Importance

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Abstract

In a sheet supplying device for feeding a sheet from a sheet stack configured by stacking plural sets of sheets collated by page order, each of which corresponds to one volume, for each set of sheets, in a state where the sheets are superimposed on one another so as to be sequentially offset from one another in a fore-to-aft direction, the sheet supplying device comprises: first transport means 2 for sucking a sheet in an uppermost position of a sheet stack P placed on a sheet table 1 so as to move the sheet rearward; second transport means 3 for sucking the sheet moved rearward by the first transport means 2 so as to transport the sheet forward; and a control unit 9 controlling suction operations of the first and second transport means 2, 3. The control unit 9 (i) allows the first transport means 2 to start the suction operation, and allows the first transport means 2 to suck the sheet in the uppermost position so as to move the sheet rearward, (ii) when it is determined on the basis of a detection signal from a sensor 4 that the sheet has reached a detection position of the sensor 4, allows the first transport means 2 to stop the suction operation and, also, the second transport means 3 to start the suction operation, allows the second transport means 3 to suck the sheet so as to transport the sheet forward, and allows the second transport means 3 to stop the suction operation, and (iii) repeats the operations (i) and (ii) for the subsequent sheets of the sheet stack P, until the sheets in a set of sheets, which corresponds to one volume, arm all transported.

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First Claim