A registration gate is mounted in a sheet feeding mechanism for rotation about an axis at about right angles to the direction of sheet feed into a feeder mechanism. The gate includes a plurality of fingers extending upwardly through slots in the tray. A motorized sequencing cam moves followers to rotate the gate to an open position to retract the fingers below the tray, to raise and lower a nudger in and to move a lever for locking and unlocking the gate into the closed position with the fingers upright for registering the leading edge of the sheets during user loading of the tray. The cam may be detented or locked by a pawl engaging a notch in the cam.