The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-10-07
PROPOSALS.
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PROPOSALS
FOR MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
wAsHISeToN, d. O.. Sept. II, 1873.
SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS

WASHINGTON, ID. o.. sept. II, 1873. =
SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS "
Will be received at this Department until IL
O'Clock noon, the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DE-
GENDER, 1878, for furnis hing, 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 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 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 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. 'A ~ l13 z. " ~ ~
The internal plan or arrangement of the locks
offered, and the particular form of the keys re-
quisits 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 tehoihs W impair their security anu
usefulness for the mails and 1t 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 1t is offered go
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-
IRENE and obvious yiolence) 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
locks for yeqistered mails should be such as III
make them distinguishable at a glance from the
locks of the street letter bones. and both should.
by their external shane 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
rivels, 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, eseuteheons, or other appenda ages 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, 80 s. Re.
oistered Null" and also such number, lin
figures, each, not less than Ole 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 metal. All the locks for
registered mails are to be uniformly alike' ex-
cepting the numbers marked on them, and I'LL
their keys which should be case-hardened iron
and niekel-plated, are TO 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
a small hole through it, and have stamped on
one side the words, ~ s. Registered Mail
and upon the opposite side such number lin
figures not less than one-eighth of an inch long
as may be ordered; every key to have a different
number, of which none will exceed four places
of figures f5ae I'd En- &vsf ~
The locks for the Street Letter Boxes are tc
be made of hard and tough brass, and the key
hole of each lock should be in the lowest part o.
the wall of the shell or case when the lock Ii
hanging by its shackle, and should be sheltered
by sufficient jutting out of the upper and lower
rim around that part of the WALL. The interio
mechanism of The lock should be in a position
somewhat remote from the key-hole, and bt
operated easily by its key, which should be fiat
made of STEEL and be of convenient length anl
sufficient strength and stiffness. The bow of tn,
key should be solid, with a small hole through
il. and is to have an s. Iezter 6iy,.iey,, stau,ne,
on one side ard sucb fipures and letters slammed
| on the eppostie side as NAV be or,lered Tn,
| face of each loci, is tn have mon II III q Sfree
letter Bory in either raised or snn, letters. an,
any other letters besides, not exceeding three tina
| NAV be ordered. All the locks and keys Of tn,
same letter or letters are, 10 be adapted 10 eacl
other, and no lock is to be opened by any key no
marked with the same letter or letters p
| The lock of each kind contracted for must b
/ delivered according to order, at the Post Ofic
| Department, at the risk and expense of the con
tractor, put up in pasteboard boxes of five lock
| each. and packed In strong wooden boxes con
tair ing not more than two hundred locks each
The keys to such locks are to be. strung, by tn
natural series OF numbers, ON wire rods, each con
tanning one hundred keys, and are to be delivers
| to an agent OF the Department specially author
lied to receive them and convey the same 'fror
the mannfactory to this Department, where DOT
the locks and Keys are TO be Inspected ana al
| proved as comformable to- the adopted sampi