Sheet feeding apparatus including means for facilitating feeding lowermost sheets from a stack thereof

In an apparatus for feeding respective sheets including framework and a deck mounted thereon for supporting a plurality of sheets in an upright stack thereof, wherein the deck defines a path of travel for respective lowermost sheets to be fed from the stack, and the stack has an upstream end and a downstream end, and improvement for facilitating feeding lowermost sheets from the stack the improvement comprising:

• (a) a platform connected to the framework, the platform including a base wall portion having a longitudinal length extending upstream from the upstream end of the deck;
• (b) a stack supporting member;
• (c) means for adjustably mounting the stack supporting member on the platform, the mounting means including first means for moving the stack supporting member transversely of the longitudinal length of the platform, and second means for moving the stack supporting member along the longitudinal length of the platform and thus toward and away from the stack for selectively positioning the stack supporting member's downstream marginal edge beneath the stack, the stack supporting member comprising;
• (i) an adjustably fixed connection to the first moving means, the improvement further including means for connecting the first and second moving means to connect the second moving means and stack supporting member to one another;
• (ii) an upright upper wall portion having a lower end and a lower wall portion extending upstream from the upper wall portion's lower end and forming therewith an elongate downstream marginal edge having a wedge shaped transverse cross-section;
• and
• (iii) a slideway, the first moving means including a rail, the rail including an elongate slide portion extending transversely of and in overlaying relationship with the platform's base wall portion, the slide portion dimensioned for mounting thereon the stack supporting member's slideway for slidably moving the member transversely of the platform, and the first moving means including means for adjustably fixedly locating the member on the slide portion.