Improved Machine for the Manufacture of Keys.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CLEMENT FELTON, of No. 164, King Street West, in
the City of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, Locksmith.]
Improved Machine for the Manufacture of Keys.
1. FREDERICK JOHN CHEESBROUGH, of 15 Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
The object of the invention is to design a machine to cut slots in keys, so that
every key produced shall be different from the others; and it consists, essentially of
a series of circular cutters carried on a revolving spindle and worked in conjunction
with a series of key-hol lers carried on adjustable slides and provided with adjusting
mechanism arranged in connection with index discs by which the positions of the
keys in relation to the cutters may be easily regulated and indicated, the whole being
constructed substantially as hereinafter more particularly explained.
Figure 1) is a perspective view of my improved machine showing five key-holders
with corresponding cutters.
In the drawing, A represents a spindle or shaft carried in substantial bearing
boxes B, fixed to a suitable bed-plate C. This spindle is driven by the driving
pulley, D, which derives motion from any suitable motor. I show five cutters E,
fixed to the spindle A. I also show five key-holders, one for each cutter, and marked
respectively, G, H, I, and J. The bed-plates of these holders are each adjustably
connected to a slide K, being held by screws L, passing through longitudinal slots
made in the said bed-plate.
The blanks out of which the keys are to be made are each fitted into a recess
made in the bed-plate of its respective holder, and is secured in position by the
point of the pivoted lever a, which is operated by the eccentric lever b, designed so
that it will import the necessary force to hold the blank in position while being
operated upon. The slides K, are cach fitted into suitable guide-ways formed in the
cross-head L, which is itself carried in suitable guide-ways formed on the bed-
plate and is provided with a screw M, by which it may be adjusted towards or
from the cutters E; a suitable adjustable stop N, being located, as indicated, for the
purpose of preventing the cross-heni L, from approaching the cutters E, nearer than
is desired. Each of the slides K is provided with an adjusting screw O', which has
fixed to it a spur-pinion P, which meshes with a spur-wheel Q, loosely journaled on
a stud, and having a spring finger R, fixed to it.
In front of each of the spur-wheels Q, fix on the face of the cross-head L', a
dial-plate S, having, say twenty-five holes made in its face to receive a pointer T, fixed
to a spring finger R. Each hole has an indicating number, say from 0 to 24, but do
not wish to confine myself to any particular number of holes or numbers, nor do I
wish to limit myself to any particular number of key-holders and corresponding
cutters.
Having described the general construction of my improved machine I shall proceed
to explain its operation. For that purpose we will assume that the pointer T, on each
of the spring fingers l, is fitted into the hole in the dial-plate S, indicated by 0 and
that each of the key-holders F, has been properly adjusted. A key-blank is placed,
say in the key-holder F, the eccentric lever b, of the said holder F, is adjusted so as
to force the end of the pivoted lever a, against the blank holding it securely in the
recess inide to receive it. The spindle A, being put into operation, the adjusting
screw M, is turned so as to move the cross-head L' towards the entters E, which
cut into the blank the particular slot or slots it is designed to form. The blank thus
operated upon is then moved into the key-holder G, secured therein by its pivoted

page_text: lever a and a fresh blank is placed in the key-holder F. The pointer T, which
at this period is fitting into the hole marked "0" on the dial-plate S, of the slide
carrying the key-holder F, is withdrawn, and the screw O', of the said slide is
adjusted until the pointer T, reaches the hole marked 1 in its dial-plate, where it
springs in and is locked. The adjusting screw M, is then moved so as to once
more carry the cross-head L', towards the revolving cutters. The cutter which
operates in conjunction with the key-holder F, will cut a slot in the fresh blank
held by the key-holder F, in a similar position but at a different depth than had
been made in the previous blank and at the same time a fresh slot or slots will be
formed in the blank held by the key-holder G. The operation is then repeated
until the blank which was first placed in the key-holder F, has reached the
key-holder J, by which time all the slots in the blank have been completed and
the key is finished.
As every time that a blank is placed in a key-holder which has previously held a
blank, its adjusting screw O' is moved one or more holes and is held during the
cutting operation by its pointer T, fitting into one of the holes in the dial-plate S,
no slot in any key formed in my machine can possibly correspond with the slot
in any key made in the same key-holder, and consequently every key will be
different.
It will also be understood that millions of changes may be made by simply
adjusting the pointer T, on the dial plate S, and it will bo understood that I do not
propose to make the changes regular, the only point which I shall observe is to
see that every time a fresh blank is placed in any one of the key-holders one or
more of the adjusting screws 0¹, will be moved so that its respective pointer T,
will fit into a different hole in the dial-plate S; fresh combinations with the
different dials being made every time that a key-blank is passed through the
machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is.
1) In a machine having a series of cutters, a series of key-holders arranged one
for each cutter, and connected to an adjustable slide, in combination with gearing
connected to the said adjusting screw, and provided with a pointer operating in
conjunction with a stationary dial-plate having indicating marks made on its surface;
the whole being operated substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
explained.
2) In a machine having a series of cutters, a series of key-holders arranged one
for each cutter, and each adjustably connected to a slide K, operated by an
adjusting screw O¹, baving a pinion 1, fixed to it and meshing with a spur-wheel Q
baving a spring finger R fixed to it, with a pointer T, arranged to fit into one
of the holes in the dial-plate S, in combination with the cross-head L', provided with
an adjusting screw M, and operated in conjunction with an adjustable stop N, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
3) A bed-plate having a recess made in it to receive a key-blank, in combination
with the pivoted lover a, and eccentric lever b, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
4) An improved machine for the manufacture of keys constructed substantially
as herein shown and described.
Dated thie 13th day of November 1889
FREDERICK JOHN CHEESBROUGH.