Patent ID: 7210887

Claim:
A bookbinding machine for processing inner books comprising: a transport system having a multiplicity of inner-book clamps for holding a respective multiplicity of inner books, said clamps continuously movable in a closed continuous track including rectilinear sections and articulated to a circulating conveyor driven by a first drive, which inner-book clamps have a rear-edge stop for aligning the inner books; a plurality of workstations driven by at least one second drive for performing a respective plurality of diverse, positionally accurate operations on said inner books; and a measuring system independent of said first drive, that detects a position of a clamped inner book or the inner book clamp, while said book or clamp is moving toward each of said workstations; wherein said first and second drives operate independently of one another and said positions are detected in proximity to said workstations and used to control said diverse, positionally accurate operations.