Singulating sheet feeder

Abstract

A singulating sheet feeder includes a deck for slidably supporting a plurality of sheets and a drive system for moving the sheets along the deck. The drive system includes a drive element for engaging a lowermost sheet to move the sheets into a shingled arrangement. The sheet feeder further includes a transport element for transporting the lowermost sheet away from the plurality of sheets and a separator element proximate to the transport element including a substantially planar surface for engaging leading edges of subsequent sheets to retard motion of the subsequent sheets as the lowermost sheet is transported, wherein the substantially planar surface is disposed at an acute angle to the deck.

1 . A singulating sheet feeder, comprising:
 a deck for slidably supporting a plurality of sheets;   a drive system for moving the sheets along the deck, the drive system comprising a drive element for engaging a lowermost sheet to move the sheets into a shingled arrangement;   a transport element for transporting the lowermost sheet away from the plurality of sheets; and   a separator element proximate to the transport element comprising a substantially planar surface for engaging leading edges of subsequent sheets to retard motion of the subsequent sheets as the lowermost sheet is transported, wherein the substantially planar surface is disposed at an acute angle to the deck.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the transport element comprises a selectively rotatable roller. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the acute angle ranges from approximately 50 degrees to approximately 70 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The sheet feeder of  claim 3 , wherein the acute angle is approximately 60 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The sheet feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar surface has an average surface roughness of approximately 10 microns or less. 
     
     
         6 . The sheet feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar surface is disposed proximate to a contact point between the feeding element and the lowermost sheet. 
     
     
         7 . The sheet feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the separator element comprises a polygonal prism defining multiple substantially planar surfaces. 
     
     
         8 . The sheet feeder of  claim 7 , wherein the separator element is selectively pivotable to dispose a desired one of the multiple substantially planar surfaces at an acute angle to the deck. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the separator element defines a gap with respect to the feeding element in a direction perpendicular to the deck. 
     
     
         10 . The sheet feeder of  claim 9 , wherein the gap has a height approximately as large as a thickness of a sheet. 
     
     
         11 . The sheet feeder of  claim 9 , wherein the separator element is adjustably mounted to allow the gap to be varied. 
     
     
         12 . A method of singulating sheets, comprising:
 slidably supporting a plurality of sheets on a deck;   moving the sheets along the deck, wherein moving comprises engaging a lowermost sheet to move the sheets into a shingled arrangement;   transporting the lowermost sheet away from the plurality of sheets using a transport element; and   engaging leading edges of subsequent sheets with a substantially planar surface of a separator element proximate to the transport element to retard motion of the subsequent sheets as the lowermost sheet is transported, wherein the substantially planar surface is disposed at an acute angle to the deck.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the transport element comprises a selectively rotatable roller. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the acute angle ranges from approximately 50 degrees to approximately 70 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the acute angle is approximately 60 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the substantially planar surface has an average surface roughness of approximately 10 microns or less. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the substantially planar surface is disposed proximate to a contact point between the feeding element and the lowermost sheet. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the separator element comprises a polygonal prism defining multiple substantially planar surfaces. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising selectively pivoting the separator element to dispose a desired one of the multiple substantially planar surfaces at an acute angle to the deck. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the separator element defines a gap with respect to the feeding element in a direction perpendicular to the deck. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the gap has a height approximately as large as a thickness of a sheet. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising adjusting a position of the separator element to vary the gap.