Abstract: The present invention is a vertical boat 8 for heat treatment by which a plurality of wafer-like objects to be treated are supported with an interval in a vertical direction by a column having support surfaces and carried into a vertical heat treatment apparatus and carried out, wherein a lower surface of each of the wafer-like objects to be treated is supported by a plurality of support surfaces 4 formed on the column, a flatness of a plane formed by the plurality of the support surfaces being in contact with a same one of the objects to be treated is 0.03 mm or less, and a parallelism thereof is 0.07 mm or less. Thereby, there can be provided a vertical boat for heat treatment and a method for heat treatment by which even if the heat treatment is performed at an extremely high temperature of 1200° C.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developing roller which conveys developer on the surface thereof by the rotation in a predetermined direction. The developer conveyed thereon to develop a latent image formed on an image-holding device. A supply roller rotates keeping contact with the developing roller and by the rotation of which the developer is supplied to the developing roller. A regulating member regulates the amount of the developer to be conveyed on the surface of the developing roller. The supply roller is so disposed that the axis thereof is positioned lower than that of the developing roller while the top thereof is also positioned lower than that of the developing roller.

Abstract: An electrostatic copying apparatus conveys a copying paper sheet through a copying paper conveying passage thereby to form an image on one surface of the sheet, selectively introduces it into a copying paper returning passage, returns it to a copying paper re-sending device through the returning passage, and again feeds it into the paper conveying passage from the re-sending device so as to form an image on the other surface of the paper sheet. The paper re-sending device includes a copying paper receiving stand for receiving copying paper sheets and a delivery device disposed above the receiving stand. The delivery device is selectively maintained in a non-operating state in which it moves away from the copying paper received on the receiving stand, a first operating state in which it acts relatively weakly on the copying paper received on the receiving stand, and a second operating state at which it acts relatively strongly on the copying paper received on the receiving stand.

Abstract: A toner image fixing device includes a driven fixing roller drivingly connected to a driving source and a rotatably mounted follower fixing roller. The follower fixing roller is mounted on a movable supporting member which is mounted for free movement between a contacting position at which the follower fixing roller is kept in press contact with the driven fixing roller and a non-contacting or non-pressing position at which the follower fixing roller is kept out of press contact with the driven fixing roller. A press-contacting control mechanism selectively holds the movable supporting member at the contacting position and the non-contacting position. The press-contacting control mechanism includes a positioning member connected to the movable supporting member via a spring and an actuating device for selectively holding the positioning member at an operating position and a non-operating position.