Paper feeding device, paper feeding method, recording medium, and image forming apparatus

A paper feeding method to be executed by a paper feeding device including:

• a conveyor to rotate a roll paper forward and backward to feed the roll paper;
• a roller;
• a sensor to detect a level difference at an end of the roll paper;
• and a support on which the sensor and the roller are arranged at positions offset from each other in a circumferential direction of the roll paper with respect to a center of the roll paper, the support supporting the sensor and the roller to abut on a surface of the roll paper,
• the paper feeding method comprising:
• controlling rotation of the roll paper based on a sensor signal output from the sensor;
• and
• causing the roll paper to rotate in a paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value to detect a paper tube of the roll paper.

A non-transitory recording medium storing program code, the program code causing a computer that controls a paper feeding device to perform a process, the paper feeding device including:

• a conveyor that rotates a roll paper forward and backward to feed the roll paper;
• a roller;
• a sensor to detect a level difference at an end of the roll paper;
• and a support on which the sensor and the roller are arranged at positions offset from each other in a circumferential direction of the roll paper with respect to a center of the roll paper, the support supporting the sensor and the roller to abut on a surface of the roll paper,
• the process comprising:
• controlling rotation of the roll paper based on a sensor signal output from the sensor;
• and
• causing the roll paper to rotate in a paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value to detect a paper tube of the roll paper.