PURPOSE: To restrict resistance at the time of drawing in/out of a paper feeding cassette, to improve operability, and to automatically fix a bottom plate to the bottom part of the paper feeding cassette when the paper feeding cassette is drawn out.

CONSTITUTION: A paper feeder is provided with a cassette 60 for storing paper sheets, a bottom plate 66, which is provided in the cassette 60, and by which the paper sheets can be lifted up to the height of a feeding roller, being energized by a spring 62, a rack 103 provided on the side surface of the storage part of the cassette 60, and a wire take-up mechanism 70 interlocking with the rack 103 when the cassette 60 is to be drawn out for filling paper sheets, by which a wire 67 connected to the bottom plate 66 is automatically taken up, and by which the bottom plate 66 is lowered up to the bottom plate of the cassette 60, for the bottom plate 66 to be fixed.