PURPOSE: To provide a paper feeder, which picks a sheet of paper mounted on a hopper platform according to simple constitution/control and delivers it via a tip registering roller.

CONSTITUTION: A paper feeder is provided with a pick roller 2a, which is rotationally driven by a motor 9 rotationally driving a tip registering roller 5 and is allowed to rotate only in the paper conveying direction so as to pick a sheet of paper, a separation roller 2b, which is allowed to rotate only in the paper conveying direction and feeds the paper picked by the pick roller 2a to the tip registering roller 5, and a pad means 4b, which is brought into contact with the separation roller 2b so as to separate the paper, while the pick roller 2a, the separation roller 2b, and the pad means 4 are integrated by a frame means 10. In addition, the paper feeder is provided with a driving means, which moves the integrated mechanism setting a prescribed rotational shaft 12 as the center so that the pick roller 2a is brought into contact with the paper during picking of the paper and moves the integrated mechanism setting the rotational shaft 12 as the center so that the pick roller 2a does not touch the paper during feeding of the paper.