The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-10-11
PROPOSALS. FOR
MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.
Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. II, 1878.

| NAshiNdToN, u u, sept. IL, 1913.
| SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS
will be received at this Department until IL o'clock
| noon, the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DECEMBER 1873
for furnishing under separate contracts two different
Kinds OF Padlocks and Keys for tho sole and
sive use of registered through mails and the other for
the sole and exclusive use Of street letter bo-es.
Every proposal must be accompanied with duplicate
samples of the locks and keys thereby offered to be
furnsed of zach kind of sample lock to be riveted
up ana nnshed aud another to be open or unrveted
thaf Its internal structure and arrangements may read
y be examined. Each sample should be plainly marked
with the bidders NAME and if the same, any part
thereof be covered hy patent the of the
must be attached thereto. 1t such as shall
be warranted to not infringe any patented
OF which the bidder is not the patentee assignee.
The internal plan arrangement of the locks offered
and the particular form of the keys requst. to omen
thern must not be like any now or hitherto in pnblic
or private and must not have been exhibited de-
-crbed or exposed, in any tending impair
their security and usefulness for the mails; and will
be an important consideration in favor of any lock and
key submitted it, being otherwise suitable it shall have
offered.
Locks suitable for the registered mails or for the
street letter boxes should exceed eight each
in weight and should possesr high degree of security
strength and durability. Every such lock- while it
must be from being opened by any other means
than by its peculiar key (uness desgnedly broken by
extreme and obvious volrnce) must he devoid of any
nrcay In opening with the proper key ard be capable
of being securely shut without the of the key. The
shape or size of the ccks for registered mails should
such as to make them distingushabe ut glance from
the locks of the street ieerbOre and both should by
their external shape, be instantly distingushable from
the mail locks now in
The Registered Mail Locks should be made of hard
and tough brass excepting the shackle which
must be iron the latter well shuuldered countersunk
and headed at both ends. The shell of uch
locks must not have sharp angles and he from
Knobs escutcheon., other appeniages likely to be
compressed battered or cut 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, U. S. Registered Mail" and also such
number, n figures, each not less than SIT of inch
ong0 as may be ordered different number not eY-
ceeding four places of figures in any being required
ON each lock Such words and figures to he sunk 10y
stamping if the shell be made of wourght sheet brass
or to be raised if the shell be made of metal Ali
the locks for registered mails to be- uniformly alike,
excepting the numbers marked on Them and all their
keys which should be case-hardened iron and nicke-
plated to be also alike that any of all the
keys which may be furnished for them shall easily fit
and readily open any and all OF the locks. The
keys should have shank nearly two inchc. long be-
tween the bit and the bow, and the bow should he solid
with hole through il, and have stamped side
the words U. - Registered Mail" and upon the oppo-
site side such number lin figures not less than
eighth of an inch long) may lie ordered: every key
to have different number Of which none will exceed
four places of figures.
The locks the Letter Boxes are to be made
Of hard and tough Brass and the kehoe of each lock
should he in the lowest part Of the wall of the shell or
when the lock is hanging by its shackle and should
be sheltered by sufficient uting out of the upper md
lower rim around that part of the wall The interior
mechanism of the lock should be in position
from the key hole and be operated easily by its
KEY, which should be fiat made Of steel and he Of
venient length and sufficient strength and Stiffness
The bow of the key should be solid, with small hole
u.
| stamped side, and such figures and letters
stamped the opposite side he ordered. The
BOr" IN either raised sunk letters and any other
tiers besides, not exceeding three that may Ice ordered
All the locks and keys Of the letter letters
to be adapted IL each other and lock is to be opened
by any key marked with the letter or letters
The l"cks of each kind contracted FIR must he dev
according to order at the Post Office department
at the risk and expense of the contractor put up
pasteboard boxes OF five locks each, and packed in
strong wooden boxes containing not more than two
hundred locks each The keys to such locks to be
strung, by the natural series of numbers wire rods
each containing hundred keys and Ia he deliv
cred to agent of the Department specially authorized
to receive them and convey the same from the nufc
tory to this Department where both the locks and keys
are To be Inspected and approved conturunhe to the
adopted sample before they shall be paid for.
From the sample locks and keys submitted unlrr This
advertisement, the Postmaster General will make Il
selection contract, unl.s ho should deem il proper
for the interests o the service to decline accepting
of the proposals and samples presented Therefore the
right to reject and all the proposals and samples is
decision the several proposals and various
plas submitted will DO made before the second dy
of February 1874, and within thirty days thereafter the
bidder or bidders whose proposals may have been
cepted must enter into contract with bond anu security
Us hereinafter specified.
The contracts which may be made will be for the
term Of four from and after the first day of Jan
uary, 1874
The contractor for Registered Mail Locks and KEYS
will be required by to furnish said locks and
keys in such quantities. and at such times, may be
ordered by the Postmaster General and must agree and
he able furnish three thousand OF such locks and
hundred of such keys if 50 ordered within three months
after the receipt Of 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 Ger
titled by the postmaster where they resdo conditioned
for the full and faithful performance of such contract
The for locks and keys for Street Letter.
Boxes will be required 10 furnish such locks and keys
in such quantities, and Mt such times, may lie ordered
by the Postmaster General, and agree and be able
to furnish twelve thousand of such locks and six tous
and o such keys ordered within six months after
the receipt Of such ORDER and to furnish thereafter any
further quantities of such locks and KEYS rs the same
may be ordered On entering into this contract the
contractor mns execute bond in the penalty of twenty
thousand dollars with two SUFFICIENT surrtic certied
by the postmaster of the place where they resided con-
don-i for the full and faithful performance .: such
contract.
Both contracts will contain provision binding tho
contractor to guard with due privacy, integrity and
care, the manufacture and custody of the locks and
keys, in the finished and unfinished state. They will
also contain the provision that ia case of any default
the part of the contractor causing the Postmaster
General to annu the contract all locks and keys fin
ished unfinished and all snch patterns draw ings
gauges and dies in possession Of the contractor as NAV
enable others to make successfully forge counterfeit
such locks aud keys shall such annnlment of the
contract become the property OF the United States for
the of the Post ONCE Department. aud thcreupon
the Postmaster General shall have the right, besides
resort to the remedy VI the bond to demand aud
the same from the contractor who shall promptly
render the same the order in writing, of the Post
master General without compensation any claim to
compensation whatever, for the same also, that the
Postmaster General shall in that have the full and
absolute right to employ any other person persons
make and furnish similar locks and keys, without any
charge claim whatever for the thereby involved
of any patent of the defaultng contractor.
Every proposal must specify, uncoud onaly, the
price of each Lock and Key offered To be furnished and
must be accompanied with bond in the penalty of two
thousand dollars executed by the bidder and two su
cient suretes Certified by the postmaster Of the place
where they reside conditioned for the bidders enter
ing into contract with bond and security as herenbc
for. specified in his proposal shall be accepted by
the Postmaster General
Blank forms of proposals and accompanying bond ami
certificate will be furnished application the Second
Assistant stnastcr General and all bidders ar. re-
quested to CONFORM thereto in submitting proposals
under this advertisement
proposal should he enclosed in "a sealed envelope
indor eel PROPOSALS FOR MAI. LOCKS AND
kEfS.' and be addressed to the SECOND ASSISTANT
POSTM tSTEk GENERAL Washington DC II sent
by 'sait the postage must be duly prepaid.
JNU. A. j CRESWELL