Abstract: To obtain a Raney catalyst for fixed bed permitting a continuous use with a high initial activity and to produce a high purity sugar-alcohol at a low cost using the same. For this object, sugar-alcohol is produced by: using the powder type Raney catalyst made by using for the hydrogenation under the hydrogen pressure a lump form Raney catalyst made by (i) the first step for melting nickel and aluminum, (ii) the second step for obtaining quenched lump alloy by quenching droplets of said melted mixture and (iii) the third step for classifying and activating said quenched lump alloy as it is or once it is broken, collecting said lump form Raney catalyst, crushing into powder and reactivating, and hydrogenating sugars under the hydrogen pressure.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device including a pair of rollers to convey a sheet impinged against a nip portion of the pair of rollers. Also included is a driving device which drives the pair of rollers to rotate in either a forward direction or a reverse direction, a sheet detecting device which detects the sheet inserted into the nip portion, and a controller which controls the pair of rollers to rotate in the forward direction after rotating the pair of rollers in the reverse direction by a predetermined amount of rotation, when the sheet is inserted into the nip portion of the pair of rollers.