The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-08
PROPOSALs.
PROPOSALS
FOR MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, I
WAsHIxeroS, d. g.. Sept. II, 1878. )
SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS

SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS
Will be received at this Department until IL
O'Clock noon, the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DE-
GENDER. 1875 for furnishing. under separate
contracts, two different kinds of padlocks and
keys: one for the sole and exclusive use of regis
tered through mails. and the other for the sole
and exclusive use Of street letter bores.
Every proposal must be accompanied with du-
plcate samples of the locks and keys thereby
offered to be furnished !; one Of each kind of
sample lock to be riveted up and finished, and
another to be open or unriveted, so that It's in
ternal structure and arrangement may readily
be examined. Each sample should be plainly
marked with the bidders name, and If the
same. or any part thereof, be covered by a pa
tent, the name of the patentee must be attached
thereto. 1t must also be such as shall be war
rented to not infringe any patented Invention
Of which the bidder Is not the patentee or as.
signee.
The internal plan or arrangement of the locks
offered, and the particular form of the keys re-
quisite to open them, must not be like any now or
hitherto in public or private use, and must not
have been exhibited, described or exposed, in
any manner tending to impair their security and
usefulness for the mails; and it will be an i'm.
portant consideration in favor Of any lock and
key submitted it, being otherwise suitable, 1t
shall have been invented specially for the pur.
: pose for which It Is offered.
Locks suitable for the registered mails. OF for
the street letter boxes, should not exceed eight
ounces each in weight, and should possess high
degree Of security, strength and durability.
Every such lock, while 1t must be secure from
being opened by any other means than by its
peculiar key, (unless designedly broken by ex-
treme and obvious violence) must be devoid OF
any intricacy in opening with the proper key,
and be capable OF being securely shut without
the use Of the key. The shape or size Of the
Ocks for registered mails should be such as to
make them dlstinguishable at glance from the
locks Of the street letter bores, and both should,
by their external shape, be instantly distinguish.
able from the mail locks now in use.
The Registered Mail Locks should be made of
hard and tough brass. excepting the shackle and
riyets, which must be iron, the latter we'll
shouldered. couatersunk, and headed at both
ends. The shell or case of such locks must not
have sharp angles, and must be free from
knobs, escutcheons, or other appendages likely
to be compressed, battered, or knocked out of
order by the peculiarly hard usage Of the service.
Each lock is to have outside upon its face, in
letters sufficiently large and distinct, ~. s. Re-
gistsred Mafl.n and also such number, Tin
figures, each, not less than 6l6 of an inch long. }
as may be ordered; different number, not ex-
ceedng four places Of figures in any case, being
required on each lock. Such words and figures
are to be sunk by stamping, II the shell be made
of wrought or sheet brass, or to be raised if the
shell be made of cast me al. All the locks for
registered mails are to be uniformly alike, ex-
oepttng the numbers marked on them, and I'LL
their keys, which should be casehardened iron
and nickel-plated, are to be also alike, so that
any one Of all the keys which may be furnished
for them shall easily At and readily open any
one and all Of the locks. The keys should have
shank nearly two inches long between the BIZ
and the bow, and the bow should be solid, will
small hole through It, and have stamped or
one side the words, ~. $. Registered Natl
and upon the opposite side such number IN
figures MOI less than one-eighth of az inch long
as may be ordered every key to have differen
number, Of which none will exceed four place
Of figures. T vw Hi y.
The locks for the Street Letter Boxes are Il
be made Of hard and tough brass, and the key
hole Of each lock should be in the lowest part o
the wall of the shell or case, when the lock !
hanging by its shackle, and should be sheltere,
by q sufficient juttng out of the upper and lowe
rim around that part of the wall. The interio
mechanism of the lock should be in position
somewhat remote from the key-hole. and b
operated easily by its key, which should be fiai
made Of steel, and be Of convenient length an
Sufficient strength and stiffness. The bow Of tn
key should be solid. with a small hole throug
1t, and Is to have "U s. Letter Carrier, stampe
on one side, and such figures and letters stampe
on the opposite side us may be ordered. Tn
face Of each lock Is to have upon 1t ~. s. Sire
Letter Bon'' in either raised or sunk letters, an
any other letters besides, not exceeding three ha
may be ordered. ALI the locks and keys Of tn
same letter or letters are to be adapted to eac
other. and no lock Is to be opened by any key NJ
marked with the same letter or letters.
The lock of each kind contracted Tor must /
delivered according to order, at the Post OfHt
Department. at the risk and expense of the cor
tractor, put up in pasteboard boxes of five loci
each. and packed In strong wooden boxes col
tair ing not more than two hundred locks eacl
The keys to such locks are to be strung, by IL
natural series OF numbers, on wire rods, each Co
tanning one hundred keys, and are to be delivers