A sheet conveying device includes a control unit. The control unit determines whether a first sheet and a second sheet being double-fed are in a full double feed state in which the first sheet and the second sheet are conveyed while overlapping each other from distal end parts of the first sheet and the second sheet in a conveyance direction or a partial double feed state in which the second sheet is conveyed while overlapping a rear part of the first sheet than the distal end part of the first sheet, stops an operation of a sheet conveying mechanism when it is determined that the sheets are in the full double feed state, and performs double feed elimination control for eliminating the double feeding of the sheets without stopping the sheet conveying mechanism when it is determined that the sheets are in the partial double feed state.

A medium conveyance device includes a medium setting part on which a medium is set, a first roller coming in contact with the medium set on the medium setting part and sending out the medium in a conveyance direction, a second roller situated on a downstream side of the first roller in the conveyance direction and conveying the medium sent out by the first roller, and a medium contact part arranged in a conveyance path between the first roller and the second roller and coming in contact with the medium. The medium contact part has a plurality of contact surfaces switchable according to a type of the medium and differing in shape.

Examples disclosed herein relate to a device including a separator. Examples include a first separator having a surface to contact a medium and is coupled to a first spring. In examples, the first separator has a first centerline in a direction perpendicular to a medium travel direction. Examples include a second separator having a surface to contact a medium and is coupled to a second spring. In examples, the second separator has a second centerline disposed substantially parallel to the first centerline. Examples include a roller to contact the medium to move the medium along the medium travel direction. In examples, the first spring and second spring bias the first separator and second separator towards the roller, respectively. In examples, a force applied by the first separator to the medium is independent of a force applied to the medium by the second separator.

Separation strips in a dam aid in the separation of adjacent sheets of media being fed from a stack of sheets so that only one sheet is fed to a process station and, more particularly, to separating the uppermost or top sheet of a stack of sheets from the next adjacent sheet during feeding of the top sheet from the stack of sheets of media. When a lift plate is present that adjusts the height of the media stack, rotation of the separation strips to maintain a constant separation angle improves media feed reliability. Curvature of the separation strips may also maintain the separation angle as the lift plate raises the position of the top media sheet.

A sheet feed apparatus includes a sheet separation unit, and the sheet separation unit includes a separation roller that is provided so as to be brought into contact to an outer peripheral surface of a sheet feed roller, and separates a sheet fed by the sheet feed roller into one. The sheet separation unit comprises a hook for rotatably supporting the sheet separation unit in a main body casing of the sheet feed apparatus and an engaging claw that makes the sheet separation unit engage with the main body casing. Therefore, the sheet separation unit is held in the main body casing detachably.

A medium conveyance device includes a guiding member that is movably supported on a frame, a pick roller that is rotatably supported on the guiding member and that rotates to feed a medium that is placed on a tray to a feed roller, and a joint unit that transmits a rotation force from a drive shaft to the pick roller.

A sheet conveying device includes a separator to separate a sheet from sheets. The separator includes a separation conveyor; a separation resistance member to press against the separation conveyor via the sheet; a resistance-member holder; a biasing member to contact and bias the resistance-member holder to press the separation resistance member toward the separation conveyor, the resistance-member holder to rotate about a resistance-member rotary shaft to separate from the biasing member in detaching from an apparatus body; and a biasing-member holder configured to rotate about a biasing-member rotary shaft to more incline the biasing member in a state, in which the biasing member is spaced apart from the resistance-member holder, in a moving direction of the resistance-member holder to detach from the apparatus body than the biasing member in a biasing state in which the biasing member biases the resistance-member holder in contact with the resistance-member holder.

A sheet feeding apparatus can perform appropriate separation corresponding to the type of sheet without an actuator which changes the separation action of a separation unit. For this purpose, a separation unit includes a first inclined part and a second inclined part, each having different inclination angles, and selects, in accordance with the type (stiffness, thickness, or the like) of sheet to be fed, either one of the first inclined part or the second inclined part as an inclined part used in separating sheets by lifting/lowering a tray, and separates sheets, so that appropriate separation can be performed in accordance with the type of sheet with a simple configuration.

A card transport device transports one or more cards while reducing failures of its feed unit in feeding the cards. A card transport device includes a support surface that supports one or more cards thereon, a feed unit facing the support surface for feeding the one or more chards, a separator located downstream from the feed unit in a transport direction, a slope connected to a downstream support end of the support surface in the transport direction and extending obliquely upward downstream in the transport direction toward the separator, and a restrictor located on the support surface. The restrictor restricts a position of an upstream end of a particular card directly supported on the support surface, out of the one or more cards, thereby positioning a downstream end of the particular card to be downstream from the feed unit in the transport direction.

A sheet feed apparatus includes a sheet separation unit, and the sheet separation unit includes a separation roller that is provided so as to be brought into contact to an outer peripheral surface of a sheet feed roller, and separates a sheet fed by the sheet feed roller into one. The sheet separation unit comprises a hook for rotatably supporting the sheet separation unit in a main body casing of the sheet feed apparatus and an engaging claw that makes the sheet separation unit engage with the main body casing. Therefore, the sheet separation unit is held in the main body casing detachably.