Method of and apparatus for separating and feeding sheets.

摘要

A sheet separating and feeding apparatus has a separating device (7, 15 - 17, 51; 7, 15 - 17, 102) and a vacuum-attracting device (30, 51; 30, 103) to separate and feed sheets one by one from piled sheets (14). The separating device includes a compressed air plenum chamber (7) and main nozzles (16), first auxiliary nozzles (15) and second auxiliary nozzles (17) which are provided on the compressed air plenum chamber (7) for causing air to blow to an upper portion of the piled sheets (14) to separate the uppermost sheet (14a) from the remaining sheets (14). The vacuum-attracting device includes a vacuum chamber (5) and an endless belt (3) having a plurality of through holes (4) provided in a part of the belt (3). The endless belt (3) rotates around the vacuum chamber (5), and attracts the uppermost sheet (14a) which is separated by the separating device (7, 15 - 17, 51; 7, 15 - 17), 102), when the through holes (4) intermittently communicate with a negative pressure in the vacuum chamber (5). The endless belt (3) is driven at different speeds according to rotational positions of the through holes (4), such that the rotational speed of the belt (3) is increased until the belt (3) reaches a position (S1; M) for attracting a next sheet (14b) after it has fed the uppermost sheet (14a).