Manual punch press for keys

In a manual press for cutting a key blank having a bow defining shoulders having a shoulder thickness, and a relatively narrow elongated blade adjacent the bow which defines a longitudinal axis of the key blank and a plurality of cut positions along the axis separated by a between center cut spacing, the press comprising (a) a jaw assembly comprising a lower jaw and an upper jaw operative to removably clamp the blade therebetween such that a cantilevered edge of the blade to be cut extends forward of the jaw assembly, (b) a carriage automatically movable in one lateral direction parallel to the axis of the blade of a blank clamped in the jaw assembly in successive steps of the between center cut spacing, (c) a punch with a male cross section plunge motion-mounted in a holder on the carriage, and (d) a die mounted on the carriage, the die having a substantially flat upper surface comprising an elevated platform supporting one side of the cantilevered edge of the blade, the die defining a rearward indented receiving channel complementary in shape to the punch cross section such that manual lever actuation is effective to plunge the punch toward the die through the cantilevered edge of a blade positioned between the punch and die into the receiving channel, effectively to cut a notch in the cantilevered edge,

• in which the improvement comprises the die having two indexing stops protruding upward perpendicular from the substantially flat upper surface by an elevation distance of about the shoulder thickness and positioned at a distance from the jaw assembly effective to bias against a shoulder of a key blank clamped in the jaw assembly, and
• in which each indexing stop is disposed on a laterally opposite side of the punch from the other indexing stop.