Apparatus for feeding original document with improved speed and

Abstract

In an apparatus for feeding an original document, the time which is needed until the first original document is transported onto a transportation path after storing original documents is shortened. The original documents stacked on an original document supporting plate are successively supplied one by one in order from an uppermost original document. A discharged original document is steadily and easily inserted between the original document supporting plate and the original documents stacked on the original document supporting plate. When a hopper sensor detects that the original documents are stacked on the original document supporting plate, the original document supporting plate is moved upward until the upper surface of the uppermost one of the original documents contact a level sensor. At this stage, the original documents are supplied successively one by one from the uppermost original document by a paper feeding mechanism. An image from an original document which has traveled along a transportation path is read by a reading part of the copying machine on which the apparatus is mounted. When a document discharge sensor is turned on, the original document supporting plate is moved downward to a home position at a high speed, and the discharged original document is inserted into a space which is created at this stage between the original document supporting plate and the original documents stacked on the original document supporting plate.