A sheet feeding device includes a feeder, a contact member, a movement restricting member, a moving mechanism, and control circuitry. The feeder is configured to feed a sheet. A leading end of the sheet in a feeding direction is to contact the contact member. The movement restricting member is configured to lock the contact member to restrict movement of the contact member from a contact position where the contact member contacts the sheet. The moving mechanism is configured to move the movement restricting member between a locking position and a lock releasing position. The contact member is configured to take the contact position by gravity or a biasing force of a biasing part. The control circuitry is configured to control the moving mechanism to move the movement restricting member to the lock releasing position and then to the locking position when a feeding operation of the sheet is finished.

A conveyance unit includes a cassette removably attached to an apparatus body and a conveyance interlocked part provided in the apparatus body. The cassette includes a sheet storage part for storing a sheet, a lift plate liftably provided between a lowered position and a raised position and a biasing member for biasing the sheet to contact with a pickup roller. The conveyance interlocked part includes a lever for engaging with the lift plate when the cassette is attached to the apparatus body and being liftable together with the lift plate, a pressing mechanism for pressing the lever downward, and a support member provided between the apparatus body and the lever so as to suppress a drop of the lever disengaged from the lift plate when the cassette is detached from the apparatus body.

A gripper arrangement for lifting a flexible semi-finished product from a support, wherein the gripper arrangement comprises a flexible semi-finished product resting on a support and at least one pair of grippers with a suction gripper or needle gripper and with at least one clamping gripper, wherein the suction or needle gripper is pivotable around an axis between a pick-up position for picking up an edge of the flexible semi-finished product and a transfer position for transferring the edge of the flexible semi-finished product to the clamping gripper. Furthermore, a corresponding method is described.

A gripper arrangement for lifting a flexible semi-finished product from a support, wherein the gripper arrangement comprises a flexible semi-finished product resting on a support and at least one pair of grippers with a suction gripper or needle gripper and with at least one clamping gripper, wherein the suction or needle gripper is pivotable around an axis between a pick-up position for picking up an edge of the flexible semi-finished product and a transfer position for transferring the edge of the flexible semi-finished product to the clamping gripper. Furthermore, a corresponding method is described.

A height regulating portion is integrally formed with a pressing member provided in a first side regulating plate configured to regulate a position of a sheet in a sheet feed cassette, and the pressing member is provided turnably in the first side regulating plate and movably to project and retract positions. Then, when the sheet abuts with the height regulating portion and the height regulating portion is pressed from above by the sheet when the sheet is stored, the pressing member is moved, while turning, to the retract position.

A sheet feeding apparatus has a conveying roller, a separation member which presses against the conveying roller to form a separation nip portion that separates received sheets one by one, a feeding member configured to feed a sheet towards the separation nip portion, a nip guide member having a first guide portion configured to contact with a leading edge of the sheet fed by the feeding member and a second guide portion disposed at facing position to the conveying roller and configured to guide the sheet abutted with the first guide portion for the separation nip portion and a biasing member configured to bias the nip guide member. The nip guide member rotates around a rotation shaft and the second guide portion is disposed at predetermined distance from the conveying roller and moves in a direction of separating from the conveying roller against biasing force by the biasing member.

A sheet feeding apparatus has a conveying roller, a separation member which presses against the conveying roller to form a separation nip portion that separates received sheets one by one, a feeding member configured to feed a sheet towards the separation nip portion, a nip guide member having a first guide portion configured to contact with a leading edge of the sheet fed by the feeding member and a second guide portion disposed at facing position to the conveying roller and configured to guide the sheet abutted with the first guide portion for the separation nip portion and a biasing member configured to bias the nip guide member. The nip guide member rotates around a rotation shaft and the second guide portion is disposed at predetermined distance from the conveying roller and moves in a direction of separating from the conveying roller against biasing force by the biasing member.

An items processing apparatus for placement and singulation of flat items has a placement device and a feed deck and a separation device. A portion of the placement device is arranged below the placement deck of the apparatus. The feed deck has an opening for an separation roller, and a portion of the separation device arranged above the feed deck. This portion and the separation roller form a gate of the separation device for the singulation of a stack of flat items. A control computer controls the placement device and separation device. The placement device is equipped for edge alignment of a stack of flat items with different formats and has at least two transport elements, which enable an automatic displacement of the stack transverse to the transport direction and placement of the stack at an alignment wall, as well as a transport of the stack in the transport direction toward the feed deck of the separation device, as well as a displacement of the stack counter to the transport direction. A movement assembly is provided to move the portion of the separation device in a direction counter to the transport direction. The control computer controls the alignment state of the transport elements of the placement device of the items processing apparatus, and controls the movement of the portion of the separation device. The aforementioned portion enables a displacement of the stack counter to the transport direction.

A sheet conveyance apparatus is equipped with a stacking portion on which sheets are stacked, a rotator conveying a sheet by rotating in a contact state with the sheet stacked on the stacking portion, a separating member pressing the rotator and separating the sheets one by one at a contact portion where the rotator and the separating member contact each other, and a holder holding the separating member. A guide portion is rotatably provided with the holder and capable of guiding a front end of the sheet to the contact portion, and a regulating portion regulates the guide portion from rotating in a direction approximating the rotator in a state where the guide portion contacts against the regulating portion. The guide portion can be rotated in a direction separating from the rotator in a state where the separating member presses the rotator.

A sheet conveyance apparatus is equipped with a stacking portion on which sheets are stacked, a rotator conveying a sheet by rotating in a contact state with the sheet stacked on the stacking portion, a separating member pressing the rotator and separating the sheets one by one at a contact portion where the rotator and the separating member contact each other, and a holder holding the separating member. A guide portion is rotatably provided with the holder and capable of guiding a front end of the sheet to the contact portion, and a regulating portion regulates the guide portion from rotating in a direction approximating the rotator in a state where the guide portion contacts against the regulating portion. The guide portion can be rotated in a direction separating from the rotator in a state where the separating member presses the rotator.