The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-10-18
PROPOSALS FOR
MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS,
Posf OFFICE DEPARTMENT, !
WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. II, 1873.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. II, 1873
SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS
will be received at this Department until IL o'clock
noon. the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DECEMBER, 1878,
for furnishing, under separate contracts different
kinds of Padocks and Keys; the sole and cxcu-
sivc Of registered through mails and the other for
the sole and exclusive use Of street letter bOIes.
Every proposal must be accompanied with duplicate
samples of the locks and keys thereby offered to DO
furnished of each kind of sample lock be riveted
mp and finished and another to be open unriveed
that its internal structure and arrangements may resd
ly lie examined Each sample should be plainly marked
with the bidders name, and if the same any part
thereof be covered by patent the of the
must he attached thereto 1t must also be such shall
be warranted to not infringe on any patented inv iton
OF which the bidder is not the patentee assignee
The internal plan or arrangement of the locks offered
and the particular form of the keys requisite open
them, not be like any hitherto in public
or private and must not have been exhibited do
scribed or exposed in any manner tending TO impair
their security and usefulness for tho mails it will
be important consideration in of any lock and
key submitted it, being otherwise suitable shall have
hem invented specially for the purpose for which it is
offered.
Locks suitable for the registered nails or for tho
street letter boxes should not exceed eight
in weight and should possess high degree of security,
strength and durability. Every such lock. while it
must be secure from being opened by other
than by its peculiar key (uness desyne,lly broken y
extreme and obvious vioence must he devoid Of any
nricary in opening with the proper key and be capable
Of being securely shut without the of the key The
shape size of the locks for registered mails should be
such as to make them dstinguishable glance from
the locks of the street teerJore and both should by
uistinguishable
the mail locks now in use.
The Registered Mail Locks should be made of hard
and tough brass excepting the shacke and rivets which
must he ron the latter well shoudered, counersunk,
and headed Mt both ends. The shell of uch
locks must not have sharp angles and must be free from
knobs, escntcheons or other appendages likely to be
compressed battered or knacked out of order by the
peculiarly hard usage Of the service Each lock
have outside upon its face in letters sufficiently large
and distinct, U. S. Registered Mall and also such
number n figures, each, not less than 5l6 of inch
long, may be ordered; different number not ex
ceedng four places of figures in any being required
each lock. Such words and figures he sunk by
stamping if the shell be made of wourght sheet brass
to he raised if the shell be- made of metal Ali
the locks for registered mails to be uniformly alike
excepting the numbers marked then and all their
keys which should be casehardened iron and nckle-
plated are To be also alike, that any of all the
keys which may be furnished for them shall easily {
and readily open any one and all of the locks. The
keys should have shank nearly inches long be-
tween the bit and the bow and the bow should be solid
with hole through it, and have stamped side
the words U. s. Registered Mdik and upon the oppo-
site side such number lin figures not less than
NShth OF an inch long, as may be ordered; every key
to have different number, Of which will exceed
four places of figures.
The locks for the Street Letter Boxes are to be made
of hard and tough Brass and the keyhoe of each lock
sboad be in the lowest part of the wall Of the shell
wien the lock is hanging by its shacke and should
be sheltered by sufficient juttng out of the upper and
lower rim around that part OF the wall The interior
mechanism of the lock should be in position sonew hat
remote from the kryhole, and he operated easily by
key, which should be fiat made of steel and be Of con-
venient length and sufficient strength and stiffness
The bow Of the key should be solid, with small no o
through it, aud is to have " [. 5. Letter Carrier {"
stamped side, and such figures and lett, 70
stamped on the opposite side may he ordered The
face Of each lock is to have upon it IT, Street Letter
BOr in either raised sunk letters and other let
tiers besides not exceeding three that may be ordered
All the locks and keys Of the letter or letters
to be adapted To each Other and lock is TO be opened
by any key marked with tho letter letters
The locks of each kind contracted for must be dev-
cred according to order, at the Post Office Department
at the risk ami expense of the contractor put up in
pasteboard boxes OF five locks each, and packed in
strong wooden boxes containing not than two
hundred locks each. The keys such locks lie
strung by the natural series of numbers wire rods
each containing hundred keys, and to he deliv
cred to agent of the Department specially authorized
to receive them and the from the
tory to this Drpri where bot" the locks and keys
to be Inspected and approved coforrnahle to the
adopted samp" before they shall he paid TOR.
From the sample locks and X, submitted under this
advertisement, the Postmaster General will make
selection tor contract nnlrss he should deem il proper
for the interests of the service t" decline accepting
Of the proposals and samples presented Therefore the
right to reject any and all the proposals and samples is
hereby reserved to him.
A decision on the several proposals and various SAM
pos submitted will ba made before the second day
of February 1874 aud within thirty days thereafter the
bidder or bidders whose proposals may have been
ceped must enter into contract with bond and security
as hereinafter specified
The contracts which may be male will be for the
term of four years from aud after the first day of Jan
uary, 1874.
the contractor for Registered Mail Locks and Keys
will he required by contract to furnish said locks
keys in such quantities. and mt such times, be
ordered by the Postmaster General and agree and
liz able furnish rec Thousand of such locks and six
hundred of such keys, if ordered within three months
after the receipt If such order and to furnish thereafter
any further quantities of such locks and keys the
may be ordered. On entering into the contract
the contractor must execute bond in the penalty of
thousand dollars with two sufficient sureties (cer
titled 10y the postmaster where they res1u conditioned
the full and faithful performance of contract
The contractor for locks and keys for Street Letter
Boxes will be required to furnish such locks and keys
in such quantities and at such times may he ordered
by the Postmaster General and must and be able
to furnish twelve thousand of such locks and six thous
and Of such keys if ordered within six months after
tho receipt of such order, and t. furnish thereafter any
further quantities of such locks and keys the same
may be ordered, On entering into this contract the
contractor must execute bond in the penalty of twenty
thousand dollars, with two sufficient surees Certified
by the postmaster of the place where they rese
doned for the full and faithful performance of such
c)ntract.
Both contracts will contain provision binding the
contractor to guard with due privacy, integrity and
care the manu- and custody of the locks and
keys, in the finished and unfinished state. They will
alsr contain the provision that la of any default
the part Of the contractor, causing the Postmaster
General to annu tho contract all locks and keys fin
shed unfinished and all such patterns drawings
gauges and dies in possession Of the may
enable others to make successfully forge counterfeit
such locks and keys shall such anrnlment of the
contract become the property of tho United States for
the of the Post Oice Dspai tmrnt: aud thcreupop
the Postmaster General shall have the right besides
resort to the remedy of tho bond demand and receive
the same from the contractor who shall promptly
render the same the order in writing of the Post
master General, without compensation any claim 10
compensation whatever, for the same; also that the
Postmaster General SHALL in that case have the full and
absolute right to employ other person persons 10
make and furnish similar locks and keys, without any
charge claim whatever for the thereby Owed
Of any patent of the defaulting contractor.
Every proposal must specify. Internationally, the
price of each Lock and Key offered to he furnished and
be accompanied with bond in the penalty of two
thousand dollars executed by the bidder aud sui
cent sureties Certified by the postmaster of the place
where they resde conditioned for the bidders enter
ing into contract with bond and security. hercube-
fore specified in his proposal shall be accepted by
the Postmaster General
Blank forms Of proposals. and accompany ing bond and
certificate will be furnished on application to the Second
Assistant Postmaster General and all bidders are re-
quested to conform thereto in submitting proposals
under this advertisement
Every proposal should be en- lnsrd in scaled eny clone
indor .el PROPOSALS FOR MAIL LOCKS AND