A paper feed apparatus comprises a paper feed section, a separation section, a rotating body and a control device. The paper feed section feeds an image receiving medium that is placed. The separation section is arranged at a downstream side of the paper feed section in a conveyance direction of the image receiving medium. If a plurality of the image receiving media fed from the paper feed section is overlapped, the separation section separates the plurality of the image receiving media that is overlapped. The rotating body is arranged at the upstream side of the separation section in the conveyance direction of the image receiving medium. The rotating body is capable of contacting with the placed image receiving medium. The rotating body is rotatable. The control device carries out control to rotate the rotating body at least before an operation of the paper feed section.

An object of the invention is to provide a sheet materials separation-aiding apparatus capable of creating a gap between a specific sheet material and a sheet material coming into contact with the lower surface thereof even when the location precision of a stack of laminated sheet materials is low in the height direction of the stack of laminated sheet materials and in the direction orthogonal to the height direction.

A recording apparatus comprises: a medium tray on which a medium is set vertically, or with a tilt; a feed roller that feeds the medium set on the medium tray by rotating while being in contact with the medium; a recording unit that performs recording on the medium; an urging mechanism for urging the medium and/or the feed roller in a direction of coming closer; and a restricting portion that faces a recording surface at a lower edge portion of the medium set on the medium tray and restricts movement of the lower edge of the medium, wherein the feed roller feeds the medium so that the lower edge of the medium can get over an upper end of the restricting portion.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a feed roller to feed a medium, a driving source to generate a driving force for driving the feed roller, a driving force transmission assembly to transmit the driving force to the feed roller, an applying part to apply a load against rotation of the feed roller, and control circuitry to control the driving source. The control circuitry controls the driving source to stop the feed roller and keeps the driving force transmission assembly static.

A system for manufacturing battery cells and methods for utilizing the system are presented. The system includes a feed rotator that contacts an uppermost electrode sheet in a stack of electrode sheets, a fixed stop positioned adjacent to the feed rotator, and a bi-directional drive coupled to the feed rotator and operable to rotate the feed rotator in a first direction to force the uppermost electrode sheet against the fixed stop and immediately thereafter rotate the feed rotator in a second direction opposite to the first direction to feed the uppermost electrode sheet away from the stack.