Sheet supplying apparatus including first and second sheet supply rollers and a separation roller all made of the same material

A sheet supplying apparatus comprising:

• a sheet stacking means for stacking a plurality of sheets;
• a first rotary sheet supply means for supplying an uppermost sheet of the plurality of sheets on said sheet stacking means;
• a second rotary sheet supply means for supplying a lowermost sheet of the plurality of sheets on said sheet stacking means;
• a rotary separation means disposed between said first and second rotary sheet supply means for selectively cooperating with one of said first and second rotary sheet supply means to pass a single sheet toward a predetermined direction and to separate the other sheets from the single sheet for return, wherein said first and second rotary sheet supply means and said rotary separation means are made of the same material;
• a first drive means for driving said rotary separation means and said first and second rotary sheet supply means;
• a switching means for selectively connecting one of said first rotary sheet supply means and said second rotary sheet supply means to said first drive means and for reversing a rotational direction of said rotary separation means;
• and
• a second drive means for shifting said sheet stacking means to position the sheets thereon at a predetermined position with respect to said first and second rotary sheet supply means, wherein said sheet stacking means is inclined so that the sheets on said sheet stacking means can enter into a nip between said first rotary sheet supply means and said rotary separation means and a nip between said second rotary sheet supply means and said rotary separation means by their own weights.

A sheet supplying apparatus comprising:

• a sheet stacking means for stacking a plurality of sheets;
• a first sheet supply roller for supplying an uppermost sheet of the plurality of sheets on said sheet stacking means;
• a second sheet supply roller for supplying a lowermost sheet of the plurality of sheets on said sheet stacking means;
• a separation roller disposed between said first and second sheet supply rollers for selectively cooperating with one of said first and second sheet supply rollers to pass a single sheet toward a predetermined direction and to separate the other sheets from the single sheet for return, wherein said first sheet supply roller, said second sheet supply roller and said separation roller are made of the same material, and said first and second sheet supply rollers are disposed upstream of said separation roller in a sheet supplying direction;
• and
• a controller for controlling:
• a first drive means for driving said separation roller and said first and second sheet supply rollers;
• a switching means for selectively connecting one of said first and second sheet supply rollers to said first drive means and for reversing a rotational direction of said separation roller;
• and
• a second drive means for shifting said sheet stacking means to position the sheets thereon at a predetermined position with respect to said first and second sheet supply rollers.

A sheet supplying apparatus comprising:

• a sheet stacking means for stacking a plurality of sheets;
• a first sheet supply roller for supplying an uppermost sheet of the plurality of sheets on said sheet stacking means;
• a second sheet supply roller for supplying a lowermost sheet of the plurality of sheets on said sheet stacking means;
• a separation roller disposed between said first and second sheet supply rollers at a downstream side for selectively cooperating with one of said first and second sheet supply rollers to pass a single sheet toward a predetermined direction and to separate the other sheets from the single sheet for return;
• and
• a controller for controlling:
• a first drive means for driving said separation roller and said first and second sheet supply rollers;
• a switching means for selectively connecting one of said first and second rotary sheet supply rollers to said first drive means and for reversing a rotational direction of said separation roller;
• and
• second drive means for shifting said sheet stacking means to position the sheets thereon at a predetermined position with respect to said first and second sheet supply rollers.

A sheet supplying apparatus comprising:

• a sheet stacking means for stacking a plurality of sheets;
• a first sheet supply roller for supplying an uppermost sheet of the plurality of sheets on said sheet stacking means;
• a second sheet supply roller for supplying a lowermost sheet of the plurality of sheets on said sheet stacking means;
• a separation roller disposed between said first and second sheet supply rollers and having a diameter smaller than the respective diameters of said first and second sheet supply rollers, said separation roller selectively cooperating with one of said first and second sheet supply rollers to pass a single sheet toward a predetermined direction and to separate the other sheets from the single sheet for return;
• and
• a controller for controlling:
• a first drive means for driving said separation roller and said first and second sheet supply rollers;
• a switching means for selectively connecting one of said first and second rotary sheet supply rollers to said first drive means and for reversing a rotational direction of said separation roller;
• and
• a second drive means for shifting said sheet stacking means to position the sheets thereon at a predetermined position with respect to said first and second sheet supply rollers.