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The well-known pasteboard tickets were invented
by Thomas Edmonson of Manchester in 1838. The ticket size is
30 by 57 mm. Tickets have single-side or duplex printing. The
pasteboard used can be flat and white or textured. Colours and
colour stripes were used to differentiate the coach classes
or to indicate extra charges, for example.
Pasteboard tickets are almost forced out by computer technology
because of more flexible manipulation with computer-printed
or electronic tickets. We still use the old Edmonson tickets
and produce them for other companies and for various purposes.
The printing-shop equipment is unique. Let's see how the tickets
are manufactured.
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Pasteboard
cutting is the very first operation. Pasteboard sheets
are cut into the stripes. The width of the stripes is
the same as the ticket width.
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The stripes
are cut into pieces - future tickets. Stripes are inserted
into the bins at the rear side of the machine. Cuts are
transported to the output magazine located in the front
bottom part of the cutting machine. Correct machine adjustment
is not so easy sometimes.
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The pasteboard
pieces are put to the printer stack.
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The setting
should be prepared before printing. We use the linotype
machine. The linotype is the mechanical typesetting machine
that revolutionised newspaper production when it was invented
by Ottmar Merganthaler in 1884. The operator's keystrokes
retrieve letter moulds from the magazines and the machine
assembles these, along with expanding space bands, before
using them to cast a line of type from molten lead alloy.
The moulds (or matrices) are then re-distributed back
into the magazine for subsequent use. The lines of type
are called "slugs". The alloy is composed of
lead, antimony and tin. It is hard enough so that slugs
can be used in printing machine but its melting temperature
is low. Slugs can be easily melted and the alloy re-used
after printing.
The keystroke sequence ETAOIN SHRDLU may look mysteriously.
The typesetter can discard the line of text before pouring
by quickly pressing these keys in case of a mistake. A
single big button may be used for the same purpose on
our machine.
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Slugs (lines
of text) are assembled in correct order and fixed into
blocks prior to printing.
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This picture
shows the frame with slugs. The frame is released. Slugs
are fixed into the block using the srew at the shorter
(left) side of the frame. A special wrench is used. The
wrench is on the right upper side of the image.
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The block
is attached to the printing head. The operator checks
the look of printing, especially the order of lines and
the head pressure. The numbering device should be adjusted,
too, because tickets are numbered in sequence. The machine
is driven manually during checks.
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Duplex printing
is available. The machine is equpped with two printing
heads. Between them tickets are upset by the wheel, which
can be seen in the middle of the picture.
Only the second head is equipped with the numebring device.
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Tickets are
counted and divided into packets. The packet contains
one hundred pieces. Nice alignment of the tickets can
be achieved quickly and easily thanks to the special pad.
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Stamping and
banding is the very last operation. The red diagonal stripes
on the side face of the packet are used to check if the
packet is complete. If one or several tickets are missing,
for example lost during transport, the stripe is not continuous.
This can be discovered at the first glance.
Tickets are stamped with current date upon sale at the
booking office using special date stamping device.
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