Patent ID: 7140827

Claim:
A transporting apparatus, comprising: a) a plurality of transporting means aligned in a transporting direction, each transporting means comprising: i) air-supplying-type support means for supplying air toward a lower surface portion of a transported object to contactlessly support the transported object, the air-supplying-type support means including a blower fan and a filter disposed in a blowing direction of the blower fan; and ii) drive force application means for applying a drive force in the transporting direction to the transported object that is supported by the air-supplying-type support means; and b) control means for controlling operation of the plurality of transporting means, wherein the control means allows an upstream side transporting means of the plurality of transporting means to operate if a downstream side transporting means, located downstream with respect to the transporting direction relative to the upstream side transporting means, is in an operating state, and prohibits the start of operation of the upstream side transporting means if the downstream side transporting means is in a non-operating state.