Sheet feeding apparatus

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a supporting means for supporting stacked sheets;
• a feed means for feeding the sheets stacked in said supporting means when contacted therewith;
• a separating means for separating the sheets fed by said feed means so that sheets are fed one by one;
• a shifting means for shifting said feed means to a first position where said feed means contacts the sheet stacked in said supporting means and for shifting said feed means to a second position where said feed means are separated from the sheet stacked in said supporting means;
• a drive means for generating rotational forces in a predetermined direction and in a direction opposite thereto, and causing said shift means to shift said feed means to the first position by rotational force in the predetermined direction and causing said shift means to shift to the second position by the rotational force in the opposite direction;
• a detecting means disposed upstream of said feed means for detecting the fact that the sheet is stacked in said supporting means;
• and
• a control means for controlling said drive means to generate the rotational force in the opposite direction so that said feed means is shifted to said second position for facilitating advancement of a leading edge of the sheet from said supporting means when said detecting means detects the sheet.

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a supporting means for supporting stacked sheets;
• a feed means for feeding the sheets stacked in said supporting means;
• a driving means for generating rotational forces in a predetermined direction and in an opposite direction opposite thereto;
• a shifting means operated by said rotational force in the predetermined direction for shifting said feed means to a first position where said feed means contacts the sheet stacked in said supporting means, and operated by said rotational force in the opposite direction for shifting said feed means to a second position where said feed means is separated from the sheet stacked in said supporting means;
• a convey means for conveying the sheet fed out by said feed means;
• a first transmission route for transmitting the rotational force of said predetermined direction generated at said driving means to convey means to thereby convey the sheet downstream;
• and
• a second transmission route for transmitting the rotational force of said opposite direction generated at said driving means to said convey means to thereby convey the sheet downstream.

An image reading apparatus comprising:

• a supporting means for supporting stacked sheets;
• a feed means for feeding the sheets stacked in said supporting means;
• an image reading means for reading an image on said sheet fed by said feeding means;
• a driving means for generating rotational forces in a predetermined direction and in an opposite direction opposite thereto;
• a shifting means operated by said rotational force in the predetermined direction for shifting said feed means to a first position where said feed means contacts the sheet stacked in said supporting means, and operated by said rotational force in the opposite direction for shifting said feed means from the sheet stacked in said supporting means to a second position where said feed means is separated;
• a convey means for conveying the sheet fed out by said feed means;
• a first transmission route for transmitting the rotational force of said predetermined direction generated at said driving means to said convey means to thereby convey the sheet downstream;
• and
• a second transmission route for transmitting the rotational force of said opposite direction generated at said driving means to said convey means to thereby convey the sheet downstream.

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a supporting means for supporting the stacked sheets;
• a feed means for feeding the sheets stacked in said supporting means;
• a driving means for generating rotational forces in a predetermined direction and in an opposite direction opposite thereto;
• a shifting means for utilizing said rotational force in the predetermined direction to shift said feed means to a position where said feed means contacts the sheet stacked in said supporting means and for utilizing said rotational force in the opposite direction to separate said feed means from the sheet stacked in said supporting means;
• a first driving force transmitting means for transmitting the rotational force of the predetermined and the opposite directions which are generated at said driving means to said shifting means;
• a second driving force transmitting means for transmitting the rotational force generated at said driving means to said feed means;
• convey means for conveying the sheet fed out by said feed means;
• and
• actuator means for actuating said convey means to convey the sheet to a downstream side by applying the rotational forces of predetermined and opposite directions.

An image reading apparatus comprising:

• a supporting means for supporting stacked sheets;
• a feed means for feeding the sheets stacked in said supporting means;
• a separating means for separating the sheets fed by said feed means so that the sheets are fed one by one;
• an image reading means for reading an image on the sheet fed by said feeding means;
• a shifting means for shifting said feed means between a first position where said feed means contacts the sheet stacked in said supporting means and a second position where said feed means is separated from the sheet;
• a drive means for driving said shifting means;
• a detecting means disposed upstream of said feed means for detecting the fact that the sheet is being stacked in said supporting means;
• and
• a control means for controlling said shifting means so that said feed means is shifted to said second position for facilitating advancement of a leading edge of the sheet from said supporting means when said detecting means detects the sheet.