High capacity sheet feeders for high volume printers

A high speed sheet feeder for directing sheets to a host utilization device having a stack feed elevator platform accessed by a drawer, a utilization device singulator for driving sheets from a stack of sheets located on the stack feed elevator platform and a stack level sensor constructed and arranged to at least one of (1) move the stack feed elevator platform to locate a top sheet of the stack adjacent the utilization device singulator and (2) indicate a fault, in response to a sensed level of a top sheet in the stack relative to the utilization device singulator, the sheet feeder comprising:

• a feed structure for supporting a stack of sheets;
• a base structure for supporting the feed structure relative to a floor surface;
• a feeder singulator for deshingling sheets from the stack located on the feed structure;
• a feed tray located remote from the feeder singulator for receiving sheets from the feeder singulator, the feed tray including a space for forming a second stack of sheets therein and the feed tray further including an opening proximate the second stack so that the sheets can be removed from the top of the second stack, the feed tray being positionable through a port in the drawer so that the second stack of sheets is positioned proximate the utlization device singulator;
• and
• wherein the feed tray extends from the feed structure at a position suspended over the floor and wherein the feed tray is constructed and arranged to engage the stack level sensor when the feed tray is positioned through the port within the drawer so that the stack level sensor indicates presence of a top sheet of the stack at a location that engages the utilization device singulator.