The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-11-10
PROPUsALs.
PROPOSALS
FOR MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, f,
WASHINGTON, ID. o., Sept. II, 1873.
SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS

SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS
O'Clock noon, the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DE-
GENDER, 1873 for furnishing, under separate
contracts, two different kinds of padlocls 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-
plicate 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 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.
Inc 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.
key submitted it, 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 ana durability.
Every such lock, while it 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 sh ut without
the use of the key. The shape or size of the
locks 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 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 appendices 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, "U s. Re-
Clustered Mall and also such number, Tin
figures, each, not less than 5-le of an inch long)
as 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, if 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-
cepting the numbers marked on them, and all
/, sal,a
and nickel-plated, are 10 be also alike, so that
any one of all the keys which may be furnished
for them shall easily fit and readily open any
one and all of the locks. The keys should have
shank nearly two inches long between the bit
and the bow, and the bow should be solid, with
small hole through it, and have stamped on
one side the words, 81. s. Registered Mdil,ni
and upon the opposite side such number lin
figures not less Than oGe-eighth of an inch long)
as may be ordered every key to have different
number, of which none will exceed four places
of figures. ..- --.s...-
The locks for the Street Letter Boxes are to
be made of hard and tough brass, and the key.
hole of each lock should be in the lowest part of
the wall Of the shell or case, when the lock is
hanging by Its shackle, and should be sheltered
oy a sufficient iutting out of the upper and lower
rim around that part of the wall The interior
mechanism of the lock should be In a position
somewhat remote from the key-hole, and be
operated easily by its key, which should be fiat,
made of steel, and be of convenient length and
sunicient strength and stiffness. The bow of the
Aey should be solid, with small hole through
IT. and is to have 50 S. Letter Cdrrfey'' STAMPED
oh one side, and such figures and letters slammed
on the opposite side as may be ordered The
taee OF each lock is to have upon 1t gu s. Street
Letter Bor'' in etfer raised or sunk letters, and
any other letters besides not exceeding three that