Thanks to Les Smith for sending in this story. Says Les: “Another story from a typesetting company in Sydney, Australia.”
THE TIME had come to replace the Royal in the basement.
After many years faithful service producing repros (and running foreign orders) a new press was ordered.
The Friday before delivery of the new press the Royal was suitably disassembled by young Kenny armed with a sledgehammer. Although the bed was saved as a top for the bench in someone’s shed.
On Monday morning the new press was duly delivered and off loaded at the dock.
In imperial measurement the new press weighed a ton so the two chain hoists rated at a half ton each at either end should be just fine &elip;
However, as the press was being lowered into the void one end became caught on a fire sprinkler spigot protruding into the drop space.
Which was fine, except nobody noticed the chain going loose at that end until the spigot failed and the press dropped pushing the half ton hoist past the design limit.
So one end of the brand new sparkling press dropped onto the concrete floor in the basement below – with terminal results.
Just in time for a couple of the directors to come wandering by and, seeing the shocked expressions on the guilty parties, made the flippant remark, “so I expect you have dropped the new press into basement”.
Fortunately for the purchasers the failed hoist belonged to the supply organization, so the insurance company paid up and another press was ordered and eventually delivered and safely installed.
Moral of the story – always have a backup.
Disclaimer. Your writer was not present when the above events took place, so some licence has been taken. However, be assured the new press was dropped into the basement.
If you liked this story you may also like Printers’ Tales a compilation of similar stories, available in ebook and paperback formats.