Plurality document feeding apparatus and method for copying machines

A document feeding method in which a plurality of document sheets sequentially fed from a document loading tray are first directed into a first branch transport path for inversion of the transporting direction thereof and then transported in successive manner, through a second branch transport path, on to a document scanning area facing an optical scanning means, there being a branching point between the first and second paths comprising the steps of:

• stopping the transportation of preceding first document sheet when the trailing edge thereof after inversion has passed the branching point between the two transport paths;
• inverting the transporting direction of a succeeding second document sheet while at the same time transporting a further succeeding third document sheet up to a position near the branching point;
• and
• transporting the first and second document sheets together at the same speed when the leading edge of the inverted second document sheet comes to a predetermined distance from the trailing edge of the stationary first document sheet.

A document feeding apparatus comprising:

• a document loading tray for holding a plurality of document sheets;
• document feeding means for feeding the document sheets one by one from the document loading tray;
• a first transport path along which the document sheets fed from the document feeding means are transported;
• a second transport path formed continuously from the first transport path, there being a joint branching portion between the first and second transport paths;
• a third transport path diverging from the joint branching portion between the first and second transport paths and extending into a document scanning area facing an optical scanning means;
• and
• means for transporting a preceding first document from the first transport path to the second transport path for inversion of the transporting direction thereof, the first document then being guided into the third transport path, and immediately initiating the feeding of a succeeding second document into the first transport path when the trailing edge of the inverted first document has just passed the branching point of the third transport path.

A document feeding apparatus comprising:

• a document loading tray for holding a plurality of document sheets;
• document feeding means for feeding the document sheets one by one from the document loading tray;
• a first transport path along which the document sheets fed from the document feeding means are transported;
• a second transport path continuously from the first transport path, there being a joint portion between the first and second transport paths;
• a third transport path diverging from the joint portion at a branching point between the first and second transport paths and extending into a document scanning area facing an optical scanning means;
• and
• means for transporting a preceding first document from the first transport path to the second transport path for inversion of the transporting direction thereof, the first document then being guided into the third transport path;
• stopping the transportation of the inverted first document when the trailing edge thereof has passed the branching point of the third transport path, while at the same time inverting the transporting direction of a succeeding second document;
• and transporting direction of a succeeding second document;
• and transporting the first and second documents together at the same speed when the leading edge of the inverted second document comes to a predetermined distance from the trailing edge of the stationary first document.

A document feeding apparatus comprising:

• a document loading tray for holding a plurality of document sheets;
• document feeding means for feeding the document sheets one by one from the document loading tray;
• a first transport path along which the document sheets fed from the document feeding means are transported;
• a second transport path formed continuously from the first transport path, there being a joint portion between the first and second transport paths;
• a third transport path diverging from the joint portion at a branching point between the first and second transport paths and extending into a document scanning area facing an optical scanning means;
• and
• means for transporting a preceding first document from the first transport path to the second transport path for inversion of the transporting direction thereof, the first document then being guided into the third transport path;
• stopping the transportation of the inverted first document when the trailing edge thereof has passed the branching point of the third transport path, while at the same time inverting the transporting direction of a succeeding second document and transporting a further succeeding third document up to a position near the branching point;
• and transporting the first and second documents together at the same speed when the leading edge of the inverted second document comes to a predetermined distance from the trailing edge of the stationary first document.