Sheet feed apparatus

Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stack container comprising opposed vertical walls between which sheets are stacked and a sheet feeder for feeding sheets off the top of the stack in a direction between the walls and parallel with the walls. The container includes a platform for elevating the stack into contact with the sheet feeder, and pusher members in one of the walls for urging the stack against the other wall. The pusher members are positioned at or near the top of the stack, and act only on a minor proportion of the stack height when the maximum stack height is contained in the container. First and second pusher members are provided, the first pusher member being urged towards the stack by a relatively strong spring, and acting on sheets near the top of the stack, but not on the sheets nearest the top of the stack, and the second pusher member being urged towards the stack by a relatively light spring, and acting on the sheets nearest the top of the stack. The platform pushes the first pusher member away from the stack when the stack is almost depleted to prevent buckling of the stack.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.