A sheet feed device includes: a conveyor configured to convey a top sheet of sheets floated from a sheet stack; a blower configured to blow air in an obliquely upward direction from a position lower than the conveyor toward the sheet stack; and a direction converter configured to convert a direction of the air blown by the blower to a direction which is downward more than a direction of the air at a position where the air is blown from the blower and let the air flow in between the top sheet and a second sheet subsequent to the top sheet of the sheets floated from the sheet stack.

A medium feeding device includes a container member that accommodates sheet media, a discharging member located further than the media accommodated in the container member in a discharging direction in which the media are discharged, to discharge the media one by one, a hand-over member disposed above the container member to suck the media accommodated in the container member with air and pass the media to the discharging member, a floating device disposed on a side of the media accommodated in the container member to blow air to an upper area of a side end surface of the media to float the media while an upper portion of the media is separated, a detector that detects a separation state of the medium floated by the floating device, and a controller that controls a medium-feeding operation including a pre-feeding blowing operation and a during-feeding blowing operation, the pre-feeding blowing operation serving as an air blowing operation performed by the floating device before the medium is fed, and the during-feeding blowing operation serving as an air blowing operation performed by the floating device from a start of feeding the medium and an end of feeding the medium. While performing the pre-feeding blowing operation or the during-feeding blowing operation, the controller performs detection with the detector, and on condition that a result of the detection fails to satisfy a preset target range, the controller changes a parameter for the medium-feeding operation including at least one of the pre-feeding blowing operation or the during-feeding blowing operation.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a suctioner that suctions a medium of a plurality of media to a feed belt, a driver that moves the feed belt to feed the medium, a first side blower that blows air at a first airflow rate to a first end face of the medium, a second side blower that blows air at a second airflow rate to a second end face of the medium, and a controller that controls the first side blower to blow air to the first end face at a third airflow rate that is greater than the first airflow rate and the second airflow rate when the medium has not been auctioned to a first portion of the feed belt close to the first end face and has been auctioned to a second portion of the feed belt close to the second end face.

A medium regulating component for use in a medium feeding device feeding sheet media accommodated in an accommodating unit, the component for regulating excessive floating of a medium accommodated in the accommodating unit, the component includes: a regulating member protruding in a horizontal direction from an accommodating unit periphery and contacting the floating medium; a holding member holding the regulating member in a non-contact state with the medium; a first rotating shaft rotatably supporting the regulating member relative to the holding member; and a second rotating shaft rotatably supporting the holding member relative to the accommodating unit, in which when the regulating member receives a pressing force from below in a gravitational direction, rotates about the first rotating shaft in a state where movement of the holding member is suppressed, and pushes the holding member to rotate about the second rotating shaft.

Perforated endless conveying belts are stretched between drive and idle rollers. A suction box is arranged between upper and lower belt portions of the perforated endless conveying belts. Abutment members are attached to positions of a support corresponding to the perforated endless conveying belts and pressed against the perforated endless conveying belts. The upstream of the suction box from the abutment members forms an attracting area, and intake holes are formed therein. Lifting plates extend to at least an intake hole range of the attracting area between the perforated endless conveying belts. The lifting plates move between a first position to vertically open the intake holes and project from conveying surfaces of the perforated endless conveying belts and a second position to close the intake holes and retract from the conveying surfaces of the perforated endless conveying belts.

An article supporter for a supply device includes a feeder that supplies, by air suction, an uppermost thinly tabular article from a bundle of a plurality of thinly tabular articles that is stacked and is partially different in thickness, the article supporter for supporting the bundle with a gap between the uppermost thinly tabular article and the feeder, and the article supporter includes: a first support that supports respective thinner parts of the plurality of thinly tabular articles; a second support that supports respective thicker parts of the plurality of thinly tabular articles and is movable upward and downward; and an adjuster that adjusts a level of the second support such that the uppermost thinly tabular article of the bundle is set within a predetermined range in a vertical direction.

Method for controlling a 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 for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device comprises an optical sensor (6) positioned adjacent the floated sheets for measuring light reflected from the floated sheets at a plurality of different heights, wherein the method comprises the steps of: continuously deriving from the optical sensor a density reading (DR) indicating the density of sheets floated, continuously deriving an average density (AD) based on a plurality of density readings, continuously deriving an upper density limit (UDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined upper density limit factor (UDLF), continuously deriving a lower density limit (LDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined lower density limit factor (LDLF), adjusting a first operating parameter (OP) of the sheet feeding device should the density reading exceed the upper density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to decrease the density of floated sheets, and adjusting the first operating parameter of the sheet feeding device should the density reading subceed the lower density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to increase the density of floated sheets. Also, a sheet feeding device connected to a controller configured to operate according to this method.

A sheet stacker includes a housing, a fence, a first distance measurement sensor, and a second distance measurement sensor. The fence is movable in a fence moving direction on the housing and is configured to regulate a position of an end of a sheet. The first distance measurement sensor is configured to measure a distance between the fence and a first portion of the housing, the first portion being on one side of the housing with respect to the fence in the fence moving direction. The second distance measurement sensor is configured to measure a distance between the fence and a second portion of the housing, the second portion being on another side of the housing with respect to the fence in the fence moving direction.

Method for controlling a 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 for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device comprises an optical sensor (6) positioned adjacent the floated sheets pot for measuring light reflected from the floated sheets at a plurality of different heights, wherein the method comprises the steps of: continuously deriving from the optical sensor a density reading (DR) indicating the density of sheets floated, continuously deriving an average density (AD) based on a plurality of density readings, continuously deriving an upper density limit (UDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined upper density limit factor (UDLF), continuously deriving a lower density limit (LDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined lower density limit factor (LDLF), adjusting a first operating parameter (OP) of the sheet feeding device should the density reading exceed the upper density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to decrease the density of floated sheets, and adjusting the first operating parameter of the sheet feeding device should the density reading subceed the lower density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to increase the density of floated sheets. Also, a sheet feeding device connected to a controller configured to operate according to this method.

A medium feeding device includes a storage unit that stores media in a form of a sheet, a delivery unit that is disposed downstream in a medium delivery direction relative to the media stored in the storage unit and that delivers the media individually, a transfer unit that is disposed above the storage unit and that adheres by suction to each of the media stored in the storage unit and transfers the media to the delivery unit, and a fluffing unit that is disposed beside the media stored in the storage unit in a direction intersecting the medium delivery direction. The fluffing unit fluffs an upper-side region of the media in a state of being separated, by blowing air toward a side of the media during a feeding job of the media and during a post-feeding period that is a predetermined period after completion of the feeding job. The medium feeding device further includes a suppression unit that suppresses movement of the media toward the delivery unit side during air blowing performed by the fluffing unit in the post-feeding period.