A paper sheet handling apparatus includes a conveyance path where a paper sheet, which is inserted through an insertion port, is introduced to a feeding position and the paper sheet is fed from the feeding position into an interior of its own apparatus, an introduction mechanism that has a conveyance belt and introduces the paper sheet, which is inserted through the insertion port to the feeding position, a feeding mechanism that feeds the paper sheet, which is delivered to the feeding position by the introduction mechanism, and a controller configured to control the introduction mechanism and the feeding mechanism. The controller controls the feeding mechanism in such a manner that the paper sheet, which is inserted through the insertion port, is fed when the paper sheet is not introduced to the feeding position after the introduction mechanism repeats, a predetermined number of times.

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.

In accordance with an embodiment, a paper feed apparatus comprises a paper feed section, a separation section, an abutting section and a friction force variable section. The paper feed section feeds an image receiving medium. The separation section is arranged at the downstream side of the paper feed section in a conveyance direction of the image receiving medium. In a case in which a plurality of the image receiving media fed from the paper feed section is overlapped, the separation section separates the plurality of the image receiving media that is overlapped. The abutting section abuts against the image receiving medium fed from the paper feed section. The friction force variable section changes a friction force of the abutting section against the image receiving medium.

A sheet feeder, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet loader on which a sheet is loaded, a sheet feeding body to feed the sheet from the sheet loader, and a sheet separator disposed to contact the sheet feeding body. The sheet is fed at a first average sheet feeding speed at which the sheet feeding body is in contact with the sheet separator without holding the sheet with the sheet separator. The sheet is fed at a second average sheet feeding speed at which the sheet feeding body is holding the sheet with the sheet separator. The first average sheet feeding speed is set smaller than the second average sheet feeding speed.

A sheet feeder includes a delivery roller, a supply roller, a separating member, a driving source, a first drive transmission mechanism, a second drive transmission mechanism, and a controller. The first drive transmission mechanism transmits the rotary drive power in the first direction to the delivery roller in a first drive transmission time from the start of driving of the driving source. The second drive transmission mechanism transmits the rotary drive power in the first direction to the supply roller in a second drive transmission time from the start of driving of the driving source. The second drive transmission period of the second drive transmission mechanism is longer than the first drive transmission period of the first drive transmission mechanism. When the control starts driving the driving source, the supply roller starts to rotate in the first direction after the delivery roller starts to rotate in the first direction.

A sheet feeder includes a controller configured to perform a driving process of supplying a motor with an electric current to rotate a roller, perform a stopping process of stopping supplying the electric current in response to determining that the motor has not rotated before a second sensor detects a sheet, when an accumulated rotational quantity of the roller is less than a threshold, set a retry upper limit to a first value, the accumulated rotational quantity being detected by a first sensor in the driving process performed for a first time, when the accumulated rotational quantity of the roller is equal to or more than the threshold, set the retry upper limit to a second value more than the first value, and repeatedly perform the driving process and the stopping process until a number of retries reaches the retry upper limit or until the second sensor detects the sheet.

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.

An image forming apparatus includes a first side plate, a second side plate and a sheet feeding unit. The first and second side plates are opposite to each other. The sheet feeding unit is attached between the first and second side plates. The sheet feeding unit has a feed frame, a pickup roller, a feed roller, a separation member and a weight member. The feed frame has a first side wall supported by the first side plate in a facing manner and a second side wall supported by the second side plate in a facing manner. The pickup roller and the feed roller are supported in the feed frame. The separation member forms a nip and separates the sheet at the nip. The weight member is disposed above the feed roller in the feed frame and configured to damp vibration of the feed frame.

A sheet supplier, including: a tray including a sheet support surface; a sheet supply roller configured to supply an uppermost one of sheets; a rotational member configured to contact a lowermost one of the sheets; a presser configured to press the supply roller relative to the rotational member; and a supporter configured to support the rotational member by a contact portion such that the rotational member is rotated by a movement of the lowermost sheet and to limit a movement of the rotational member caused by a force of the lowermost sheet in a sheet supply direction; wherein, where static friction coefficients between the supply roller and the uppermost sheet, between the sheets on the support surface, between the rotational member and the lowermost sheet, and between the rotational member and the contact portion are respectively defined as 2, 3, and 4, the following expressions are satisfied: 1>4>2, 3>4.

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.