to a printer, said separation means being disengageable from said sheet allowing free fall of the sheet to said feeding position, each of said removal mechanisms including a retractable alignment stop adapted to stop the removed sheet during its free fall to said feed position, and each of said removal mechanism including a transport device adapted to introduce said sheet from said feed position into the printer;

• each of the removal mechanisms comprising a cam controlling the drive of the separation means, the positioning of the retractable alignment stop and the activation of the transport device;
• a drive wheel connected by a gear to the drive of the platen of the printer and a selection mechanism adapted to activate one of the removal mechanisms, each of said removal mechanisms including a control part for holding the cam against the biasing force of a spring in a rest position separated from the drive wheel, the control part having a portion engageable with the selection mechanism for releasing said cam from the rest position, whereby the cam engages the drive wheel.