Method and apparatus for aligning and cutting single-sided and double sided keys

A key alignment device having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis for laterally aligning a first key relative to a first defined, fixed centerline, the first key including a length, upper and lower surfaces, a tip, a shank, first and second side surfaces and a centerline, the key alignment device comprising:

• a. a first laterally displaceable jaw located on a first side of the first defined centerline at a variable distance D1 from the first defined centerline for engaging the first side of the first key;
• b. a second laterally displaceable jaw located on a second side of the first defined centerline at a variable distance D2 from the first defined centerline for engaging the second side of the key;
• c. a jaw position control system coupled to the first and second jaws for maintaining distance D1 equal to distance D2 as the first and second jaws are laterally displaced toward or away from the first defined centerline;
• and
• d. a jaw biasing element for laterally biasing the first and second jaws toward the first defined centerline with a lateral biasing force and for permitting the first and second jaws to be laterally displaced away from the first defined centerline in response to an opposing lateral force greater than the lateral biasing force.

A key alignment device having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis for laterally aligning first and second two-sided keys, each key including a length, upper and lower surfaces, a tip, a shank, first and second side surfaces and a centerline, the key alignment device comprising:

• a. a first key alignment fixture located at a first elevation for laterally aligning the first key, including
• i. a first laterally displaceable jaw located on a first side of a first defined centerline laterally aligned with the longitudinal axis at a variable distance D1 from the first centerline for engaging the first side of the first key;
• ii. a second laterally displaceable jaw located on a second side of the first defined centerline at a variable distance D2 from the first centerline for engaging the second side of the first key;
• iii. a jaw position control system coupled to the first and second jaws for maintaining distance D1 equal to distance D2 as the first and second jaws are laterally displaced toward or away from the first defined centerline;
• iv. a jaw biasing element for laterally biasing the first and second jaws toward the first defined centerline with a lateral biasing force and for permitting the first and second jaws to be laterally displaced away from the first defined centerline in response to an opposing lateral force greater than the lateral biasing force;
• v. upper and lower clamping surfaces displaceable between an open position for receiving the first key between the clamping surfaces and a closed position for engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the first key and retaining the first key in a fixed lateral position with a horizontal orientation;
• b. a second key alignment fixture located at a second elevation spaced apart from the first elevation for laterally aligning the second key, including
• i. a first laterally displaceable jaw located on a first side of a second defined centerline laterally aligned with the longitudinal axis at a variable distance D1 from the defined second centerline for engaging the first side of the second key;
• ii. a second laterally displaceable jaw located on a second side of the second defined centerline at a variable distance D2 from the second defined centerline for engaging the second side of the second key;
• iii. a jaw position control system coupled to the first and second jaws for maintaining distance D1 equal to distance D2 as the first and second jaws are laterally displaced toward or away from the second defined centerline;
• iv. a jaw biasing element for laterally biasing the first and second jaws toward the second defined centerline with a lateral biasing force and for permitting the first and second jaws to be laterally displaced away from the second defined centerline in response to an opposing lateral force greater than the lateral biasing force;
• and
• v. upper and lower clamping surfaces displaceable between an open position for receiving the second key between the clamping surfaces and a closed position for engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the second key and retaining the second key in a fixed lateral position with a horizontal orientation;
• whereby the first key alignment fixture laterally aligns the centerline of the first key with the first defined centerline and the second key alignment fixture laterally aligns the centerline of the second key with the second defined centerline to thereby laterally align the centerline of the first key with the centerline of the second key.

A method for laterally aligning a first key relative to a first defined, fixed centerline within a first key alignment device having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the first key including a length, upper and lower surfaces, a tip, a shank, first and second side surfaces and a centerline, comprising the steps of:

• a. engaging the first side of the first key with a first laterally displaceable jaw located on the first side of the first defined centerline at a variable distance D1 from the first defined centerline;
• b. engaging the second side of the first key with a second laterally displaceable jaw located on a second side of the first defined centerline at a variable distance D2 from the first defined centerline;
• c. maintaining the distance D1 equal to the distance D2 as the first and second jaws are laterally displaced toward or away from the first defined centerline;
• and
• d. laterally biasing the first and second jaws toward the first defined centerline with a lateral biasing force while simultaneously permitting the first and second jaws to be laterally displaced away from the first defined centerline in response to an opposing lateral force greater than the lateral biasing force to laterally align the first key centerline with the first defined centerline.

A key cutting machine having a longitudinal axis and a horizontally oriented lateral axis for duplicating a master key onto a key blank, the master key and key blank each including a length, an upper surface, a lower surface, a tip, a shoulder, and a first bitted surface, the bitted surface of the master key including cuts extending laterally between a first lateral position and a second lateral position, the key cutting machine comprising:

• a. a base;
• b. a laterally displaceable but longitudinally fixed first cutter head including a first key follower positioned at a first elevation, a spaced apart first cutting wheel positioned at a second elevation, and a first motor coupled to rotate the first cutting wheel in a first direction;
• c. a first linear displacement element coupled to the base and to the first cutter head for simultaneously laterally displacing the first key follower relative to a first horizontal plane and the first cutting wheel relative to a second horizontal plane toward and away from the first bitted surfaces of the master key and the key blank between the first and second lateral positions to enable the first cutter head to laterally follow and duplicate the first bitted surface of the master key onto the first bitted surface of the key blank without increasing or decreasing the elevation of the first cutter head;
• d. a key positioning fixture including
• i. a first key positioning fixture for positioning the master key to engage the first key follower at an indexed position where the first key follower initially engages the beginning of the first bitted surface and for maintaining unobstructed access to the first bitted surface of the master key as the key positioning fixture is longitudinally translated relative to the first key follower;
• ii. a second key positioning fixture for positioning the key blank to engage the first cutting wheel at an indexed position with the first cutting wheel initially engaging the key blank where the beginning of the first bitted surface of the master key is to be reproduced and for maintaining unobstructed access to the first bitted surface of the key blank as the key positioning fixture is longitudinally translated relative to the first cutting wheel;
• and
• e. second linear displacement element coupled to the base and to the key positioning fixture for longitudinally displacing the key positioning fixture to thereby longitudinally displace the first bitted surface of the master key relative to the first key follower along the longitudinal axis at the first elevation and to longitudinally displace the first bitted surface of the key blank relative to the first cutting wheel along the longitudinal axis at the second elevation to reproduce the first bitted surface of the master key on the first bitted surface of the key blank.

A key cutting machine having a longitudinal axis and a horizontally oriented lateral axis for duplicating a two-sided master key onto a two-sided key blank, the master key and key blank each including a length, a centerline, an upper surface, a lower surface, a tip, a shoulder, a first bitted surface and an opposing second bitted surface, each bitted surface of the master key including cuts extending laterally between a first lateral position located in proximity to the key centerline and a second lateral position further displaced from the key centerline, the key cutting machine comprising:

• a. a base;
• b. a laterally displaceable first cutter head including a first key follower positioned at a first elevation, a spaced apart first cutting wheel positioned at a second elevation and a first motor coupled to rotate the first cutting wheel in a first direction;
• c. a laterally displaceable second cutter head including a second key follower positioned at the first elevation, a spaced apart second cutting wheel positioned at the second elevation and a second motor coupled to rotate the second cutting wheel in a second direction;
• d. a first linear displacement element for simultaneously laterally displacing the first key follower relative to a first horizontal plane and the first cutting wheel relative to a second horizontal plane toward and away from the first bitted surfaces of the master key and the key blank between the first and second lateral positions and for simultaneously laterally displacing the second key follower relative to the first horizontal plane and the second cutting wheel relative to the second horizontal plane toward and away from the second bitted surfaces of the master key and the key blank between the first and second lateral positions to enable the first cutter head to laterally follow and duplicate the first bitted surface of the master key onto the first bitted surface of the key blank and to enable the second cutter head to laterally follow and duplicate the second bitted surface of the master key onto the second bitted surface of the key blank without increasing or decreasing the elevation of the first or second cutter heads;
• e. a key positioning fixture including
• i. a first key positioning fixture for positioning the master key to engage the first and second key followers at an indexed position where the first and second key followers initially engage the beginning of the first and second bitted surfaces and for maintaining unobstructed access to the first and second bitted surfaces of the master key as the key positioning fixture and the first and second key followers are longitudinally translated relative to each other;
• ii. a second key positioning fixture for positioning the key blank to engage the first and second cutting wheels at an indexed position with the first and second cutting wheels initially engaging the key blank where the beginning of the first and second bitted surfaces of the master key are to be reproduced and for maintaining unobstructed access to the first and second bitted surfaces of the key blank as the key positioning fixture and the first and second cutting wheels are longitudinally translated relative to each other;
• and
• f. a second linear displacement element for longitudinally displacing the first and second bitted surfaces of the master key and the first and second key followers relative to each other along the longitudinal axis at the first elevation and for simultaneously longitudinally displacing the first and second bitted surfaces of the key blank and the first and second cutting wheels relative to each other along the longitudinal axis at the second elevation to reproduce the first and second bitted surfaces of the master key on the first and second bitted surfaces of the key blank.

A method for duplicating a two-sided master key onto a two-sided key blank, the master key and key blank each including a length, a centerline, an upper surface, a lower surface, a tip, a shoulder, and a first bitted surface and an opposing second bitted surface, each bitted surface of the master key including cuts extending laterally between a first lateral position located in proximity to the key centerline and a second lateral position further displaced from the key centerline, comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a laterally displaceable first cutter head including a first key follower positioned at a first elevation, a spaced apart first cutting wheel positioned at a second elevation, and a first motor coupled to rotate the first cutting wheel in a first direction;
• b. providing a laterally displaceable second cutter head including a second key follower positioned at the first elevation, a spaced apart second cutting wheel positioned at the second elevation and a second motor coupled to rotate the second cutting wheel in a second direction;
• c. laterally displacing the first key follower relative to a first horizontal plane and the first cutting wheel relative to a second horizontal plane toward and away from the first bitted surface of the master key and the key blank between the first and second lateral positions while simultaneously laterally displacing the second key follower relative to the first horizontal plane and the second cutting wheel relative to the second horizontal plane toward and away from the second bitted surfaces of the master key and the key blank between the first and second lateral positions to enable the first cutter head to laterally follow and duplicate the first bitted surface of the master key onto the first bitted surface of the key blank and to enable the second cutter head to laterally follow and duplicate the second bitted surface of the master key onto the second bitted surface of the key blank without increasing or decreasing the elevation of the first and second cutter heads;
• d. positioning the master key to engage the first and second key followers at an indexed position where the first and second key followers initially engage the beginning of the first and second bitted surfaces while maintaining unobstructed access to the first and second bitted surfaces of the master key as the master key and the first and second key followers are longitudinally translated relative to each other;
• e. positioning the key blank to engage the first and second cutting wheels at an indexed position with the first and second cutting wheels initially engaging the key blank where the beginning of the first and second bitted surfaces of the master key are to be reproduced while maintaining unobstructed access to the first and second bitted surfaces of the key blank as the key blank and the first and second cutting wheels are longitudinally translated relative to each other;
• and
• f. simultaneously longitudinally displacing the first and second bitted surfaces of the master key and the first and second key followers relative to each other at the first elevation and simultaneously longitudinally displacing the first and second bitted surfaces of the key blank and the first and second cutting wheels relative to each other at the second elevation to reproduce the first and second bitted surfaces of the master key on the first and second bitted surfaces of the key blank.

A method for duplicating a master key onto a key blank, the master key and key blank each including a length, an upper surface, a lower surface, a tip, a shoulder, and a first bitted surface, the bitted surface of the master key including cuts extending laterally between a first lateral position and a second lateral position, comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a laterally displaceable first cutter head including a first key follower positioned at a first elevation, a spaced apart first cutting wheel positioned at a second elevation and a first motor coupled to rotate the first cutting wheel in a first direction;
• b. positioning the master key at the first elevation with a horizontal orientation to engage the first key follower at an indexed position where the first key follower initially engages the beginning of the first bitted surface while maintaining unobstructed access to the first bitted surface of the master key as the master key and the first key follower are longitudinally translated relative to each other;
• c. positioning the key blank at the second elevation with a horizontal orientation to engage the first cutting wheel at an indexed position with the first cutting wheel initially engaging the key blank where the beginning of the first bitted surface of the master key is to be reproduced while maintaining unobstructed access to the first bitted surface of the key blank as the key blank and the first cutting wheel are longitudinally translated relative to each other;
• d. laterally biasing the first cutter head toward the master key and key blank without the assistance of gravitational forces such that the first key follower engages the first bitted surface of the master key and the first cutting wheel engages the first bitted surface of the key blank;
• e. laterally displacing the first key follower relative to a first horizontal plane and the first cutting wheel relative to a second horizontal plane toward and away from the first bitted surfaces of the master key and the key blank between the first and second lateral positions to enable the first cutter head to laterally follow and duplicate the first bitted surface of the master key onto the first bitted surface of the key blank without increasing or decreasing the elevation of the first cutter head;
• and
• f. simultaneously longitudinally displacing the first bitted surface of the master key and the first key follower relative to each other at the first elevation and simultaneously longitudinally displacing the first bitted surface of the key blank and the first cutting wheel relative to each other at the second elevation to reproduce the first bitted surface of the master key on the first bitted surface of the key blank.

A key cutting machine having a longitudinal axis and a horizontally oriented lateral axis for duplicating a master key onto a key blank, the master key and key blank each including a length, upper and lower surfaces, a tip, a shoulder, a root, and a bitted surface opposite the root, the bitted surface of the master key including cuts extending laterally toward the root between a first lateral position located in proximity to the key root and a second lateral position further displaced away from the key root, the key cutting machine comprising:

• a. a base;
• b. a laterally displaceable first cutter head including a first key follower positioned at a first elevation, a spaced apart first cutting wheel positioned at a second elevation and a first motor coupled to rotate the first cutting wheel in a first direction;
• c. a first linear displacement element coupled to the first cutter head for simultaneously laterally displacing the first key follower relative to a first horizontal plane and the first cutting wheel relative to a second horizontal plane toward and away from the first bitted surfaces of the master key and the key blank between first and second lateral positions to enable the first cutter head to laterally follow and duplicate the first bitted surface of the master key onto the first bitted surface of the key blank without increasing or decreasing the elevation of the first cutter head;
• d. a key positioning fixture including
• i. a first positioning fixture for positioning the master key to engage the first key follower at an indexed position where the first key follower initially engages the beginning of the first bitted surface of the master key and for maintaining unobstructed access to the first bitted surface of the master key as the key positioning fixture and the first key follower are longitudinally translated relative to each other, the first positioning fixture including
• A. upper and lower clamping surfaces displaceable between an open position for receiving the master key between the clamping surfaces and a closed position for engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the master key and retaining the master key in a fixed lateral position with a horizontal orientation;
• B. a root alignment surface laterally offset on a first side of the clamping surfaces for receiving the key root and aligning the key root parallel to the longitudinal axis;
• ii. a second positioning fixture for positioning the key blank to engage the first cutting wheel at an indexed position with the first cutting wheel initially engaging the key blank where the beginning of the first bitted surface of the master key is to be reproduced and for maintaining unobstructed access to the first bitted surface of the key blank as the key positioning fixture and the first cutting wheel are longitudinally translated relative to each other, the second positioning fixture including
• A. upper and lower clamping surfaces displaceable between an open position for receiving the key blank between the clamping surfaces and a closed position for engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the key blank and retaining the key blank in a fixed lateral position with a horizontal orientation;
• B. a root alignment surface laterally offset on a first side of the clamping surfaces for receiving the key root and aligning the key root parallel to the longitudinal axis;
• and
• e. a second linear displacement element for longitudinally displacing the first bitted surface of the master key and the first key follower relative to each other along the longitudinal axis at the first elevation and for simultaneously longitudinally displacing the first bitted surface of the key blank and the first cutting wheel relative to each other along the longitudinal axis at the second elevation to reproduce the first bitted surface of the master key on the first bitted surface of the key blank.