A tape autoloading device includes a tape leading-end processing device, which forms the leading end of a carrier tape into a predetermined shape, and a transfer device, which carries the carrier tape in a first direction different from the tape longitudinal direction and transfers the carrier tape to the next step. Tape leading-end processing device includes a feeding device for conveying the carrier tape along a conveyance path formed in a groove in a guide member, a pressing device for pressing the upper surface of the carrier tape, and a cutting device for cutting the leading-end of the carrier tape. The transfer device includes a guide device for guiding the carrier tape having a leading end formed into a predetermined shape, a gripping device for gripping the leading end of the carrier tape, and a moving device for moving the carrier tape in the first direction.

A sheet feeding device comprises a bottom plate, an auxiliary tray and a tilt table. The bottom plate is configured to move along a vertical axis. The auxiliary tray is disposed on the bottom plate. The tilt table includes a lower table disposed on the bottom plate, an upper table rotatably connected to the lower table at one end of the upper table by a pivot, and a resilient member disposed between the upper table and the lower table, the resilient member configured to press the upper table upward. The auxiliary tray and the upper table are configured to receive and hold sheets in a stack.

A sheet feeding device includes: a stacker that stacks sheets of paper; a suction conveyor disposed vertically above the sheets stacked in the stacker for sucking and conveying the sheets; a blower that blows air onto the sheets; and a regulating member disposed on a downstream side of the suction conveyor in a conveyance direction, facing an outlet of the sheets of the suction conveyor and projecting vertically upward, wherein the suction conveyor includes: horizontal portions provided on both ends in a width direction; and a recess provided in an intermediate portion and recessed vertically above the horizontal portions, and a lower limit of a projection height of the regulating member is set so that, when there is a vertical gap between a vertical upper end portion of the regulating member and the horizontal portions, a length of the gap is less than twice a thickness of the sheets.

A material separation device comprises a placement component, a blower, a suction component, a suction pad driver, and a controller. The blower blows air at a plurality of aluminum sheets that have been stacked on the placement component to float an uppermost aluminum sheet. The suction component uses suction pads to chuck and hold the uppermost aluminum sheet from above while the air is being blown. The suction pad driver drives the suction component up and down, using servomotors as a drive source. The controller performs control so that the suction pads chucking the aluminum sheet are raised to a temporary stopping position by the suction pad driver, and the suction pads are stopped for a predetermined length of time at the temporary stopping position while the air is stopped, and the suction pads are then raised by the suction pad drivers to a conveyance position.

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.

A feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet-shaped medium includes: a stacking plate on which sheet-shaped media are stacked; a suction transport belt that is disposed above the stacking plate and causes a topmost one of the stacked sheet-shaped media to be sucked onto a belt lower surface and then rotates to carry out the topmost sheet-shaped medium to a destination; and a surrounding member that is provided in a hanging-down manner at least at left and right positions in a carrying-out direction around the suction transport belt so as to be movable up and down, surrounds a space below the belt lower surface, and is moved upward by contact with the sheet-shaped medium that is being sucked.

A sheet feeding device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a reference face, a sheet loader, an air blowing device, an air drawing device, and a conveying body. The reference face stands upwardly at a downstream side of a sheet conveying direction. The sheet loader includes a body and a leading end disposed downstream from the body in the sheet conveying direction. The sheet loader moves upwardly to a position where the leading end rotates downwardly to the body. The air blowing device blows air toward a sheet bundle loaded on the sheet loader and lift an uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle. The air drawing device is configured to draw the uppermost sheet. The conveying body conveys the uppermost sheet in the sheet conveying direction while the uppermost sheet is in contact with the air drawing device due to attraction by air.

A sheet feeding device includes: a sheet storage that stores a plurality of sheets; a conveyer that conveys, in a sheet conveyance direction, sheets stored inside the sheet storage; a driver that drives the conveyer in such a manner that a conveyance speed of the sheet is switchable between two or more speeds; a corrector that corrects inclination of the sheet more on a downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction than the conveyer is; a first sheet detector that detects a sheet positioned at a first predetermined position between the conveyer and the corrector; and a hardware processor that controls the driver to change a conveyance speed of the sheet conveyed by the conveyer in accordance with a detection result of the first sheet detector.

A feeding device includes a plurality of suction units, disposed above a conveyed medium stacked on a stacker, to attract the conveyed medium. At least one of the plurality of suction units includes a rotary fan including a board and a plurality of walls extending from the board; and a driver to rotate the rotary fan. The at least one of the plurality of suction units generates a vortex air with a side of the board with the plurality of walls directed to the conveyed medium. The at least one of the plurality of suction units being a suction unit generates a vortex air.

A sheet-member separation device includes a first air blower, an attractor, a conveyor, a second air blower, and an adjuster. The first air blower blows air onto a front side of a stack of sheet members in a sheet-member conveyance direction. The attractor attracts an uppermost sheet member floated from the stack of sheet members by the air blown from the first air blower. The conveyor conveys, in the sheet-member conveyance direction, the sheet member attracted by the attractor. The second air blower blows air toward a lateral side of the sheet member. The adjuster moves the second air blower and the attractor together to adjust positions of the second air blower and the attractor in the sheet-member conveyance direction.