Medium transporting unit and medium processing apparatus

A medium transporting unit for transporting a top medium from a plurality of plate-shaped media accommodated in a stacker in a stacked manner, the medium transporting unit comprising:

• a holding mechanism operable to hold the top medium;
• a transport arm provided with the holding mechanism;
• and
• a lift mechanism operable to move up and down the transport arm,
• wherein the transport arm is provided with a separation mechanism operable to separate a second medium positioned just below the top medium which is held by the holding mechanism,
• wherein the separation mechanism includes a separation member having a contact piece which is movable so as to come in contact with an inner peripheral surface of a center hole formed on the second medium and being operable to move the contact piece to move the second medium in a radial direction thereof,
• wherein the separation mechanism is configured such that the contact piece of the separation member comes in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the center hole of the second medium and separates the second medium from the top medium while the lift mechanism moves up the transport arm after the holding mechanism holds the top medium.