Original feeding device for photocopying machine

Claim 1

Feeding device for superposed original and copying paper unit in a photocopying machine, comprising: a horizontally positioned feed plate superposed unit to move thereover in a downstream feed direction; a guide plate positioned above said feed plate and having a horizontal part defining with said guide plate a feed inlet; a first shaft positioned above said feed plate; a plurality of resilient rollers mounted to be continuously rotated by said first shaft and having their lower peripheries in contact with the original; a second shaft positioned below said feed plate; means connecting said first and second shafts providing for driving said first shaft by said second shaft in either direction; said connecting means comprising a pair of directly connectable rotary elements, each rotary element being fixedly mounted respectively on one of said shafts, and said elements having peripheral contact for frictional rotation together when said superposed unit is initially fed into said inlet thereby driving said rollers with their lower peripheries moving in the feed direction; detecting means located a predetermined distance downstream of said resilient rollers and adapted to be operated by a leading edge of said superposed unit; said connecting means further comprising an endlEss belt looped around said first and second shafts, said belt positioned in slack position when said elements are connected together for frictional rotation and; moving means actuated by operation of said detecting means to move said shafts further apart thereby separating said rotary elements and simultaneously tightening said belt to drive said first shaft and resilient rollers so that their lower peripheries move reverse to the feed direction to contact a trailing edge of said superposed unit.