The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-11-03

PROPOSALS
FOR MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, I
WASHINGTON, ID. O.. Sept. ", 1873.
SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS

Q SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS
r viii be received at this Department until
: o'clock noon, the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DI
: GENDER. 1878, for furnishing, under separat
+ contracts, two different kinds of padlocks an
Keys: one for the sole and exclusive use OF regi
tered through mails, and the other for the sol
and exclusive use of street letter bones.
Every proposal must be accompanied with du
plicate samples of the locks and keys thereb
offered to be furnished one of each kind O
sample lock to be riveted up and finished an
another to be open or unriveted, SO that It's la
ternal structure and arrangement may readil,
be examined Each sample should be plainl,
marked with the bidders name, and If tn,
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
sgnee.
Inc internal plan or arrangement of the locks
offered, and the particular form of the KEYS re.
quisite 10 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, It
shall have been invented specially for the pur-
pose for which 1t 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 violence) must be devoid of
any intricacy in opening with the proper key,
and be capable of being securely shut without
tne use OF the key. The shape or size of the
locks ior registered mails should be such as to
make them distiuguishable 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 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, "U S. Re.
gfstered Mail," and also such number, lin
figures, each, not less than sic of an inch long.)
as may be ordered 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
mails are to be uniformly alike, ex.
cepting the numbers marked on them, and all |
their keys, which should be case.hardened iron |
Ind nickel-plated, are TO be also alike, SO that
my one of all the keys which may be furnished
or them shall easily fit and readily open any
me 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, ~. s. Registered Mill,
and upon the opposite side such number lin |
figures not less Than one-eighth of az inch long) |
Is may be ordered every key to have a different /
number, OF which none will exceed four places
If figures.
The locks for the Street Letter Boxes are to
'e made OF hard and tough brass, and the key.
lole OF each lock should be in the lowest part of
ne wall OF the shell or case, when the lock Is
hanging oy Its shackle, and should be sheltered
" sufficient jutting out of the upper and lower
i'm around that part of the wall The interior
ne. hanism OF the lock should be in a position
omewhat remote from the key hole, and be
operated easily by It's key, which should be fiat
made OF steel, and be Of convenient length and
ufiieient strength and stiffness. The bow of the
'ey should be solid. with small hole through
t, and is to have "U s. Letter Carrier stamped
m one side, ard such figures and letters stamped
N the opposite side as may be ordered. The
ace OF each lock is to have upon it "U S. Street
letter Boz in either raised or sunk letters, and
ny other letters besides, not exceeding three that
nay be ordered. All the locks and KEYS of the
anne letter or letters are to be adapted TO each
ther, and no lock is to be opened by any key not
marked with the same letter or letters.
The lock of each kind contracted for must be |
elVered according to order, at the Post Office
department., at the risk and expense of the con-
ractor, put up in pasteboard boxes of five locks
ach. and packed in strong wooden boxes con.
air Ing not more than two hundred locks each.
The keys to such locks are to be strung, by the
atural series OF numbers, on wire rods each con-
aiming one hundred keys, and are to be delivered
0 an agent of the Department specially author.
.ed to receive them and convey the same from | /
he mandatory to this Department, where both {
he locks and keys are to be inspected and APP !,
roved as comformable to the adopted sample
efore they shall be paid for.
From the sample locks and keys submitted
nder this advertisement, the Postmaster
ieneral will make selection for contract un-
BIS he should deem it proper for the interests of
ne service, TO decline accepting any of the pro.
osals and samples presented Therefore the
ght to reject any and all the proposals and
amplTs is hereby reserved to him.
A decision on the several proposals and various
ampies submitted will be made on or before the
'cond day of February, 1874. and within thirty
avs thereafter the bidder or bidders whose pro
osals may have been accepted must enter into
ontraet with bond and security as hereinafter
Decified.
The contracts which may be made will be for
he term of four years from and after the first
ay of January, 1874.
The contractor for Registered Mail Locks and
.eys will be required by contract to furnish said
'cks and keys in such quantities, and at such
mes, as may be ordered by the Postmaster
General. and must agree, and be able, to furnish
lree thousand of such locks and six hundred of
lch keys, If SO ordered, within three months
fter the receipt of such order, and to furnish {
hereafter any further quantities of such locks
nd keys as the same may be ordered. On enter
lg into this contract the contractor must exc.
ute a bond In the penalty of ten thousand dol,