The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-06
PROPOSALS.
PROPOSALS
FOR MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Z
WARRINGTON, ID. g.. Sept. II, 1873. :
PROPOSALS..
PROPOSALS

SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS
VIM be received at this Department until IL
o'clock noon, the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DE-
OEMBER, 1873, 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 6ores.
Every proposal must be accompanied with du-
plieate 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 its 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 on 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 1t, being otherwise suitable it
shall have been invented specially for the pur-
pose for which it is offered.
Locks suitable for the registered mails, or 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 violences) 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 distinguishable 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
rivets. which must be iron, the latter well.
shouldered, couatersunk, and headed at both
ends. The shell 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 it's face, In
letters sufficiently large and distinct, ~ s. Re
0istsred Mail" and also such number, (ir
figures, each, not less than 5.l6 of an inch long,
may be ordered a different number, not ex
ceeding 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 tn,
shell be made of cast metal. All the locks To-
registered mails are to be uniformly alike, ex
cepting the numbers marked on them and nj
their keys, which should be case-hardened irol
and niekelplated, are 10 be also alike, so tina
any one of all the keys which may be furnishe,
for them shall easily fit and readily open an,
one and all Of the locks. The keys should hay
shank nearly two inches long between the bi
and the bow, and the bow should be solid, witt
small hole through it, and have stamped OF
one side the words, ~ s. Registered Mail
and upon the opposite side such number Ii
figures not less than one-eighth of ar inch long
as may be ordered; every key to have differen
number, of which none will exceed four place
of figures.