Abstract: In the invention, after the last sheet is conveyed from a paper feed tray, the paper feed tray is lifted up so that the paper feed tray is brought into contact with a suction belt. An elastic cleaning member that removes paper particles, or the like, is installed at an area of the paper feed tray where the paper feed tray is in contact with the suction belt. The suction belt is driven while the cleaning member is in contact with the suction belt. The paper particles, or the like, removed from the suction belt by the cleaning member are collected in a paper-particle collecting device from a vacuum chamber via a vacuum duct.

Abstract: In the invention, after the last sheet is conveyed from a paper feed tray, the paper feed tray is lifted up so that the paper feed tray is brought into contact with a suction belt. An elastic cleaning member that removes paper particles, or the like, is installed at an area of the paper feed tray where the paper feed tray is in contact with the suction belt. The suction belt is driven while the cleaning member is in contact with the suction belt. The paper particles, or the like, removed from the suction belt by the cleaning member are collected in a paper-particle collecting device from a vacuum chamber via a vacuum duct.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a stacking unit configured to allow sheets to be stacked thereon; side end regulating members configured to make contact with both side ends of the stacked sheets so that positions of the side ends are regulated; a feeding unit configured to feed one sheet at a time from the stacked sheets; an air supply unit; and an air blow unit including a blow port from which air supplied from the air supply unit is blown against a side end of the stacked sheets, the air blow unit being housed in each of the side end regulating members. Each side end regulating member has an opening for exhausting the air that is blown from the blow port unit to the stacked sheets. An orientation of the blow port is adjustable about an axial line perpendicular to a plane corresponding to a surface of the stacked sheets.

Abstract: A recording medium supplying device includes a recording medium mounting portion on which sheet-like recording media are capable of being mounted in a stacked state, an air discharging unit that blows air to the recording media in the stacked state so as to make recording medium at an uppermost position float, a conveying unit that adsorbs and conveys the floating recording medium at the uppermost position, an upper surface position detecting unit that makes contact with an uppermost surface of the recording media in the stacked state and detects a height position of the uppermost surface, and a pressing force varying mechanism that makes a pressing force of the upper surface position detecting unit on the uppermost surface of the recording media variable.

Abstract: A recording medium supplying device includes: a recording medium mounting portion on which sheet-like recording media are capable of being mounted in a stacked state; an air discharging unit that blows air to the recording media in the stacked state so as to make recording medium at an uppermost position float; a conveying unit that adsorbs and conveys the floating recording medium at the uppermost position; an upper surface position detecting unit that makes contact with an uppermost surface of the recording media in the stacked state and detects a height position of the uppermost surface; and a pressing force varying mechanism that makes a pressing force of the upper surface position detecting unit on the uppermost surface of the recording media variable.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a stacking unit configured to allow sheets to be stacked thereon; side end regulating members configured to make contact with both side ends of the stacked sheets so that positions of the side ends are regulated; a feeding unit configured to feed one sheet at a time from the stacked sheets; an air supply unit; and an air blow unit including a blow port from which air supplied from the air supply unit is blown against a side end of the stacked sheets, the air blow unit being housed in each of the side end regulating members. Each side end regulating member has an opening for exhausting the air that is blown from the blow port unit to the stacked sheets. An orientation of the blow port is adjustable about an axial line perpendicular to a plane corresponding to a surface of the stacked sheets.

Abstract: To provide a polishing composition which is suitable particularly for an application to polish a wafer containing tungsten, and a polishing process employing such a polishing composition. The polishing composition of the present invention comprises a colloidal silica and hydrogen peroxide. The pH of the polishing composition is from 5 to 8.5, and the concentration of iron ions in the polishing composition is at most 0.02 ppm. The polishing composition preferably further contains phosphoric acid or a phosphate.

Abstract: To provide a polishing composition which is suitable particularly for an application to polish a wafer containing tungsten, and a polishing process employing such a polishing composition. The polishing composition of the present invention comprises a colloidal silica and hydrogen peroxide. The pH of the polishing composition is from 1 to 4, and the concentration of iron ions in the polishing composition is at most 0.02 ppm. The polishing composition preferably further contains phosphoric acid or a phosphate.