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.

An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding tray configured to support a sheet; and an apparatus main body configured to support the sheet feeding tray so as to be moveable in a direction parallel with a sheet feeding direction, the apparatus main body including a chute configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray, wherein the sheet feeding tray includes a guiding member configured to be displaced between an engaging position at which the guiding member engages with the chute and restrains movement of the sheet feeding tray and a separation position at which the guiding member separates from the chute and permits movement of the sheet feeding tray, and wherein the guiding member is configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray toward the chute when the guiding member is located at the engaging position.

A printing device includes a placement unit on which a plurality of media are stackable, a printing unit, and a feed roller that feeds the medium placed on the placement unit in a transport direction. Before starting feeding of the medium downstream in the transport direction, by repeating, a plurality of times, a preliminary feed operation of coming into contact with a first medium and rotating, and a non-feed operation of not feeding the medium, the feed roller forms a misaligned stacking state in which the first medium is disposed further downstream, in the transport direction, than at least some of the plurality of media disposed closer to the placement unit side. The feed roller feeds the first medium downstream in the transport direction from the placement unit subsequent to formation of the misaligned stacking state.

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a sheet accommodation unit, a paper sheet-feeding unit, an inclined surface portion, a resistance application member, and a transport unit. The sheet accommodation unit stacks sheets. The paper sheet-feeding unit feeds the sheets from the sheet accommodation unit. The inclined surface portion is provided in a paper sheet-feeding direction of the sheets. The resistance application member includes a protruding portion that protrudes more than the inclined surface portion. The transport unit is provided on a downstream side of the inclined surface portion in a transportation direction of the sheets. The transport unit transports the sheets.

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 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.

There is provided a feed apparatus including a support unit, a feed roller, a swingable arm to support the feed roller, a guide unit, a movable member movable to a retracted position and a protruding position at which the movable member can abut against the sheet supported by the support unit, a driving source, driving transmission units; and a contact-separating mechanism to move the feed roller to a separated position and an abutment position at which the feed roller abuts against the sheet supported by the support unit. In a state in which the movable member is the protruding position and the feed roller is the separated position, a time required to start feeding of the sheet by the feed roller moved from the separated position to the abutment position is longer than a time required to shift the movable member from the protruding position to the retracted position.

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.

There is provided a sheet feeding apparatus which can perform appropriate separation corresponding to the type of a sheet without being newly provided with an actuator which changes the separation action of a separation unit. For this purpose, a separation unit 105 includes a first inclined part 105a-1 and a second inclined part 105a-2 each having different inclination angles, and selects, in accordance with the type (stiffness, thickness, or the like) of a sheet to feed, either one of the first inclined part 105a-1 or the second inclined part 105a-2 as an inclined part used in separating sheets by lifting/lowering a tray 101, and separates sheets, so that appropriate separation can be performed in accordance with the type of a sheet with a simple configuration.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus and an optional device attachable to the image forming apparatus, includes a sheet container, a sheet feeder, a separator, a guide, and a projection. The sheet container loads multiple sheets. The sheet feeder feeds a sheet out of the multiple sheets in the sheet container. The separator separates the sheet from another sheet fed together with the sheet. The guide having a guide surface to guide the sheet passing the separator such that the sheet is fed in a predetermined sheet conveying direction. An upstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the guide surface of the guide is located lower than a downstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the separator. The projection is disposed facing the separator at the upstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the guide surface.