A feeding apparatus comprises: a blower unit that is able to perform a first air blowing operation on sheets which are stacked on a stacking unit, and a second air blowing operation that volume of air blowing is smaller than volume of air blowing in the first air blowing operation; a feeding unit, brought into contact with the sheets stacked on the stacking unit and located on a feeding position to which feeding is performed while pressing the sheets from above, for feeding the sheets that have performed the first air blowing operation; and a control unit for controlling the blower unit to perform the first air blowing operation until a start of feeding by the feeding unit so as to separate the sheets stacked on the stacking unit.

A paper sheet conveyance device for generating an airstream in a conveyance duct and for conveying a paper sheet inserted into the conveyance duct by being pushed from behind by a conveyance subsidiary body moving in the conveyance duct by receiving the airstream. The paper sheet conveyance device includes an air volume adjustment unit that adjusts a strength of the airstream according to a position of the conveyance subsidiary body moving in the conveyance path.

A paper sheet conveyance device for generating an airstream in a conveyance duct and for conveying a paper sheet inserted into the conveyance duct by being pushed from behind by a conveyance subsidiary body moving in the conveyance duct by receiving the airstream. The paper sheet conveyance device includes an air volume adjustment unit that adjusts a strength of the airstream according to a position of the conveyance subsidiary body moving in the conveyance path.

A paper feeder for transporting paper sheets, includes: a head fan that blows air on the paper sheets; a suction fan that applies negative pressure to the paper sheets blown by the head fan; a switching member that changes the direction of the air from the head fan; a head shutter that blocks the flow of the air directed by the switching member; and a hardware processor that determines the blocking time of the airflow, wherein the switching member changes the air direction between a first direction for floating the paper sheets and a second direction toward the suction fan, and the hardware processor determines stop timing of the air blow in the second direction directed by the switching member as the start timing of clocking the blocking time of the airflow, based on the weight and the resistance to an external force of the paper sheets.

A paper feeder for transporting paper sheets, includes: a head fan that blows air on the paper sheets; a suction fan that applies negative pressure to the paper sheets blown by the head fan; a switching member that changes the direction of the air from the head fan; a head shutter that blocks the flow of the air directed by the switching member; and a hardware processor that determines the blocking time of the airflow, wherein the switching member changes the air direction between a first direction for floating the paper sheets and a second direction toward the suction fan, and the hardware processor determines stop timing of the air blow in the second direction directed by the switching member as the start timing of clocking the blocking time of the airflow, based on the weight and the resistance to an external force of the paper sheets.

A vacuum semiconductor wafer laminator system. The system comprises a fan, a first outer air duct coupled to the fan and configured to direct air blown by the fan towards a first side of a semiconductor wafer box, a second outer air duct coupled to the fan and configured to direct air blown by the fan towards a second opposing side of the wafer box, a first inner air duct coupled to the fan and configured to direct air blown by the fan towards the first side of the wafer box, a second inner air duct coupled to the fan an configured to direct air blown by the fan towards the second side of the wafer box, and a robot arm configured to pick up a semiconductor wafer from the wafer box and place the semiconductor wafer on a dicing tape.

A method for feeding sheets of paper comprises the following steps: providing a stack of papers on a storage surface of a paper feeding device; providing a flow of air for separating an uppermost sheet of paper from the rest of the stack of papers; determining the vertical position of the uppermost sheet of paper; adjusting the flow of air in dependence on the determined vertical position of the uppermost sheet of paper; and repeating the steps of determining the vertical position of the uppermost sheet of paper and adjusting the flow of air in dependence on the determined vertical position of the uppermost sheet of paper. During continuous operation, the flow of air is controlled in cycles with one part of the cycle, preferably the first part of the cycle, with a higher flow of air, and one part of the cycle, preferably the second part of the cycle, with a lower flow of air. By imparting the uppermost sheet of paper a pulsating movement up and down, the problems associated with electrostatic charging are mitigated.

A method for feeding sheets of paper comprises the following steps: providing a stack of papers on a storage surface of a paper feeding device; providing a flow of air for separating an uppermost sheet of paper from the rest of the stack of papers; determining the vertical position of the uppermost sheet of paper; adjusting the flow of air in dependence on the determined vertical position of the uppermost sheet of paper; and repeating the steps of determining the vertical position of the uppermost sheet of paper and adjusting the flow of air in dependence on the determined vertical position of the uppermost sheet of paper. During continuous operation, the flow of air is controlled in cycles with one part of the cycle, preferably the first part of the cycle, with a higher flow of air, and one part of the cycle, preferably the second part of the cycle, with a lower flow of air. By imparting the uppermost sheet of paper a pulsating movement up and down, the problems associated with electrostatic charging are mitigated.

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a conveyance section, an attraction section, an image forming section, and a hardware processor. The conveyance section includes conveyance surfaces on each of which a sheet can be placed and that conveys the sheet placed thereon. The attraction section that attracts the sheet onto the conveyance surfaces by sucking air from suction holes. The image forming section forms an image on the sheet. When a decrease of an attraction force by the attraction section is caused in executing a print job, the hardware processor causes one or more of the conveyance surfaces to suck and convey a non-print job sheet and then causes the one or more of the conveyance surfaces to consecutively suck and convey a print job sheet, and does not perform image formation on the non-print job sheet and performs the image formation on the print job sheet.

A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding sheets is provided with a delivery roller for delivering sheets on a stack tray, and an air blower mechanism for blowing air to the sheets on the stack tray, and selects to execute one of first operation for blowing air to the sheets to handle the sheets on the stack tray in a state in which the delivery roller is brought into contact with the sheets stacked on the stack tray, and second operation for blowing air to the sheets on the stack tray to handle the sheets in a state in which the delivery roller is retracted from the sheets stacked on the stack tray.