A feeder for inserting carrier tape, in which many components are successively stored in a conveyance direction and in which engaging holes which have a prescribed relationship with the components are formed at a regular hole pitch in the conveyance direction, into an insertion section, and feeding the carrier tape such that the components are sequentially supplied to a supply position on a side opposite to the insertion section, the feeder comprising: a main body; a downstream sprocket that is rotatably provided at a position adjacent to the supply position of the main body, and has an engaging protrusion that engages with the engaging holes formed on an outer circumference section thereof; an upstream sprocket that is rotatably provided at a position adjacent to the insertion section of the main body, and has an engaging protrusion that engages with the engaging holes formed on an outer circumference section thereof; and a rail, the upper surface of which forms a conveyance path of the carrier tape, that is provided above the downstream sprocket and the upstream sprocket along the conveyance direction; characterized in that a space is formed above the rail which is between the downstream sprocket and the upstream sprocket, so that, in a case in which engaging protrusions (62a, 63a) of both the upstream sprocket and the downstream sprocket are respectively engaged with the engaging holes of the carrier tape, the carrier tape slackens into the space so as to separate from the rail according to a difference between: a portion of the carrier tape between the engaging holes respectively engaged with the engaging protrusions (62a, 63a) of both the upstream sprocket and the downstream sprocket, and a distance between a rotation axis of the downstream sprocket and a rotation axis of the upstream sprocket. a main body; a downstream sprocket that is rotatably provided at a position adjacent to the supply position of the main body, and has an engaging protrusion that engages with the engaging holes formed on an outer circumference section thereof; an upstream sprocket that is rotatably provided at a position adjacent to the insertion section of the main body, and has an engaging protrusion that engages with the engaging holes formed on an outer circumference section thereof; and a rail, the upper surface of which forms a conveyance path of the carrier tape, that is provided above the downstream sprocket and the upstream sprocket along the conveyance direction; characterized in that a space is formed above the rail which is between the downstream sprocket and the upstream sprocket, so that, in a case in which engaging protrusions (62a, 63a) of both the upstream sprocket and the downstream sprocket are respectively engaged with the engaging holes of the carrier tape, the carrier tape slackens into the space so as to separate from the rail according to a difference between: a portion of the carrier tape between the engaging holes respectively engaged with the engaging protrusions (62a, 63a) of both the upstream sprocket and the downstream sprocket, and a distance between a rotation axis of the downstream sprocket and a rotation axis of the upstream sprocket. a portion of the carrier tape between the engaging holes respectively engaged with the engaging protrusions (62a, 63a) of both the upstream sprocket and the downstream sprocket, and a distance between a rotation axis of the downstream sprocket and a rotation axis of the upstream sprocket.