Provided are a floating restricting member restricting the floating position of a bundle of sheets; and a holding mechanism holding the floating restricting member relative to a side fence. The floating restricting member includes a sheet contact section being brought into contact with the sheets from above; and a sheet-floating restricting section restricting the floating position of the floating sheet that is floated while air is blown thereto. The holding mechanism sets the floating restricting member in the initial state where the sheet-floating restricting section restricts the floating position of the sheet, in the sheet-placing time retracted state where the sheets are pushed against the sheet contact section so that the floating restricting member is retracted, and in the sheet-ejecting time retracted state where, when the sheets are to be removed, the sheet is pushed against the sheet contact section from below so that the floating restricting member is retracted.

A sheet feeding device has a mounting portion allowing a stack of sheets to be mounted in a top-bottom direction, a suction/transportation portion provided above the mounting portion for attracting a first sheet positioned on top of the stack, and a blowing portion for blowing air to a foremost edge of the first sheet in a transportation direction while the first sheet is being attracted by the suction/transportation portion, thereby separating the first sheet from a second sheet next to the first sheet. After the first sheet is separated from the second sheet, the suction/transportation portion transports the first sheet in the transportation direction. The suction/transportation portion sets a suction force applied to the foremost edge of the first sheet smaller when the blowing portion blows air to the first sheet than when the suction/transportation portion transports the first sheet.

A medium feeding mechanism includes: a feeder that feeds a medium; a transport path that is coupled to the feeder; a transporter that transports the medium through the transport path; a transport drive that drives the transporter; an entry detection sensor that detects when the medium fed from the feeder has entered the transport path; a take-in transporter that takes in the medium transported by the transporter; and a transport controller that controls the feeder and the take-in transporter, wherein when the entry detection sensor detects entry of the medium at a time that falls within a first range set in advance, the controller controls the take-in transporter so as to take in the medium, and when the entry detection sensor detects entry of the medium at a time that falls within a second range following the first range.

A controller controls a floating unit and a conveyor to convey a sheet to a supply destination, and performs a following control of acquiring a detection value of a detector which detects an output signal acquired due to an input to a side of a sheet stack, during floating of sheets floated by the floating unit each time a sheet is conveyed by the conveyor and lifting a stacking tray upon the acquired detection value being less than a threshold value. The controller controls the floating unit and the conveyor to perform a feeding retry upon an occurrence of empty feeding in the conveyor, and determines the threshold value such that a target position for a height position of an upper surface of the sheet stack in the following control is a position where empty feeding is more likely to occur than multiple sheet feeding in the conveyor.

The control apparatus includes an acquisition unit, an air volume setting unit, and an air blow control unit. The air volume setting unit sets a volume of air to be blown toward the plurality of sheets from a separation blower based on the information on the processing job acquired by the acquisition unit or by manipulation of a user. When the air volume is changed from a first air volume to a second air volume different from the first air volume by the user, the air volume setting unit maintains the air volume as the second air volume, irrespective of the information on the processing job acquired by the acquisition unit, until the air volume is changed from the second air volume to an air volume different from the second air volume by the user.

Sheet feeding device (1) comprising an elevator (2) for a stack of sheets, and an air supply system (3) configured to supply and direct one of more air streams towards an upper region (4) of the sheet feeding device (1) for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator (2) comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device (1) comprises a first side support member (6) and a second side support member (7) configured to sideways support respective opposite sides of the stack of sheets, wherein the sheet feeding device (1) further comprises a vacuum belt feeder (8) provided above the elevator (2) and configured to grab and feed an uppermost sheet of the floated sheets away from the floated sheets, and wherein an upper portion of each side support member (6, 7) is provided with at least one respective cam (9) comprising a respective guide surface extending obliquely upwards-inwards from the respective side support member (6, 7).

A feeding device comprises a suction feeding unit having a belt for feeding a sheet in a suction state and a belt driving unit, a sheet detection sensor, and a control unit. The control unit controls the belt drive unit so as to feed the sheet in a feeding direction at a first speed. If the sheet does not arrive at the sheet detection sensor, the control unit controls the belt drive unit so as to execute a low-speed feeding of moving the belt in the feeding direction at a second speed lower than the first speed or so as to execute a reverse feeding of moving the belt in a reverse feeding direction opposite to the feeding direction.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet loader, a first conveyor, a second conveyor, and a guide. The sheet loader is configured to load a sheet bundle including a sheet with a flap. The first conveyor is configured to convey the sheet with the flap loaded on the sheet loader. The second conveyor is disposed adjacent to the first conveyor. The guide is disposed below the flap of the sheet to be conveyed, between the second conveyor and the sheet loader in a sheet conveying direction of the sheet, and is configured to guide the sheet.

A paper feeding apparatus includes a tray, an air blower, a floating detector, and a hardware processor. In the tray, a sheet of paper is loaded. The air blower blows air to the sheet loaded in the tray to float the sheet. The floating detector is provided above the sheet loaded in the tray and detects the floating of the sheet to a predetermined level. The hardware processor causes the air blower to blow the air and determines a basis weight of the sheet loaded in the tray from an air amount that has caused the floating detector to detect the floating of the sheet.

A paper input module for use in a printing apparatus includes a substantially closed box for holding a stack of sheets of a print substrate; a duct in fluid connection with the closed box and arranged for transporting a sheet of the print substrate out of the paper input module; and a transport mechanism for engaging a sheet of the print substrate to exit the paper input module via the duct. A method for conditioning a stack of print substrates in such a paper input module is also disclosed.