Hinman collator

Invented by Charlton Hinman in the late 1940s, the device used lights and mirrors to superimpose images of the two documents so that differences in text alignment or wording stood out.

This resulted in huge improvements in speed and efficiency compared to the traditional cross-referencing of texts by eye.

Hinman used his device to compare the many slightly different impressions of the First Folio of William Shakespeare's works.

The printing and bookbinding processes used in the time of Shakespeare often resulted in variations in the pages bound into the final books, and the collator enabled Hinman to describe the exact order in which the Folios had been composited and printed.

[1] In the wake of Hinman's success, the device was purchased by a number of universities, libraries and other institutions (allegedly including the CIA).