A paper feeding device 100 includes a support hook 5 that supports a lower edge of a front side of a bundle of stacked paper sheets X, and a paper trailing edge storing part 32 provided between a lower end of the abutting surface 31 and the paper feeding table 11, and the paper feeding device retracts the lowermost layer paper sheet of the loaded paper sheets so as to store its trailing edge in the paper trailing edge storing part 32 and then advance it.

A stacking apparatus for value documents, having a stack deposit device and a braking device which is arranged along the transport path of the value documents immediately before the stack deposit device. On the transport shaft of the braking device at least one driving roller is firmly mounted and at least one roller rotatably supported on the transport shaft. At least one cam roller is firmly mounted on a braking shaft of the braking device and at least one eccentric roller. By a rotation of the braking shaft, the eccentric roller can electively be brought in engagement with the opposing driving roller so that a value document becomes clamped between these, or be brought out of engagement with the opposing driving roller, so that the value document is no longer clamped between these, but rather is brakable by the engagement between the cam roller and the rotatably supported roller.

A stacking apparatus for value documents, having a stack deposit device and a braking device which is arranged along the transport path of the value documents immediately before the stack deposit device. On the transport shaft of the braking device at least one driving roller is firmly mounted and at least one roller rotatably supported on the transport shaft. At least one cam roller is firmly mounted on a braking shaft of the braking device and at least one eccentric roller. By a rotation of the braking shaft, the eccentric roller can electively be brought in engagement with the opposing driving roller so that a value document becomes clamped between these, or be brought out of engagement with the opposing driving roller, so that the value document is no longer clamped between these, but rather is brakable by the engagement between the cam roller and the rotatably supported roller.

Provided are a floating restricting member restricting the floating position of a bundle of sheets; and a holding mechanism holding the floating restricting member relative to a side fence. The floating restricting member includes a sheet contact section being brought into contact with the sheets from above; and a sheet-floating restricting section restricting the floating position of the floating sheet that is floated while air is blown thereto. The holding mechanism sets the floating restricting member in the initial state where the sheet-floating restricting section restricts the floating position of the sheet, in the sheet-placing time retracted state where the sheets are pushed against the sheet contact section so that the floating restricting member is retracted, and in the sheet-ejecting time retracted state where, when the sheets are to be removed, the sheet is pushed against the sheet contact section from below so that the floating restricting member is retracted.

Provided are a floating restricting member restricting the floating position of a bundle of sheets; and a holding mechanism holding the floating restricting member relative to a side fence. The floating restricting member includes a sheet contact section being brought into contact with the sheets from above; and a sheet-floating restricting section restricting the floating position of the floating sheet that is floated while air is blown thereto. The holding mechanism sets the floating restricting member in the initial state where the sheet-floating restricting section restricts the floating position of the sheet, in the sheet-placing time retracted state where the sheets are pushed against the sheet contact section so that the floating restricting member is retracted, and in the sheet-ejecting time retracted state where, when the sheets are to be removed, the sheet is pushed against the sheet contact section from below so that the floating restricting member is retracted.

A method and apparatus for automated aerating and handling a sub stack of a stack of rectangular paper sheets where the sub stack is gripped near or at opposed corners of a common edge of the sub stack by means of two robotic grippers (A, B) having two opposed gripping fingers (A1, A2, B1, B2), lifting and rotating the corners in mutually opposite first directions such that the work stack achieves an upwards concave form, gripping the corners by the robotic grippers (A, B), and rotating the grippers in second directions opposite to the first directions such that the upper sheet of the sub stack has a curvature smaller than the bottom sheet of the sub stack, preferably a substantially plane form.

A method and apparatus for automated aerating and handling a sub stack of a stack of rectangular paper sheets where the sub stack is gripped near or at opposed corners of a common edge of the sub stack by means of two robotic grippers (A, B) having two opposed gripping fingers (A1, A2, B1, B2), lifting and rotating the corners in mutually opposite first directions such that the work stack achieves an upwards concave form, gripping the corners by the robotic grippers (A, B), and rotating the grippers in second directions opposite to the first directions such that the upper sheet of the sub stack has a curvature smaller than the bottom sheet of the sub stack, preferably a substantially plane form.

A sheet takeout and separation device of an embodiment has a takeout section, a sending section, a separation portion. The takeout section takes out a sheet. The sending section sends out the sheet taken out by the takeout section. The separation portion is provided so as to come in contact with the sheets taken out in an overlapping state by the takeout section, and separates the sheets one by one. In addition, the separation portion has a separation portion main body and a cover. The separation portion main body elastically deforms in accordance with a thickness of the sheet. The cover is provided on the separation portion main body so as to come in contact with the sheet. And, on a surface of the cover, a surface roughening treatment for enhancing a friction coefficient of the relevant surface is performed.

A sheet takeout and separation device of an embodiment has a takeout section, a sending section, a separation portion. The takeout section takes out a sheet. The sending section sends out the sheet taken out by the takeout section. The separation portion is provided so as to come in contact with the sheets taken out in an overlapping state by the takeout section, and separates the sheets one by one. In addition, the separation portion has a separation portion main body and a cover. The separation portion main body elastically deforms in accordance with a thickness of the sheet. The cover is provided on the separation portion main body so as to come in contact with the sheet. And, on a surface of the cover, a surface roughening treatment for enhancing a friction coefficient of the relevant surface is performed.

A cardboard dispensing apparatus for providing cardboards at a food product supply area comprises a cardboard store for storing cardboards that form a cardboard stack, a cardboard buffer storage for storing a plurality of cardboards, and a cardboard conveyor for conveying the cardboards from the cardboard buffer storage to the food product supply area. A cardboard extracting device is configured to extract cardboards from the cardboard store and move the cardboards into the cardboard buffer storage, while the cardboard conveyor is configured to remove the cardboards from the cardboard buffer storage and convey them to the food product supply area.