Collating machine with sheet aligning means

Claim 1

A COLLATING MACHINE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CENTRAL TABLE, MAGAZINES ALIGNED ALONG SAID TABLE FOR HOLDING STACKS OF SHEETS TO BE COLLATED, FEED MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEETS FROM SAID MAGAZINES ONTO SAID TABLE, MEANS FOR ADVANCING SHEETS ALONG SAID TABLE, AN ALIGNING DEVICE FOR ALIGNING SHEETS ON SAID TABLE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED THEREON AND ADVANCED BEYOND SAID MAGAZINES, SAID TABLE HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN, SAID ALIGNING DEVICE INCLUDING AN ABUTMENT STOP EXTENDABLE UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID APERTURE, AND MEANS BENEATH SAID TABLE FOR ALTERNATELY SUPPORTING SAID STOP IN A RAISED POSITION PARTLY ABOVE SAID TABLE AND RETRACTING SAID STOP TO A LOWERED POSITION BENEATH THE SURFACE OF SAID TABLE, A FASTENING DEVICE FOR FASTENING SHEETS TOGETHER IN BOOKLET FORM AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN ALIGNED BY SAID ALIGNING DEVICE, SAID DRIVE MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID FEED MEANS, SAID ADVANCING MEANS, SAID ALIGNING DEVICE, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, AND SAID FASTENING DEVICE IN PREDETERMINED TIMED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER.