PAPER FEED CONTROL MECHANISMS

A duplicating machine of the type employing a table for holding a stack of paper sheets. The machine includes feed mechanisms which engage the top sheet of the stack and thereby feed the sheets one at a time to the duplicating mechanisms of the machine. The particular improvement of the invention involves an automatic control means for the operation of the feed member, the control means being dependent upon the location of the top of the stack. The control means include a latch lever connected to a support for feed rollers or other feed members, and the latch lever moves with the feed member support as the feed member changes position in response to a change in the height of the stack. When the height of the stack reaches a predetermined position, the latch lever engages the means for driving the feed member to automatically stop the feeding operation. The automatic operation occurs whenever the amount of paper in the stack is reduced beyond a predetermined level or when the table is deliberately lowered. The latch lever is automatically released for resumption of the feeding operation when the stack height is raised above the predetermined level.