A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing one item of media at a time from an item of media container. The apparatus includes a movable element locatable in an abutting relationship with an elected item of media in a media container and disposed to a vibrating against the elected item of media to permit the elected item of media to be subsequently be removed alone from the container by a pick arm lever.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing one item of media at a time from an item of media container. The apparatus includes a movable element locatable in an abutting relationship with an elected item of media in a media container and disposed to vibrating against the elected item of media to permit the elected item of media to be subsequently be removed alone from the container.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing one item of media at a time from an item of media container. The apparatus includes a movable element locatable in an abutting relationship with an elected item of media in a media container and disposed to vibrating against the elected item of media to permit the elected item of media to be subsequently be removed alone from the container.

An image reading apparatus, including a feed tray, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a separator, a reading sensor, and a controller, is provided. The feed tray supports sheets for being fed and has a movable plate movable between a standby position and a feedable position. The feed roller is movable and feeds the sheets to be conveyed along the conveyance guide. A positional relation between the feed roller and an uppermost sheet in the sheets is maintained within a predetermined range by the movable plate located at the feedable position. The controller controls at least rotating-and-stopping movements of the feed roller and the separator and ascending-and-descending movements of the movable plate. While the feed roller feeds the sheets, the controller conducts a vibrating action, in which the movable plate located at the feedable position is moved to ascend and descend for a plurality of times.

A peeling apparatus for an aluminum plate material is configured to be able to peel one or a plurality of aluminum plate materials from a stack of aluminum plate materials in which a plurality of aluminum plate materials are pressure-annealed and adhered to each other. The peeling apparatus includes a vibration transmitting section that is configured to be able to abut an outer peripheral surface of an aluminum plate material and is configured to be able to apply vibration along a stacking direction of the stack to the aluminum plate material, and a transducer that generates the vibration, and transmits the vibration to the vibration transmitting section.

A peeling apparatus for an aluminum plate material is configured to be able to peel one or a plurality of aluminum plate materials from a stack of aluminum plate materials in which a plurality of aluminum plate materials are pressure-annealed and adhered to each other. The peeling apparatus includes a vibration transmitting section that is configured to be able to abut an outer peripheral surface of an aluminum plate material and is configured to be able to apply vibration along a stacking direction of the stack to the aluminum plate material, and a transducer that generates the vibration, and transmits the vibration to the vibration transmitting section.

A pile preparation unit for preparing a pile of sheets is provided. The pile of sheets has a first end, which first end is optionally standing on a pallet, and opposite a free second end, a front edge side and a side edge side. The PPU includes a rotation base configured for standing on a floor and for supporting a rotation unit, configured with an infeed side for receiving a pile of sheets in a feed direction. The pile of sheets may optionally be on a pallet. The rotation unit may have a rotation unit frame with a rotation unit frame cross section. The rotation unit may be configured with an edge side support unit, configured with an edge side support face to support an edge side of the pile of sheets when the pile of sheets is in a rotated position to lean on the edge side support face.

A pile preparation unit for preparing a pile of sheets is provided. The pile of sheets has a first end, which first end is optionally standing on a pallet, and opposite a free second end, a front edge side and a side edge side. The PPU includes a rotation base configured for standing on a floor and for supporting a rotation unit, configured with an infeed side for receiving a pile of sheets in a feed direction. The pile of sheets may optionally be on a pallet. The rotation unit may have a rotation unit frame with a rotation unit frame cross section. The rotation unit may be configured with an edge side support unit, configured with an edge side support face to support an edge side of the pile of sheets when the pile of sheets is in a rotated position to lean on the edge side support face.

An image reading apparatus, including a feed tray, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a separator, a reading sensor, and a controller, is provided. The feed tray supports sheets for being fed and has a movable plate movable between a standby position and a feedable position. The feed roller is movable and feeds the sheets to be conveyed along the conveyance guide. A positional relation between the feed roller and an uppermost sheet in the sheets is maintained within a predetermined range by the movable plate located at the feedable position. The controller controls at least rotating-and-stopping movements of the feed roller and the separator and ascending-and-descending movements of the movable plate. While the feed roller feeds the sheets, the controller conducts a vibrating action, in which the movable plate located at the feedable position is moved to ascend and descend for a plurality of times.

A sheet transport device includes a sheet load tray on which a sheet is loaded, a detector that detects whether or not the sheet exists on the sheet load tray, a feeder that feeds the sheet one-by-one from the sheet load tray, and a sheet-load-tray ascend-descend unit that moves the sheet in a sheet loading direction to set an uppermost sheet at a sheet feed position of the feeder, and a controller. In a case where the sheet is detected by the detector, the controller causes the sheet load tray to ascend or descend before the feeder starts to feed the sheet so that ascending-descending operation for moving the sheet load tray between the sheet feed position and a descent position located below the sheet feed position is performed at least once.