A medium feeding device includes: a load unit that is loaded with multiple media; a delivering unit that delivers an uppermost medium of the media loaded on the load unit in a predetermined feeding direction; an ascent-descent unit that causes at least a part of the load unit to ascend and descend about a pivot point defined by a position of the load unit located away from a leading edge of the media in the feeding direction; a regulating unit that is provided toward the feeding direction of the media on the load unit and that comes into contact with the leading edge, in the feeding direction, of the media loaded on the load unit to regulate a loading position of the media; and a blocking unit that allows the load unit to ascend and descend and that blocks at least a part of a gap between the load unit and the regulating unit at an arbitrary ascent or descent position of the load unit.

A medium feeding device includes: a load unit that is loaded with multiple media; a delivering unit that delivers an uppermost medium of the media loaded on the load unit in a predetermined feeding direction; an ascent-descent unit that causes at least a part of the load unit to ascend and descend about a pivot point defined by a position of the load unit located away from a leading edge of the media in the feeding direction; a regulating unit that is provided toward the feeding direction of the media on the load unit and that comes into contact with the leading edge, in the feeding direction, of the media loaded on the load unit to regulate a loading position of the media; and a blocking unit that allows the load unit to ascend and descend and that blocks at least a part of a gap between the load unit and the regulating unit at an arbitrary ascent or descent position of the load unit.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion configured to support a sheet, a feed rotary member configured to feed the sheet supported by the sheet supporting portion, a curved conveyance path through which the sheet fed by the feed rotary member passes and which is curved upward, an upper conveyance path disposed above the sheet supporting portion so as to pass through a sheet and configured to join with the curved conveyance path, and a driven rotary member disposed inside of the curved conveyance path in a curved direction thereof and driven to rotate by the sheet passing though the curved conveyance path.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion configured to support a sheet, a feed rotary member configured to feed the sheet supported by the sheet supporting portion, a curved conveyance path through which the sheet fed by the feed rotary member passes and which is curved upward, an upper conveyance path disposed above the sheet supporting portion so as to pass through a sheet and configured to join with the curved conveyance path, and a driven rotary member disposed inside of the curved conveyance path in a curved direction thereof and driven to rotate by the sheet passing though the curved conveyance path.

A sheet feeding device includes: a stacker that stacks sheets of paper; a suction conveyor disposed vertically above the sheets stacked in the stacker for sucking and conveying the sheets; a blower that blows air onto the sheets; and a regulating member disposed on a downstream side of the suction conveyor in a conveyance direction, facing an outlet of the sheets of the suction conveyor and projecting vertically upward, wherein the suction conveyor includes: horizontal portions provided on both ends in a width direction; and a recess provided in an intermediate portion and recessed vertically above the horizontal portions, and a lower limit of a projection height of the regulating member is set so that, when there is a vertical gap between a vertical upper end portion of the regulating member and the horizontal portions, a length of the gap is less than twice a thickness of the sheets.

An infeed alignment device (10) for aligning a carton blank (14) such that a picking device can pick the carton blank. The infeed alignment device comprises an upper alignment member (11) for pushing on an upper part of the carton blank, a lower alignment member (12) for pushing on a lower part of the carton blank, and wherein the upper and/or lower alignment member is configured to push in a push direction on the top and/or the bottom of the carton blank such that the carton blank is in a picking position for the picking device.

A feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller that comes in contact with one of stacked printing media and feeds the printing medium; a support member that supports the feeding roller; an inclined portion that is arranged downstream of the feeding roller in a feeding direction in which the printing medium is fed, the inclined portion being inclined with respect to the stacked printing media; and a restriction member that is arranged downstream of the feeding roller in the feeding direction, the restriction member being capable of coming in contact with the printing medium fed by the feeding roller. The restriction member is provided independently from the support member and is capable of moving between a first position and a second position, the first position being set adjacent to a downstream region of the inclined portion in the feeding direction, the second position being set between the first position and the feeding roller with respect to the feeding direction.

A feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller that comes in contact with one of stacked printing media and feeds the printing medium; a support member that supports the feeding roller; an inclined portion that is arranged downstream of the feeding roller in a feeding direction in which the printing medium is fed, the inclined portion being inclined with respect to the stacked printing media; and a restriction member that is arranged downstream of the feeding roller in the feeding direction, the restriction member being capable of coming in contact with the printing medium fed by the feeding roller. The restriction member is provided independently from the support member and is capable of moving between a first position and a second position, the first position being set adjacent to a downstream region of the inclined portion in the feeding direction, the second position being set between the first position and the feeding roller with respect to the feeding direction.

A lead-in path through which a sheet is led in; a first branch path and a second branch path which branch from the lead-in path; a first switchback path which extends from the first branch path; a second switchback path which extends from the second branch path; a first joining path and a second joining path through which the switched-back sheet is transported; and a lead-out path which extends from a joining point at which the first joining path and the second joining path join with each other, are provided. The lead-out path passes through between the first switchback path and the second switchback path. A first connection point at which the first switchback path and the first joining path are connected to each other is disposed above a second connection point at which the second switchback path and the second joining path are connected to each other.

A lead-in path through which a sheet is led in; a first branch path and a second branch path which branch from the lead-in path; a first switchback path which extends from the first branch path; a second switchback path which extends from the second branch path; a first joining path and a second joining path through which the switched-back sheet is transported; and a lead-out path which extends from a joining point at which the first joining path and the second joining path join with each other, are provided. The lead-out path passes through between the first switchback path and the second switchback path. A first connection point at which the first switchback path and the first joining path are connected to each other is disposed above a second connection point at which the second switchback path and the second joining path are connected to each other.