AUTOMATIC PAPER FEEDER, IMAGE READER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic paper feeder, an image reader and an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the cost and improving durability by regenerating a friction piece by a simple work process. SOLUTION: When a friction part 32a of the friction piece 32 wears away due to friction with a separating roller 31, a document transport part 3 is opened toward the outside of the apparatus and a screw N is loosened. When the document transport part 3 is closed to start document transportation, the separating roller 31 is rotated in the direction (Z direction in Fig. 1) of transporting a document S, and the friction piece 32 is also guided by circular elongated holes 32c to 32d to slid in the direction (Y direction in Fig. 1) of transporting the document S. By this arrangement, the wear-away part 32b is slid in the advancing direction of the document S, so that a new part of the friction piece 32 which does not wear away is used as the friction part 32a with the separating roller 31. Thus, the initial thickness is returned and regenerated so as to improve durability.