JPS61267632A - Automatic paper feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the reliability of a sheet separating operation by allowing one of two frictional members which touch a sheet feeding member consisting of a belt and a roller, with pressure, to be made movable in such a way that it can be pressed on and released from the sheet feeding member as required in an automatic paper separation feeding device based on a bottom feeding method. CONSTITUTION:No.1 paper feeding rollers 2 and 3 are provided for a sheet placing table 1. A separation device 10 is composed of a separation conveying belt 13 for conveying a sheet, a separating blade 14 which comes in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the above said separation conveying belt 13 with pressure, a separation roller 15 which is located above and also comes in contact with the belt 13 with pressure, a sheet stopper 16, No.2 paper feeding rollers 17 and 18 which are driven while it touches the belt 13 with pressure, and of a guide plate 19. A separating blade 14 is made of an elastic blade, and is installed onto a holding member 20 while it is swung as required. And a link plate 22 which is supported by a rotating shaft 21 while it is swung, is adapted to support the separation roller 15 rotatably. When a solenoid 24 is energized, the separation roller 15 is separated from the outer circumferential surface of the belt 13, and when the solenoid is de-energized, the roller 15 touches the belt 13 with pressure.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device, and more particularly, sheets for feeding are placed in a stacked manner on a sheet mounting table, and the sheets fed out from the bottom layer of the stacked sheets are separated! 1llll
This invention relates to an automatic paper feeder that separates and feeds sheets one by one.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, when making multiple copies of a document consisting of multiple sheets of manuscript paper or copy paper (hereinafter referred to as "sheets"), first, place the first sheet on the manuscript table and make a predetermined number of copies, then copy the first sheet. In place of the second sheet, a second sheet is placed on the document table and a predetermined number of copies are made, and in the same manner, all the sheets are placed one by one on the document table and a predetermined number of copies are made. Sort the copies with the second sheet copied into separate locations one by one, stack the copies with the second sheet on top of them one by one, and then do the same to make all the copies one by one. Although it is common practice to stack multiple sheets of documents and make multiple copies, such work is extremely complicated and time-consuming. For this reason, sorters (automatic sorting devices) have been commercialized as devices that automatically sort the copies by 1 s, but a sorter requires a large amount of space to sort 20 copies or 301 IS or more copies. Moreover, it took a lot of time and effort to take out the sorted documents one by one from their respective stacking positions. Therefore, recently, when documents consisting of multiple sheets are set in a stacked state, the sheets with insect marks and eyes are conveyed to the document table, one copy is copied, and then returned to the original stacking position of ta. Then transport the second sheet onto the document table and
After copying only one copy, return it to the original document stacking position, and then copy all the sheets one by one in the same way, and then return to the original document stacking position to create only one copy of the document consisting of all the sheets. Thereafter, a device that repeatedly performs the above operations to create a predetermined number of copies of documents was developed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 50-344.
16 Publication, Utility Model Publication No. 51-55445 and its full text specification, Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-27343, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1987
Various proposals have been made in Publication No. 6-37538 and the like. However, in this type of device, the following items must be carried out reliably. In other words, (1) To reliably separate sheets one by one from a stack of documents and send them out. This is because if two or more sheets are fed multiple times, some copies of the document will be missing. (2) Correctly convey the sheet separated from the document to a predetermined position on the document table. This is because if the sheet is not placed in the correct position on the document table, it will not be possible to copy correctly, and parts of the document may be missing or
This is because a slanted copy may be created. (3) Each sheet of the document must not be damaged, such as wrinkles or tears. This is especially important when there is no backup of the manuscript. (4) Correctly return the copied sheet to the original document stack position. This is because if the sheet is not correctly returned to its original document stacking position, it will interfere with subsequent preparation for copying. (5) Regardless of the size or thickness of the final sheet to be copied, each operation such as conveyance, copying, and return to the original stacking position must be performed reliably. This is because the sheets constituting the document may have different sizes and thicknesses. Of the above-mentioned items, particularly in relation to (1), various devices have been proposed in the past that separate documents on the document table of a copying machine one by one and feed them onto the document table. FIG. 13 is a list diagram schematically showing various sheet separation methods in the prior art. All of these methods refer to a bottom-feed separation feeding method in which sheets are separated and fed one by one from the bottom layer of a stack of sheets, and sheets can be easily added even during paper feeding, and the feeding speed increases. Afterwards, they are arranged into pages again. FIG. 13(A) shows a method in which the sheets are separated and fed by using the difference in the coefficient of friction between the friction member and the sheet.
It can be divided into the following six specific examples. Japan uses a friction member separation method, in which a friction member made of a synthetic rubber plate is pressed into contact with a feed roller F, which is usually made of sponge rubber, and the difference in the coefficient of friction between the feed roller F and the friction member is used to separate the friction members. This method has a simple mechanism structure, as it separates and feeds the bottom sheet (S), but the weight of the stacked sheets S is greater than the bottom sheet (So).
Since the amount of time required varies depending on the number of sheets stacked, there is a drawback that paper feeding errors may occur due to the influence of the number of sheets fed. The opening is a roller separation method in which the sheets are separated by rotating the separation roller G in the opposite direction to the feed roller F. In this method, in order to stably separate the sheets, it is important to stabilize the circumferential speed of the separation roller G relative to the sheet feeding speed, or the gap between the feed roller F and the separation roller G. In addition, this method still has the same disadvantage of being affected by the number of sheets fed as in the original method. ■ is a belt release system, in which the sheet S fed out by the feed roller R is fed by the feed roller F.
This is a separation method using a separation belt G' that moves in the opposite direction to the feed roller F. Although this method improves the stability of separation, it still [D,
Similar to [I], there is a drawback that it is affected by the number of sheets fed. Is your method a separate row? G with two feed rollers F,
It is placed between the uphills F2, takes a predetermined amount of overlap d, and performs a separation operation using the rigidity of the sheath F2. In this method, depending on the characteristics of the sheet, wrinkles may occur, double feeding or non-feeding may occur. En's packing ring (bending) paper feeding method utilizes the rigidity of the sheet S to separate and feed the sheets. Sheet) While pressing the rear end of S, turn the feed roller F in the reverse direction to soften the sheet S, release it from the presser (L-shaped part) at the leading end of the sheet S, and then press the feed roller F. rotate in the forward direction to feed the sheet So. This method is affected by the rigidity of the sheet S and is not suitable for sheets with creases. In the separation claw method (4), both ends of the sheet S are supported by spring-loaded separation claws, and by rotating the feed roller F, both ends of the sheet S are separated from the separation claws and the paper is fed. It is something to do. This method is also easily affected by the number of sheets fed as described above. Next, Fig. #113 (B) shows the Succitan separation paper feeding method, in which the sheet S is adsorbed to a suction unit using a vacuum pump or the like and then transported to the conveyance unit, so that the leading edge of the sheet is attached to the feed roller of the conveyance unit, etc. This method releases the suction and feeds the paper as soon as the paper is caught. This feed roller type has a small hole or slit in the outer circumferential surface of the feed roller F that can be recirculated, and the inside of the feed roller F has a turbo 77 roller (
It is connected to a pressure reducing device such as a compressor. So is sucked by the filler roller F, passes through the gap below the abutting plate P, and is sent to the conveying section. The recessed belt type has a perforated belt F' stretched between two rollers, and a vacuum chamber is fixed inside the belt F'. A small opening is provided in a part of the surface of the vacuum chamber that is in contact with the belt F'.
′ is facing the hole. Further, the vacuum chamber is connected to a vacuum pump or the like. The sheet) So on the lowermost surface of the sheet) S is conveyed together with the belt F' while being vacuum-suctioned, passes through a gap below the abutment plate P, and is sent to the conveyance section. The link type at the mouth is the suction arm A1 connected to the vacuum pump.
Alternatively, a suction arm equipped with an elastic suction cup at the tip is driven so as to draw a compound trajectory of up and down and back and forth as shown in the figure, and the tip of one piece of sheet So is released from the abutment plate P and lifted up. It is sent to This method requires a mechanism to raise the sheet loading table and keep the topmost sheet at a constant position.

Problem 1 to be Solved by the Invention In addition to the above-mentioned drawbacks, the frictional separation paper feeding system (A) has the following common problems. (1) There is a limit to the reliability improvement of separation performance, and the double feeding rate of sheets is around 0.1% or more, except for special sheets. (2) When a sheet is repeatedly conveyed and separated, the leading edge of the sheet may be damaged, such as folded edges, curls, or wrinkles, and if it is too tight, the sheet may be torn. (3) Since the sheet is pressed against the separating member, the original mi surface is worn out during the separating operation. Particularly when the sheet is a pencil-written original, the surface of the original is rubbed, the pencil writing is rubbed off, becomes blurred or erased, and furthermore, background stains and the like occur. (4) If a jam occurs during sheet feeding, it is difficult to remove the jammed paper that is pinched by the friction separation member. On the other hand, in the 3-separate sheet feeding system (B), the following common problems are caused by the above-mentioned drawbacks. (1) In order to suction the sheet, the hydrostatic pressure must be at least about 10011111120, preferably 200 to 40
0mm1lzO is required, and space occupied by a turbo 7 amp, compressor or other vacuum suction unit is required,
i location becomes larger. (2) Since the vacuum/suction device described above is expensive, the cost rate of the device increases. (3) The above-mentioned vacuum suction device generates noise of 60 cl B or more, and is not suitable for office equipment installed in a quiet office environment. (4) Double feeding of sheets occurs to the same extent as the frictional separation feeding method, and there is a limit to the reliability of separation performance. [Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the prior art as described above, and improves the reliability of sheet separation by more than an order of magnitude compared to the conventional separation method. The object of the present invention is to provide a novel sheet separating device that is compact and does not generate noise. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new sheet separation device that can minimize damage to the sheets and distortion of images on the surface even when sheets such as manuscripts for copying are repeatedly conveyed and separated many times. It is something to do. The automatic sheet feeding device of the present invention that achieves the above object places sheets for feeding in a stacked manner on a sheet loading table, and feeds the sheets from the bottom layer of the stacked sheets by a separating device. In an automatic sheet feeding device that separates and feeds sheets one by one, the separating device is composed of a sheet feeding member and two friction members that are in pressure contact with the sheet feeding member. One of the members is movable so as to be in pressure contact with the sheet feeding member at all times during the operation of the separation device and to release the pressure contact when the separation device stops operating. Yes.For more details,
The sheet feeding member is composed of a belt or a roller, and the movable friction separation member that presses against and releases the sheet feeding member is composed of an elastic plate.

[Examples] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to illustrated examples. FIG. 1 shows an automatic document handling device to which an automatic paper feeder according to the present invention is applied. We are prepared. The sheet mounting table 1
are provided with first paper feed rollers 2 and 3. The portion 10 surrounded by broken lines on the left and right sides of the figure is the minute #l device. A partial schematic diagram of this separation device filO is shown in FIG. 2, where FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) are a plan view and a sectional view taken along the line AA. 3 is a perspective view of the separated VT position, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view. The separating device io includes a drive roller 11. A separation conveyance belt 13 for sheet feeding wound between the driven rollers 12 and a separation plate (
a first friction member) 14, and a separation roller (second friction member) that faces above and comes into pressure contact with the separation conveyance belt 13.
15, a sheet stop member 16, second paper feed rollers 17 and 18 that follow the separation conveyance belt 13 under pressure, and a guide@
Consists of 19. The separation plate 14 is attached to the holding member 20. A rotating shaft 20A is fixed to both side surfaces of the holding member 20, and is rotatable to the support frame of the separation device 10. The holding member 20 is swingable by manual lever operation or electric drive using a solenoid or the like. The separation row 215 is rotatably held at the opening of the link plate 22 which is swingably supported by the rotating shaft 21 . A link plate 23 is swingably coupled to the other end of the link plate 22. The link plate 23 is further swingably connected to the plunger 24A of the solenoid 24. The plunger 24A is pulled outward by a spring 25 and is stopped by coming into contact with a stopper 26. In this state, the separation roller 15 is in pressure contact with the separation conveyance belt 13. When power is applied to the Trail 24 connected to such a link mechanism, the plunger 24A is attracted in the direction of the arrow, bending the links 22 and 23 connected thereto, and moving the separation roller 15 to the upper left in the figure. Then, it is separated from the outer circumferential surface of the separation conveyor belt 13. Furthermore, when the energization of the thread is removed, the separation roller 15 is pressed against the separation conveyance belt 13 again. Next, the seat stop member 16 is swingably supported by the upper support shaft 16 and biased in one direction by the lower spring 27. Further, the sheet stopping member 16 plays the role of allowing or blocking the passage of the sheet S fed into the separating device 10 by its swinging motion. The second paper feed rows 217 and 18 are provided so as to be in pressure contact with the separation conveyance belt 13 and rotate as a result of the separation conveyance belt 13.
The sheet) S fed into the copying machine is conveyed along the guide plate 19 and sent onto the document table 40 of the copying machine. In front of the guide plate 19, a conveyor belt 32 is disposed on a document table 40 of the copying apparatus and is stretched between rollers 31A and 31B. A stop member 41 is provided at the left end of the document table 40 in FIG. 1 at a predetermined copying position, and a paper ejection guide 33 and paper ejection rollers 34A and 34B are further provided from the left to the top in the figure. A sheet holder plate 35 is fixed to one end of the pp paper guide 33, and a paper machine belt 37 rotated by rollers 36A and 36B is further provided to the right of the plate 35. Next, regarding the operation of the automatic paper feeder equipped with the above separation device 110! This will be explained using FIG. 14, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6. FIGS. 5 and 6, like FIG. 4, are side views of the separation device, each showing a different operating state. A plurality of sheets S set in a stacked state on the document placement plate 1 provided between the end of the paper machine belt 37 and the separation plate 14 are rotated by a paper feeding start signal. It is transported by paper feed roller 2゜3,
The tip of the S) abuts against the curved surface of the separation plate 14. The tips of the laminated sheets S are separated while being pressed against the curved surface of the separation plate 14. Among the separated sheets S, the lower layers of the sheets S are separated by rotating separation plates. Only the minimum number of sheets are passed and conveyed by a frictional separation operation that is sandwiched between the outer surface of the conveyor belt 13 and the tip of the separation plate 14 that is in pressure contact with the outer surface of the conveyor belt 13 . That is, a plurality of sheets are subjected to a first-stage separation operation by the separation plate 14, and one or two sheets are conveyed. Next, the above-mentioned conveyed small (total one sheet of N-F) is
At the position where the separation conveyance belt 13 and the separation roller 15 come into pressure contact, they are pinched and subjected to a second stage separation operation due to frictional force, and only the bottom sheet S1 is separated. One sheet S+ sent out after undergoing this second stage separation operation is subsequently fed into a pressure contact position between the separation conveyance belt 13 and the ll52 paper feed loaf 17, and is conveyed under pressure. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the separation device in this first position. In this case, the plunger 24A of the solenoid 24 is pulled out by the spring 25 and is in contact with the stopper 26, and the links 23 and 22 are in an extended state.
The separation roller 15 is in pressure contact with the separation conveyance belt 13. Also, at this time, the upper end 1 of the sheet stopping member 16
6B is spaced apart from the link plate 23, the seat stop member 16 rotates counterclockwise about the support shaft 16A. Here, the lower end 16C of the sheet stopping member 16 is located above the separation conveyance belt 13 as shown in the figure.
Since it is located at a position retracted from the + conveyance surface, the conveyance of the sheet S1 is not obstructed. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the separation device in a second position. In this state, the solenoid 24 is energized, the plunger 24A is retracted, and in conjunction with this, the link plate 23.22
By bending, the separation roller 15 is released from pressure and separates from the separation conveyance belt 13, creating a gap. At the same time, the upper end 16B of the seat stop member 1G is pressed by the side surface of the inclined link plate 23 and rotates clockwise around the support shaft 16A as shown in the figure.
C is approximately the outer tangent line when the separating conveyor belt 13 and the separating loaf 15 are in pressure contact with each other! Stop outside on L. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet group S2, which is subsequently fed in duplicate due to the surface friction of the sheet S, is stopped by the lower end 16C of the sheet stopping member 16, so that it is stopped under the separation row 215. is prevented from passing through. In this way, the following sheet group S2 is blocked, and the bottom layer 1
Only one sheet S is conveyed along the guide plate 19 while being held between the second paper feed rollers 17 and 18. FIG. 156 is a side view of the separation device showing this sheet conveyance state. Thereafter, the sheet S is conveyed on the document table 40 by the conveyor belt 32, and when the leading edge of the sheet S reaches the stop member 41, the conveyance is stopped and the sheet stands still. The image of this stationary sheet S is then copied by scanning with the moving exposure optical system. Alternatively, copying is performed by relatively moving the sheet (see) S+ on the document table 40 by a static exposure optical system during conveyance. After copying is completed, the stop member 41 is retracted, and the sheet S1 is carried upward by the conveyance belt 32 along the conveyance guide 33, and is discharged by the paper discharge rollers 34A and 34B, and then passes through the paper discharge tray 35 and is aligned. The belt 36 returns the sheet S to the uppermost position on the document table 1. Do the same thing below, starting with the second sheet from the bottom)
Sz is at the lowest position, and the paper is fed and conveyed after being subjected to two stages of separation operations in the same manner as described above. In this way, S)
After the total number of originals have been fed, transported, stopped, copied one sheet, and transported and ejected, the sheet S on the set table 21 is returned to the top each time, and the sheet consisting of the total number of originals is returned to the top position each time. S
One copy of each sheet will be created, and by repeating this process a necessary number of times, a predetermined number of aligned copies of the sheet S will be created. The optimum pressure force between the separation plate 14 and the separation conveyance belt 13 is 100 to 3001 when the paper is held in the pressure position on a general sheet, for example, 70.
It is r. Here, as the separation plate 14, a friction member such as urethane rubber or silicone rubber is used in a single layer or in multiple layers. As the separation roller 15, a friction member such as urethane rubber or silicone rubber is used, but until the force applied to the roller circumferential surface reaches a certain value, the shaft silk of the shaft is transmitted, and when the force exceeds that value, it becomes a 79-state. A limited power transmission means (a so-called trilimiter) is preferable. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the operation of the separation device according to the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a sectional view taken along line A-A during separation operation, and (C) is a sectional view when released. be. Note that the same functions S as in FIGS. 1 to 6 are given the same reference numerals. FIG. 7(C) is a cross-sectional view of the automatic paper feeder in a state where the pressure bonding by the separation plate is released when the automatic paper feeder is stopped or in an emergency such as a jam. When removing jammed paper or when it is desired to take out a sheet S during automatic paper feeding, the rotation shaft 2OA of the holding member 20 is automatically or manually rotated counterclockwise. As a result, the pressure contact between the separation conveyor belt 13 and the separation plate 14 is released and they are separated.
C) S can be easily taken out. When automatic sheet feeding is restarted, the rotary wheel 20A is rotated clockwise to press the separation plate 14 onto the surface of the separation conveyance belt 13. Note that a safety device may be provided to prevent the automatic sheet feeder from operating when the separation plate 14 is released from pressure. Figures 8 to #112 are diagrams showing various other implementations and examples of the separation device according to the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a view taken along A-A during separation operation. The cross-sectional view and (C) show the cross-sectional view when released. Regarding the reference numerals used in these drawings, the -fRn portion is designated by the same reference numeral. First, in FIG. 18, a separation conveyance belt 53 is provided with compound interest 53A and 53B evenly with respect to the sheet conveyance direction, and a separation plate 54A, which is a first friction member, is in pressure contact with the separation conveyance belt 53.
, 54B to the holding member 2o, and the rotating shafts 2OA at both ends.
This is a version of vIJ that can be freely swung around the center. Separation rollers 55A and 55B, which are second friction members, are brought into pressure contact with separation conveyance bells 53A and 53B, respectively. Note that 51A and 51B are feeding rollers. In FIG. 9, feeding rollers 51A and SIB are provided on both sides of the drive 50 of the central separating and conveying belt 13. These feeding rollers 51A, 51B and separation plate 54A
, 54B are brought into pressure contact to perform the first stage of frictional separation, and the central separation conveyor belt 13 and the separation roller 15 are brought into pressure contact to perform the second stage of frictional separation. In this case as well, the separation plates 54A, 54B are The separation rollers 51 A, 5 are oscillated.
1 It can freely approach and separate from B. The separation device shown in FIG. 10 performs the first stage frictional separation on the drive shaft 5.
Separation conveyance bells 53A, 53B at both ends of
The frictional separation of the stages is performed by the separation row 251C at the center of the drive shaft 50.
This is done using a separation roller 15 and a separation roller 15. In the separation device shown in FIG. 11, the drive shaft 57 of the separation row 256 that performs the second-stage frictional separation is provided separately from the first-stage drive shaft 50 shown in FIG. The separation roller 15 comes into pressure contact with the separation roller 53. The separation device shown in FIG. 12 includes the separation row 213 shown in FIG.
This is an example in which a separation conveyance belt 58 is used instead of. 1st
In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, it is possible to make variable the speed of the first-stage frictional separation and the progress of the second-stage frictional separation, and the tension/relaxation of the sheet S can be set freely. can. Furthermore, the separation position of the first stage and the second stage of tjS can be made variable to be optimal. As described above, by providing a plurality of first-stage and second-stage frictional separation members, the frictional separation of the sheets is more reliably performed, so that the electric transfer rate of the sheets can be reduced. Further, since the pressing force of the separation plate 54 and the separation row 255 against the separation belt 53 can be weakened, damage to the leading edge of the sheet and abrasion of the sheet surface can be reduced. In addition, the separation plate and the holding member act to divide the leading edge of the sheet fed to perform the first-stage frictional separation, thereby making the frictional separation effect more reliable.6 Furthermore, when a jam occurs, the holding member The jammed paper can be easily taken out by tightening the rotation and flipping up the separation plate to release the pressure contact with the sheet feeding member (belt or roller) and separate it. In addition, it is easy to return to the press-contact state. Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the automatic sheet feeding device of the present invention, the sheet separation performance in bottom feed type automatic sheet feeding is improved by performing two stages of frictional separation using the separation plate and the separation roller. It has been improved over time to prevent misfeeding, double feeding, image scratching on the sheet surface, and damage to the leading edge of the sheet, and it has also become possible to separate and feed a wide range of paper types. * By making the separating plate movable, the jammed paper can be easily removed and paper feeding can be restarted when a jam occurs, resulting in excellent operability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic paper feeder according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial block diagram of a separation device of the automatic paper feeder, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof. FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sectional views showing the operation of the separating device and the sheet separating/feeding process in the automatic sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of main parts showing the operation of the separation apparatus according to the present invention. 8 to 12 are schematic diagrams showing various other embodiments of the separation apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram-electronic diagram of various sheet direct feeding systems in the prior art. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Sheet mounting table, 2.3... First paper feed roller lO... Separation device, 13, 53^, 53B...
Separation conveyance belt (sheet feeding member) 14.54^, 548.64...Separation plate (first
friction member) 15.55^, 55B, 56... separation roller (second friction member) 16... sheet stop member,
17.18...Second paper feed roller 20...Holding member,
51^, 51B, 51C... Feeding roller S...
・Sheet (group) So, S,...One sheet Applicant: Roku Konishi Photo Industry Co., Ltd. Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) Automatic feeding in which sheets for feeding are placed in a stacked manner on a sheet loading table, and the sheets sent out from the bottom layer of the stacked sheets are separated and fed one by one by a separating device. In the paper device, the separating device includes a sheet feeding member;
An automatic sheet feeding device comprising at least two friction members that press against the sheet feeding member, and at least one of the friction members is movable so as to be able to press against and release the sheet feeding member. . (2) The sheet feeding member is composed of a belt or a roller, and the movable friction separation member that presses against and releases the sheet feeding member is composed of an elastic plate. Automatic paper feeder. (3) The friction separation member that presses against the sheet feeding member is movable or held by a guide member while the surface that contacts the leading end of the fed sheet has a curved surface. An automatic paper feeder according to claim 1 or 2.