A media feeding apparatus includes a media mounting section, a first feed roller, a media pressing section for pressing media sheets against the first feed roller, and a pressing force adjuster for adjusting the pressing force of the media pressing section. The controller sets the pressing force of the media pressing section to first pressing force and drives the first feed roller and the second feed roller in a forward rotation direction, and in a case in which the first detector detects a passage of a leading edge of the media sheet and the second detector detects no passage of the leading edge of the media sheet after predetermined first set time has passed, the controller continues the rotation of the first feed roller and the second feed roller with second pressing force of the media pressing section greater than or equal to the first pressing force.

A sheet conveying device includes a sheet container, an air blower, and a guide. The sheet container is configured to store a plurality of sheets. The air blower is configured to blow air to the plurality of sheets to separate a single sheet from subsequent sheets of the plurality of sheets. The guide is configured to contact a surface of the single sheet separated from the subsequent sheets of the plurality of sheets over a given region downstream from any position of an upstream region in a sheet conveyance direction to guide the single sheet. The upstream region is from an upstream end to a center of the single sheet in the sheet conveyance direction.

A sheet conveying device includes a sheet container, an air blower, and a guide. The sheet container is configured to store a plurality of sheets. The air blower is configured to blow air to the plurality of sheets to separate a single sheet from subsequent sheets of the plurality of sheets. The guide is configured to contact a surface of the single sheet separated from the subsequent sheets of the plurality of sheets over a given region downstream from any position of an upstream region in a sheet conveyance direction to guide the single sheet. The upstream region is from an upstream end to a center of the single sheet in the sheet conveyance direction.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller, a separation roller which nips a medium between the separation roller and the feeding roller to separate the medium and to which a driving torque is applied by a driving source in a second rotation direction that is opposite to a first rotation direction in which the medium is fed to a downstream side, and a torque limiter that causes the separation roller to idle in the first rotation direction when a rotational torque applied to the separation roller in the first rotation direction exceeds a limit torque that is a predetermined upper torque limit, in which separation setting including a pressing load of the separation roller, a rotational speed of the separation roller, and the limit torque is changeable according to condition of feeding.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller, a separation roller which nips a medium between the separation roller and the feeding roller to separate the medium and to which a driving torque is applied by a driving source in a second rotation direction that is opposite to a first rotation direction in which the medium is fed to a downstream side, and a torque limiter that causes the separation roller to idle in the first rotation direction when a rotational torque applied to the separation roller in the first rotation direction exceeds a limit torque that is a predetermined upper torque limit, in which separation setting including a pressing load of the separation roller, a rotational speed of the separation roller, and the limit torque is changeable according to condition of feeding.

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked, and a one-way clutch configured such that (i) in delivering the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion toward a separation nip, rotation of a drive shaft in a first rotational direction is transmitted through the one-way clutch, a drive gear and a gear train rotate a pick-up roller without slipping of the one-way clutch, and (ii) after a leading edge of the sheet has reached the separation nip, the pick-up roller is dragged and rotated by the sheet conveyed by a feed roller, rotation of the pick-up roller is transmitted through the gear train to the drive gear, and the drive gear is rotated in the first rotational direction with respect to the drive shaft that is rotated in the first rotational direction while the one-way clutch is slipping.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked, and a one-way clutch configured such that (i) in delivering the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion toward a separation nip, rotation of a drive shaft in a first rotational direction is transmitted through the one-way clutch, a drive gear and a gear train rotate a pick-up roller without slipping of the one-way clutch, and (ii) after a leading edge of the sheet has reached the separation nip, the pick-up roller is dragged and rotated by the sheet conveyed by a feed roller, rotation of the pick-up roller is transmitted through the gear train to the drive gear, and the drive gear is rotated in the first rotational direction with respect to the drive shaft that is rotated in the first rotational direction while the one-way clutch is slipping.

A sheet supplying device includes: an air blow opening configured to blow air to a side portion of an uppermost part of stacked sheets; and a flow adjuster extending from above the air blow opening over an edge of a top sheet of the stacked sheets and configured to cause an air flow blown from the air blow opening to travel along an upper surface of the top sheet of the stacked sheets.