How It All Started
The micro switch was eventually replaced with the more reliable optical switch. This switch consists of a light on front side of the ticket and a receiver on the back. As the ticket moved through the dispenser the light would not pass through the card. When the notch passed the light the receiver would see the light and send a signal to the electronics that a ticket had passed. This worked because the ticket was a heavy card stock and blocked the passage of light.
The problem with this notch system is that the cut out portion of the ticket would snag and cause jams in the dispenser. In a large Family Amusement Center an “on site” technician could fix this jamming and most large arcades had one or more of these people. The extension of this notch problem was that the game did not make money while it was jammed and the result was often abuse to the equipment. The problem was greater if the location did not have "on site" personnel to handle games that did not work. The bottom line to all this is a game that doesn't work does not make money!
The staff of Paper Ticket Experts, Inc., located in southern California, realized other benefits. This was that Paper Tickets were thinner and many more could be placed into an amusement game. This cut down on the staff time of filling games with tickets and reduced game failure due to empty ticket bins. Paper Tickets made operators more money.
Reading through paper allowed the notch / barcode to be printed on one side and the location information and logo to be printed on the back. By using a translucent colored ink for the message and an opaque black ink for the notch / barcode Paper Ticket Experts only printed the black on one side. This made for a more attractive design and greater location identification. This too, made the operator more money.
A ticket 1.1" X 3/4" costing $300 a million ... It's Here Today at the Redondo Fun Factory!
