An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet container, an image forming part to form an image, a sheet feeding rotary body to feed the recording medium, a sheet separating rotary body to contact the sheet feeding rotary body and rotate with the sheet feeding rotary body with a sheet separation nip region formed therebetween, a rotation adjusting unit to adjust rotation of the sheet separating rotary body, a sheet containing unit to contain the recording media therein, a sheet separating body storing unit disposed at one end of the sheet containing unit to store the sheet separating body therein, and a load resistance applying mechanism to apply a rotational load resistance different from a contact force generated by contacting of the sheet separating rotary body with the sheet feeding rotary body, to the sheet feeding rotary body with no rotation driving force applied thereto.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion, a sheet feeding unit configured to perform a feeding operation, an air separation unit configured to perform a blowing operation, and a control unit configured to execute a sheet feeding control. In the sheet feeding control, in a case where a second number of sheets, separated by the blowing operation but not fed, remains on the sheet supporting portion at an end of a first job, and a number of printing sheets of a second job subsequent to the first job is a third number of sheets that is equal to or less than the second number of sheets, the control unit omits an initial blowing operation and starts the feed operation in the second job.

A medium supplying apparatus includes a control unit. The control unit executes: a first control in which, in a case where a double feed detecting sensor detects a double feed of media, rotation drive of a separator roller is stopped, and a retard roller is caused to convey the media to an upstream side in a conveying direction; and a second control in which, after the execution of the first control, the rotation drive of the separator roller is restarted, and, in a case where the double feed detecting sensor detects a double feed of the media, a conveying load applied is set to be higher than that at the time of detecting the double feed before the execution of the first control, the rotation drive of the separator roller is stopped, and the retard roller is caused to convey the media to the upstream side in the conveying direction.

Described herein is a novel process for separating individual lubricated aluminum sheets from a stack of lubricated aluminum sheets as they enter a stamping press for fabrication. The process involves placing a lift underneath a stack of aluminum sheets and lifting the center upwards. This in turn causes the edges of the stack to bend downwards, creating a concave bending curvature facing the lift. The induced curvature is sufficient to provide the inter-sheet shear necessary to break the adhesion caused by the lubricant.

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).

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet container, an image forming part to form an image, a sheet feeding rotary body to feed the recording medium, a sheet separating rotary body to contact the sheet feeding rotary body and rotate with the sheet feeding rotary body with a sheet separation nip region formed therebetween, a rotation adjusting unit to adjust rotation of the sheet separating rotary body, a sheet containing unit to contain the recording media therein, a sheet separating body storing unit disposed at one end of the sheet containing unit to store the sheet separating body therein, and a load resistance applying mechanism to apply a rotational load resistance different from a contact force generated by contacting of the sheet separating rotary body with the sheet feeding rotary body, to the sheet feeding rotary body with no rotation driving force applied thereto.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet container, an image forming part to form an image, a sheet feeding rotary body to feed the recording medium, a sheet separating rotary body to contact the sheet feeding rotary body and rotate with the sheet feeding rotary body with a sheet separation nip region formed therebetween, a rotation adjusting unit to adjust rotation of the sheet separating rotary body, a sheet containing unit to contain the recording media therein, a sheet separating body storing unit disposed at one end of the sheet containing unit to store the sheet separating body therein, and a load resistance applying mechanism to apply a rotational load resistance different from a contact force generated by contacting of the sheet separating rotary body with the sheet feeding rotary body, to the sheet feeding rotary body with no rotation driving force applied thereto.

A paper sheet separation transport device and a paper sheet handling device. Disclosed is a set-out part, a separating part, a first motor M1 that drives these parts, a drawing transport part, and a storage transport route that is driven by a second motor M2. The drawing transport part includes at least two idle rollers that are supported about an axis at portions of a feed roller, and endless drawing belts that each form a curved drawing transport route with the idle rollers and that travel in a drawing direction to turn a first paper sheet in a direction intersecting with a direction of set-out by the set-out part in cooperation with the idle rollers and transport the paper sheet, and the drawing belts are driven by the second motor.

An electrode supply device, an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus using the electrode supply device, an electrode supply method, and an electrode assembly manufacturing method using the electrode supply method are described. The electrode supply device includes: an electrode magazine unit in which a plurality of electrodes is stacked; an electrode pickup unit configured to pick up a first electrode among the plurality of electrodes; and an electromagnetic inductor configured to be able to induce an electric field or a magnetic field. One of the plurality of electrodes is separated from the first electrode by an electric field or magnetic field induced by the electromagnetic inductor.