Sheet feeding apparatus having the ability to retract the sheet supply

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a sheet containing means adapted to support a plurality of sheets and being shiftable between a sheet supplying position and a standby position;
• a sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet supported by said sheet containing means at said sheet supplying position;
• a driving force transmitting means connected to said sheet supply means and adapted to transmit a driving force from a drive source;
• a connection means for connecting and disconnecting between said driving force transmitting means and said sheet supply means;
• a holding means connected to said driving force transmitting means for shifting said sheet containing means to said sheet supplying position by the driving force transmitted to said sheet supply means and capable of holding said sheet containing means at said sheet supplying position;
• and
• a control means for bringing said connection means to a connecting condition to cause said holding means to hold said sheet containing means at said sheet supplying position while the plurality of sheets are being supplied continuously by said sheet supply means.

An image forming system comprising:

• a sheet containing means adapted to support a plurality of sheets and being shiftable between a sheet supplying position and a standby position;
• a sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet supported by said sheet containing means at said sheet supplying position;
• a driving force transmitting means connected to said sheet supply means and adapted to transmit a driving force from a drive source;
• a holding means connected to said driving force transmitting means for shifting said sheet containing means to said sheet supplying position by the driving force transmitted to said sheet supply means and capable of holding said sheet containing means at said sheet supplying position while the plurality of sheets are being supplied continuously by said sheet supply means;
• a separating means for separating the sheets fed by said sheet supply means one by one;
• and
• an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet separated by said separating means.