The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-11-25
PROPOsALs.
-s-~r--ss
PROPOSALS g.
FOR MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Z
WAsHrsaToS. ID. O.. Sept. IL, 1878.
,rRorosAL..
SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS

WAsHrseroS. d. O.. Sept. II, 1873.
4s SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS
VIII be received at this Department until /.
O'Clock noon, the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DE
GENDER, 1873 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.
phcate 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.
ternai 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. m
The internal plan or arrangement of the locks
offered, and the particular form of the keys re-
quiste to open them, mast not be like any now or
hitherto In puplic 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; aud it will be an i'm.
portant consideration in favor of any lock and
key submitted it, being otherwise suitable, 1t
shall have been invented specially for the pur-
pose for which 1t is offered. F5
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
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 we'll
shouldered, countersunk, 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 ~. s. Re-
Clustered Nail" and also such number, Tin
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. if the shell be made
of wrought or sheet brass, or to be raised If the
aholl he made of cast nj II the fnrlxa
registered mails are to be uniformly alike, ex-
ceptins tne numbers niarheo on them, ana III
'heir Keys, which shouid &c case'haioened iron
anu nicKeipiated, are 10 De also aiiRe. 80 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
a shank nearly two inches long between the bit
and the bow, and the bow should be solid, with
smali mole through IL, ana nave stamped ON
one sioe Inc WORDS ~. .. Aegas1erea 1uaN,
ana upon the opposite side sucn NUMBER iih
hsures not less than one-eisntn OF az men iong)
as may be ordered; every Key 10 nave dlherent
number, OF which none Will exceed four places
OF hgures.
Inc iochs ior lhe street Letter BOXES are W
Do maze OF hard ana tough Drass' ana tne Key
hoie OF each lock snouio Dc IN the lowest part OF
sAO wall VI INC shoi VI vase "AoA Inc AoSh 10
hanging BY It's shackie, and should be sheltered
by sufficient jutting out OF the upper and lower
rim around that part OF the wall. The interior
mechanism OF the lock should be in position
somewhat remote from the key-hoie. and be
operated easily by its key, which should be fiat,
made Of steel, and be Of convenient length and
sufficient strength and stiffness. The bow Of the
key should be solid. with q small hole through
it, and is to have" $. Letter Carrier stamped
on one side, and such figures and letters stamped
on the opposite side as may be ordered. The
face Of each lock is to have upon it ~. s. Street
Letter Boa" in either raised or sunk letters and
any other letters besides not exceeding tnree,tnat
may be ordered. All the locks ana Keys OF the
same letter OF letters are 10 Dc adapteo 10 each
other, and no lock is TO De opened by any Key not
marked with the same letter or letters.
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ine AeyS " SUN io'As ni' " 70 e',sAs' ~
ha1urai series VI humpers' on ~ne iou'' eaon ooA
tanning one hundred Keys, ana are 70 De ueusereo
10 an agent OF the Departiheh' speciany ausnor
h 1 " iooeise 'Aeiu %,.u eo.y 'no s@e
the mahuiactory u this Depaitihe whefe ooIh