A sheet feeding device includes a tray to store a stack of sheets, and a sheet elevation mechanism provided at the bottom of the tray to lift the stack of sheets until a top sheet of the stack of sheets reaches a predetermined height position. A paper feed roller is disposed above the tray to come in contact with the top sheet having reached the predetermined height position and rotated by a motor to deliver the top sheet from the tray. Additionally, the sheet feed device includes a controller to control the sheet elevation mechanism based on a drive torque of the motor to adjust the height position of the stack of sheets, after delivery of the first sheet from the tray by the paper feed roller and upon delivery of a second sheet by the paper feed roller. The frictional force to be produced between the second sheet and the paper feed roller is substantially equal to the frictional force produced between the first sheet and the paper feed roller during delivery of the first sheet.

A sheet feeding device includes a tray to store a stack of sheets, and a sheet elevation mechanism provided at the bottom of the tray to lift the stack of sheets until a top sheet of the stack of sheets reaches a predetermined height position. A paper feed roller is disposed above the tray to come in contact with the top sheet having reached the predetermined height position and rotated by a motor to deliver the top sheet from the tray. Additionally, the sheet feed device includes a controller to control the sheet elevation mechanism based on a drive torque of the motor to adjust the height position of the stack of sheets, after delivery of the first sheet from the tray by the paper feed roller and upon delivery of a second sheet by the paper feed roller. The frictional force to be produced between the second sheet and the paper feed roller is substantially equal to the frictional force produced between the first sheet and the paper feed roller during delivery of the first sheet.

A sheet supplying apparatus includes a supplying roller, a supply tray, and a lifting/lowering member having a protrusion. The pressure plate includes a pressure plate body and a contact member supported by the pressure plate body so as to be movable between a first position and a second position. The contact member is pushed up and lowered with the pressure plate body while being in contact with the protrusion at the first position in a state in which the protrusion is placed below the pressure plate body. The contact member moves to the second position at which the contact member is escaped from the lifting/lowering member when the protrusion moves from a position higher than the pressure plate toward a position lower than the pressure plate. The contact member moves to the first position when the lifting/lowering member moves to the position lower than the pressure plate.

A sheet supplying apparatus includes a supplying roller, a supply tray, and a lifting/lowering member having a protrusion. The pressure plate includes a pressure plate body and a contact member supported by the pressure plate body so as to be movable between a first position and a second position. The contact member is pushed up and lowered with the pressure plate body while being in contact with the protrusion at the first position in a state in which the protrusion is placed below the pressure plate body. The contact member moves to the second position at which the contact member is escaped from the lifting/lowering member when the protrusion moves from a position higher than the pressure plate toward a position lower than the pressure plate. The contact member moves to the first position when the lifting/lowering member moves to the position lower than the pressure plate.

An image forming apparatus comprises a tray, a conveyor, a detector and a movement mechanism. The tray accommodates at least one document. The conveyor conveys the document placed on the tray. The detector detects that the document is placed on the tray. The movement mechanism moves the tray from a first position to a second position closer to the conveyor than the first position based on the detection that the document is placed on the tray, and after moving the tray from the first position to the second position, moves the tray to the first position based on a setting of a mixed stacking mode in which mixing of the documents with different sizes on the tray is permitted.

A recording-medium container includes a press portion and an urging member. The press portion is disposed to be movable toward and away from a side of a recording medium stack loaded in the recording-medium container, and pressed against the side. The urging member urges the press portion toward the recording medium stack when a quantity of the recording medium stack exceeds a predetermined load.

A recording-medium container includes a press portion and an urging member. The press portion is disposed to be movable toward and away from a side of a recording medium stack loaded in the recording-medium container, and pressed against the side. The urging member urges the press portion toward the recording medium stack when a quantity of the recording medium stack exceeds a predetermined load.

A recording apparatus includes a placement unit on which sheets of paper are placed, a feeder that feeds a sheet, thrust mechanisms that push up the placement unit toward the feeder, and an edge guide. Each of the thrust mechanisms includes a coil spring that imparts an urging force to the placement unit, one case that is mounted on the placement unit and receives the coil spring from one end thereof and accommodates the coil spring, and another case that is disposed so as to partially overlap the one case and receives the coil spring from the other end thereof and accommodates the coil spring. The one case and the other case are configured to be movable relative to each other in the urging direction of the coil spring and to be rotatable together in the circumferential direction.

A recording apparatus includes a placement unit on which sheets of paper are placed, a feeder that feeds a sheet, thrust mechanisms that push up the placement unit toward the feeder, and an edge guide. Each of the thrust mechanisms includes a coil spring that imparts an urging force to the placement unit, one case that is mounted on the placement unit and receives the coil spring from one end thereof and accommodates the coil spring, and another case that is disposed so as to partially overlap the one case and receives the coil spring from the other end thereof and accommodates the coil spring. The one case and the other case are configured to be movable relative to each other in the urging direction of the coil spring and to be rotatable together in the circumferential direction.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet stacking unit to stack a plurality of sheets, a feeding unit to feed sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit, a separation unit, and a moving unit provided with at least a first moving member and a second moving member. The separation unit contacts the sheets fed by the feeding unit and separates a sheet from the sheets. The moving unit contacts the first and the second moving members to move a sheet contacting the first and the second moving members to an upstream side in a feeding direction. A leading edge of the sheet is positioned between the separation unit and the feeding unit. When pressed by the sheet, the first and the second moving members are configured to thrust-move independently of each other.