US 4,051,748 AGranted

Key cutting machine for producing obliquely oriented bitting

AssigneeUnican Security Systems, Ltd.

InventorCharles F. Sherman

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Abstract

A rotary cutter type key cutting machine for duplicating keys in which the V-shaped notches that define the bitting are obliquely oriented both left and right. Identical vises mounted on a hinged carrier which swings about an axis parallel to that of the rotary cutter, grip the pattern key and the key blank and present the same respectively to a position-identifying stylus and the rotary cutter. The vises are rotatable in unison about their connections with the carrier, permitting them to be so oriented that as the carrier is swung towards the axis of the cutter, the bitted and about-to-be-bitted edges of the pattern key and the key blank are either parallel to the cutter axis or inclined with respect thereto in one direction or the other depending upon the direction the vises have been rotated. The stylus is yieldingly projected to a position at which its key-engaging tip is spaced a distance from the cutter axis greater than the radius of the cutter, so that a selected V-bit in the pattern key can be engaged with the stylus and rotary adjustment of the vises as needed to have the selected V bit fit the stylus can be effected before the key blank contacts the cutter.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A key cutting machine of the type wherein a power driven rotary cutter rotating about a fixed axis cuts V bits in a key blank at locations and to depths determined by engagement between a pattern key and a stylus, wherein the stylus and the rotary cutter occupy fixed locations along the axis of the rotary cutter, and a pair of vises having key blade clamping jaws, one to grip the pattern key and the other to grip the key blank, are mounted on common carrier means, wherein the rotary cutter and stylus, as one entity, and the common carrier means, as another entity, are relatively movable with respect to each other to enable any selected V bit in the pattern key to be brought into alignment with the stylus and also effect locating engagement between the selected V bit in the pattern key and the stylus and cutting engagement between the corresponding but unbitted edge of the key blank and the cutter, to thereby bring about the formation of a V bit in the key blank that is a duplicate in size and location of the one engaged by the stylus,

said machine being characterized by its capability of enabling the operator to accurately and efficiently duplicate a pattern key in which some at least of the V bits forming the bitting of the key extend obliquely across its edge, and which to enable that result comprises:
A. means mounting the common carrier means for both hinged movement about an axis in fixed parallel relationship to the axis of the rotary cutter and reciprocating movement along its hinge axis;
B. means providing for rotation of the vises with respect to their common carrier means about parallel axes that are
1. transverse to said hinge axis and spaced apart the distance between the stylus and the rotary cutter, and
2. parallel to and lie between the key blade clamping jaws;
C. means constraining the vises to rotate in unison;
and
D. means for manually imparting such rotation to the vises between defined limits at each of which the key blank occupies a plane angularly disposed with respect to the axis of the rotary cutter so that the V bit formed therein as said common carrier means is swung about its hinged mounting towards the axis of the rotary cutter extends obliquely across the edge of the blank, the direction of the obliqueness depending upon which of said defined limits is dictated by the stylus-sensed V bit being duplicated.

5 more elements

A method of duplicating a key in a machine of the type wherein a power driven rotary cutter rotating about a fixed axis cuts V bits in a key blank at locations and to depths determined by engagement between a pattern key and a stylus, wherein the stylus and the rotary cutter occupy fixed locations along the axis of the rotary cutter, and a pair of vises having key blade clamping jaws, one to grip the pattern key and the other to grip the key blank, are mounted on common carrier means, wherein the rotary cutter and stylus, as one entity, and the common carrier means, as another entity, are relatively movable with respect to each other to enable any selected V bit in the pattern key to be brought into alignment with the stylus and also effect locating engagement between the selected V bit in the pattern key and the stylus and cutting engagement between the corresponding but unbitted edge of the key blank and the cutter, to thereby bring about the formation of a V bit in the key blank that is a duplicate in size and location of the one engaged by the stylus,

said method being characterized by its capability of enabling the operator to accurately and efficiently duplicate a pattern key in which some at least of the V bits forming the bitting of the key extend obliquely across its edge, and which to enable that result comprises:
A. mounting the common carrier means for both hinged movement about an axis in fixed parallel relationship to the axis of the rotary cutter and reciprocating movement along its hinge axis;
B. providing for rotation of the vises with respect to their common carrier means about parallel axes that are
1. transverse to said hinge axis and spaced apart the distance between the stylus and the rotary cutter, and
2. parallel to and lie between the key blade clamping jaws;
C. constraining the vises to rotate in unison;
and
D. manually imparting such rotation to the vises between defined limits at each of which the key blank occupies a plane angularly disposed with respect to the axis of the rotary cutter so that the V bit formed therein as said common carrier means is swung about its hinged mounting towards the axis of the rotary cutter extends obliquely across the edge of the blank, the direction of the obliqueness depending upon which of said defined limits is dictated by the stylus-sensed V bit being duplicated.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.