Device for engraving a key

A key-cutting machine (1) comprising:

• a support structure (10),
• a front operational area (2) which is accessible by an operator,
• at least one milling and/or cutting unit (11′) which is positioned in said front operational area (2) and which comprises at least one end mill (11), and/or another cutting member, to carry out a bitting processing of a key (21),
• at least one clamp (12), which is positioned in said front operational area (2), to hold said key (21) to be machined, so that a face (31) of the key (21) to be engraved is arranged substantially horizontally,
• a device (20) for engraving at least one face (31) of the head (32) of said key (21), said device being positioned inside the front operational area (2) of said duplicating machine (1),
• at least one pair of engraving tools (22, 22′) which are mounted on a support unit (24), each engraving tool (22, 22′) is provided, at a free end thereof, with cutting sections for engraving a corresponding face (31) of a key (21), each engraving tool (22, 22′) of said pair is configured to act on one of the two opposite faces (31) of the key (21), the free ends of said at least one pair of engraving tools (22, 22′) being mutually facing and spaced apart and/or distancing by a greater distance than the thickness that the key (21) to be engraved has in correspondence with one of its areas, corresponding to the head of said key, to be engraved by said tools, the free ends of said engraving tools (22, 22′) being vertically aligned and facing each other, said two engraving tools (22, 22′) of said at least one pair being operated by a same motor (27) mounted on said support unit (24),
• movement means (25) configured to translate in a controlled manner said support unit (24) and at least one pair of engraving tools (22, 22′) along a substantially vertical axis (Z), to thereby bring into contact/move away the cutting sections of each engraving tool (22, 22′) of said pair with/from said face (31), to be engraved, of the key (21) when it is held by said clamp (12), and along at least one horizontal axis (X, Y), to bring said engraving tools (22, 22′) closer to/away from said clamp (12) configured to hold said key (21), and
• a control unit for controlling said movement means (25).