Setright Machine
Encyclopedia
A Setright Machine is a machine
operated by a conductor or guard for issuing bus tickets from a blank paper roll.
Some machines also included a ticket punch
attached to the top corner of the case (illustrated).
The machines are reliable and unlikely to jam. A distinctive whirring noise is made as each ticket is issued.
, London E9 and later moved in 1967 to the Fairfield Works, Fairfield Road, Bow
, London E3, suitably adjacent to the London Transport
bus garage, although LT used the Gibson Machine (produced by Ticket Equipment Ltd, based on the TIM system). The Company moved its main operation to Belfast in 1965 Noteworthy were the vibrant export sales to the former communist countries of Czechoslovakia
and the German Democratic Republic
where Setright machines were to be found everywhere. In contrast the marque was unknown in the former West Germany
.
In Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic, these machines were also occasionally used in other areas e.g. in river ship transport, or for entrance tickets (Koněprusy Caves, Lhota swimming lake etc.).
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
operated by a conductor or guard for issuing bus tickets from a blank paper roll.
Technology
A Setright can print any value and could easily deal with changes in fares. A set of concentric dials on the top is used to set the value and levers can set different fares (such as "Adult" or "Child") and other vital information (such as "Inbound" or "Outbound").Some machines also included a ticket punch
Ticket punch
A ticket punch is a hand tool for permanently marking admission tickets and similar items of paper or card stock. It makes a perforation and a corresponding chad. A ticket punch resembles a hole punch, differing in that the ticket punch has a longer jaw and the option of having a distinctive...
attached to the top corner of the case (illustrated).
Features
Only a single paper roll is needed and, unlike other multi-roll machines, this roll does not need to be replaced or re-printed if ticket prices change.The machines are reliable and unlikely to jam. A distinctive whirring noise is made as each ticket is issued.
History
Australian engineer Henry Roy Setright patented his ticket machine in 1922 and the company Setright Registers Ltd. was formed to manufacture them. In 1955 it occupied Eastway Works, Eastway, Hackney WickHackney Wick
Hackney Wick is an area straddling the boundary between the London Borough of Hackney and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. It is an inner-city development situated 5 miles northeast of Charing Cross...
, London E9 and later moved in 1967 to the Fairfield Works, Fairfield Road, Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
, London E3, suitably adjacent to the London Transport
London Transport Board
The London Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1963-1969. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-History:The...
bus garage, although LT used the Gibson Machine (produced by Ticket Equipment Ltd, based on the TIM system). The Company moved its main operation to Belfast in 1965 Noteworthy were the vibrant export sales to the former communist countries of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
where Setright machines were to be found everywhere. In contrast the marque was unknown in the former West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
In Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic, these machines were also occasionally used in other areas e.g. in river ship transport, or for entrance tickets (Koněprusy Caves, Lhota swimming lake etc.).