Paper feeding device

A paper feed apparatus having a paper-sheet pickup mechanism to pick up a plurality of paper sheets stacked on a chute one by one from the bottom and carrying the paper sheets to a predetermined standby position, the apparatus comprising:

• a gate disposed facing a pickup roller almost vertically with respect to the direction of paper feed to form a predetermined clearance;
• a paper-sheet separating pad disposed in sliding contact with the pickup roller to pick up the paper placed on the standby position one by one;
• and
• a pickup arm that can be driven to be moved upward when setting paper sheets and downward when feeding paper sheets to push from above the paper sheets stacked on a chute near a paper-sheet feed port;
• wherein a rotating fulcrum of the pickup arm is provided at such a location that the tip of the pickup arm pushes paper sheets at a location away from the gate as the number of paper sheets stacked on the chute increases.

A paper feed apparatus having a paper-sheet pickup mechanism to pick up a plurality of paper sheets stacked on a chute one by one from the bottom and carrying the paper sheets to a predetermined standby position, the apparatus comprising:

• a gate disposed facing a pickup roller almost vertically with respect to the direction of paper feed to form a predetermined clearance;
• a paper-sheet separating pad disposed in sliding contact with the pickup roller to pick up the paper placed on the standby position one by one;
• and
• a pickup arm that can be driven to be moved upward when setting paper sheets and downward when feeding paper sheets to push from above the paper sheets stacked on a chute near a paper-sheet feed port;
• wherein a paper-sheet retaining member having such a shape as to hold down the upward warping of paper sheets stacked on the chute is provided at the tip of the pickup arm.

A paper feed apparatus having a paper-sheet pickup mechanism to pick up a plurality of paper sheets stacked on a chute one by one from the bottom and carrying the paper sheets to a predetermined standby position, the apparatus comprising:

• a gate disposed facing a pickup roller almost vertically with respect to the direction of paper feed to form a predetermined clearance;
• a paper-sheet separating pad disposed in sliding contact with the pickup roller to pick up the paper placed on the standby position one by one;
• and
• a pickup arm that can be driven to be moved upward when setting paper sheets and downward when feeding paper sheets to push from above the paper sheets stacked on a chute near a paper-sheet feed port;
• wherein a pre-pickup roller that can be driven in such a manner as to be moved upward when setting paper sheets and downward when feeding paper sheets, rotating at a peripheral speed lower than the peripheral speed of the pickup roller so as to pre-pick up paper sheets stacked on the chute to transport to the gate is provided.