A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

A sheet feeding device includes a document mounting board, in which a downstream end of the document mounting board in the feeding direction of the documents in the feed mechanism is connected to a scanner body so as to be rotatable about a first turning shaft parallel to a rotation shaft of a pickup roller, the first turning shaft is located downstream from the feed mechanism in the feeding direction of the documents in the feed mechanism, a mounting surface of the document mounting board on which the documents are mounted is located above the pickup roller when the documents are mounted on the document mounting board, and the document mounting board turns about the first turning shaft such that the mounting surface moves downward and the mounting surface moves downward from a contact portion of the pickup roller with the document when the documents mounted on the document mounting board are fed.

A feeding device for a digital processing machine includes a paper passage, a sheet-feeding roller, a friction device, and a slide. The sheet-feeding roller is disposed in the paper passage, and the friction device is disposed opposite to the sheet-feeding roller. The sheet-feeding roller separates a sheet with the friction device. The slide is disposed at a left side and a right side of the sheet-feeding roller. The slide is lowered from a first position to a second position when the sheet-feeding roller rotates, such that the sheet contacts the sheet-feeding roller.

Provided is a photo printer including: a base adapted to accommodate paper therein; a pickup roller protruding from the bottom of the base to feed the paper accommodated in the base forwardly; a platen roller disposed in front of the base to discharge the paper fed by the pickup roller forwardly; a head located above the platen roller to apply given heat to the paper; a double feed prevention member disposed on the front end of the base to form a slit adapted to pass a sheet of paper therethrough, wherein the double feed prevention member has a wedge-shaped front surface so that the lower end thereof is inclined downwardly from both sides thereof toward the center thereof.

In a sheet feeding device, a document mounting board includes a first member that includes a first mounting surface and is located on the feed mechanism side in the feeding direction of the documents in the feed mechanism, the first mounting surface being inclined to a lower side toward the feed mechanism, and a second member that includes a second mounting surface on which the documents are mounted and is disposed on a side opposite to the side of the first member on which the feed mechanism is located, and the second member is connected to the first member to be rotatable about a second turning shaft and turns about the second turning shaft depending on the weight of the documents detected by the weight sensor to change an angle with respect to the first member.

A placement station for placing flat items has multiple transport elements extending through a related opening in a placement deck of the placement station. All transport elements are driven by a single drive motor via toothed belt discs and toothed belts. At least one trigger sensor is arranged in the placement station on the exit side of the mail-item flow. The drive motor and the trigger sensor are electrically connected with means for controlling the transport speed of the flat items. Each transport element is carried by a transport module. The placement station has multiple transport modules, each extending with a transport element mounted on its head side through a related opening in a placement deck of the placement station. The transport modules are lowerable below the placement deck in a direction contrary to a spring force. The direction of traction can be changed by turning at least one transport module before or during operation of the placement station. Each transport element has a barrel-shaped body with an equator, wherein different friction values of said body of the transport element are provided on both sides of the equator. The transport modules are directionally positioned such that the half of the body of the transport element with the higher friction value is closest to the alignment wall.

A sheet conveying apparatus, including: a base body having a conveyor surface; a separating roller configured to rotate about a first rotation axis parallel to a width direction of the conveyor surface and to convey a sheet downstream in a conveyance direction orthogonal to the width direction; a separating piece opposed to the separating roller and configured to cooperate with the separating roller to separate sheets being conveyed one by one; an attachment member removably attached to the base body at a position at which the attachment member is opposed to the separating roller, so as to form a part of the conveyor surface; a holder holding the separating piece and supported by the attachment member so as to be movable toward and away from the separating roller; and a first urging member provided between the attachment member and the holder for urging the separating piece toward the separating roller.

A sheet feeding device includes a document mounting board, in which a downstream end of the document mounting board in the feeding direction of the documents in the feed mechanism is connected to a scanner body so as to be rotatable about a first turning shaft parallel to a rotation shaft of a pickup roller, the first turning shaft is located downstream from the feed mechanism in the feeding direction of the documents in the feed mechanism, a mounting surface of the document mounting board on which the documents are mounted is located above the pickup roller when the documents are mounted on the document mounting board, and the document mounting board turns about the first turning shaft such that the mounting surface moves downward and the mounting surface moves downward from a contact portion of the pickup roller with the document when the documents mounted on the document mounting board are fed.

In a sheet feeding device, a document mounting board includes a first member that includes a first mounting surface and is located on the feed mechanism side in the feeding direction of the documents in the feed mechanism, the first mounting surface being inclined to a lower side toward the feed mechanism, and a second member that includes a second mounting surface on which the documents are mounted and is disposed on a side opposite to the side of the first member on which the feed mechanism is located, and the second member is connected to the first member to be rotatable about a second turning shaft and turns about the second turning shaft depending on the weight of the documents detected by the weight sensor to change an angle with respect to the first member.

A medium feeding device including a medium mounting portion where media are mounted; a feeding roller that feeds the media from the medium mounting portion by contacting a bottommost sheet of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and rotating; a separator that separates a sheet of the media by nipping the sheet between the feeding roller and the separator; an abutting member that is provided above the feeding roller, is switchable between a closed posture that blocks a feeding path of the media upstream of the separator and an open posture that opens the feeding path, abuts against a leading edge of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and includes a friction surface at a position where the abutting member abuts against the leading edge; and a biasing member that biases the abutting member toward the closed posture.