Independently activatable side pull for lateral alignment of a sheet

A device for lateral alignment of a sheet in a sheet processing machine, the sheet being movable across a direction of transport into an alignment position, the device comprising:

• a side pull lay device for moving the sheet into the alignment position, the sheet being able to enter the lateral alignment device on both sides of the alignment position so as to define an inlet position, the side pull lay device having at least a right-hand side pull lay and a left-hand side pull lay activatable independently of the right hand side pull lay, the side lay pull device for transporting a sheet toward the alignment position, and
• a control device controlling the side pull lay device depending on the inlet position of the sheet with respect to the alignment position so when the sheet to be aligned is to the left of the alignment position, the right-hand side pull lay is assigned a pulling function and, conversely, when the sheet to be aligned is to the right of the alignment position, the left-hand side pull lay is assigned a pulling function.