A discharge unit discharges the sheet has an image. A switching unit switches between stacking the sheet discharged from the discharge unit on a stacking unit or conveying the sheet the discharge unit toward an image reading apparatus. A conveyance unit conveys the sheet conveyed via the switching unit to a reading unit. A cooling unit cools the sheet discharged from the discharge unit or cools the reading unit.

A discharge unit discharges the sheet has an image. A switching unit switches between stacking the sheet discharged from the discharge unit on a stacking unit or conveying the sheet the discharge unit toward an image reading apparatus. A conveyance unit conveys the sheet conveyed via the switching unit to a reading unit. A cooling unit cools the sheet discharged from the discharge unit or cools the reading unit.

There is provided a feed apparatus including a support unit, a feed roller, a swingable arm to support the feed roller, a guide unit, a movable member movable to a retracted position and a protruding position at which the movable member can abut against the sheet supported by the support unit, a driving source, driving transmission units; and a contact-separating mechanism to move the feed roller to a separated position and an abutment position at which the feed roller abuts against the sheet supported by the support unit. In a state in which the movable member is the protruding position and the feed roller is the separated position, a time required to start feeding of the sheet by the feed roller moved from the separated position to the abutment position is longer than a time required to shift the movable member from the protruding position to the retracted position.

There is provided a feed apparatus including a support unit, a feed roller, a swingable arm to support the feed roller, a guide unit, a movable member movable to a retracted position and a protruding position at which the movable member can abut against the sheet supported by the support unit, a driving source, driving transmission units; and a contact-separating mechanism to move the feed roller to a separated position and an abutment position at which the feed roller abuts against the sheet supported by the support unit. In a state in which the movable member is the protruding position and the feed roller is the separated position, a time required to start feeding of the sheet by the feed roller moved from the separated position to the abutment position is longer than a time required to shift the movable member from the protruding position to the retracted position.

A sheet feeder includes a manual feeding tray to stack a sheet, the tray being openable and closable to a main body by rotation about a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction; a sheet width regulating member provided in the manual feeding tray to regulate a side edge of the sheet in a sheet width direction and to have a variable regulating width; an auxiliary tray that does not move with an opening/closing operation of the manual feeding tray and stacks the sheet with the manual feeding tray; a sheet width regulating member provided in the auxiliary tray to regulate the side edge of the sheet and to have a variable regulating width; a link member interlocking the regulating members; and a feeding roller provided in the main body to individually feed the sheet stacked over the manual feeding tray and the auxiliary tray.

A sheet feeder includes a manual feeding tray to stack a sheet, the tray being openable and closable to a main body by rotation about a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction; a sheet width regulating member provided in the manual feeding tray to regulate a side edge of the sheet in a sheet width direction and to have a variable regulating width; an auxiliary tray that does not move with an opening/closing operation of the manual feeding tray and stacks the sheet with the manual feeding tray; a sheet width regulating member provided in the auxiliary tray to regulate the side edge of the sheet and to have a variable regulating width; a link member interlocking the regulating members; and a feeding roller provided in the main body to individually feed the sheet stacked over the manual feeding tray and the auxiliary tray.

A sheet feeding device having sheet feed tray configured to support multiple sheets be movably inserted to a main body. A sheet feed roller is configured to contact the sheet supported by the sheet feed tray and rotate to apply a feeding force to feed the sheet in a sheet feed direction. The sheet feed roller is configured to contact the sheet feed tray when there is no sheet on the sheet feed tray. A push latch mechanism is arranged on a downstream side with respect to the sheet feed roller in the sheet feed direction. A state of the push latch mechanism is alternately switched between an engaged state and a disengaged state every time when a pressing force is applied to the push latch mechanism. A first spring is configured to exert an elastic force to move the sheet feed tray toward a near side.

A sheet feeding device having sheet feed tray configured to support multiple sheets be movably inserted to a main body. A sheet feed roller is configured to contact the sheet supported by the sheet feed tray and rotate to apply a feeding force to feed the sheet in a sheet feed direction. The sheet feed roller is configured to contact the sheet feed tray when there is no sheet on the sheet feed tray. A push latch mechanism is arranged on a downstream side with respect to the sheet feed roller in the sheet feed direction. A state of the push latch mechanism is alternately switched between an engaged state and a disengaged state every time when a pressing force is applied to the push latch mechanism. A first spring is configured to exert an elastic force to move the sheet feed tray toward a near side.

The present invention is directed to a method of loading workpieces using a piler conveyor P including a first conveyor which sequentially conveys the workpieces by continuous operation at a first speed, a second conveyor which magnetically attracts, on a lower surface, the workpieces passed from the first conveyor for sequential conveyance by intermittent operation, and a loading frame where the workpieces are placed, the method including a first step S1 of gradually accelerating the second conveyor to the second speed, a second step S2 of operating the second conveyor at the second speed and passing the workpieces 1 from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, a third step S3 of gradually decelerating the second conveyor from the second speed for operation, and a fourth step S4 of stopping the second conveyor and causing the second conveyor to lose a magnetic force and dropping a workpiece 1 positioned above the loading frame onto the loading frame 30, wherein the first speed and the second speed are set at an equal constant speed.

The present invention is directed to a method of loading workpieces using a piler conveyor P including a first conveyor which sequentially conveys the workpieces by continuous operation at a first speed, a second conveyor which magnetically attracts, on a lower surface, the workpieces passed from the first conveyor for sequential conveyance by intermittent operation, and a loading frame where the workpieces are placed, the method including a first step S1 of gradually accelerating the second conveyor to the second speed, a second step S2 of operating the second conveyor at the second speed and passing the workpieces 1 from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, a third step S3 of gradually decelerating the second conveyor from the second speed for operation, and a fourth step S4 of stopping the second conveyor and causing the second conveyor to lose a magnetic force and dropping a workpiece 1 positioned above the loading frame onto the loading frame 30, wherein the first speed and the second speed are set at an equal constant speed.