Vintage Key Cutting Machine (Am I missing parts?)

[Ivan747]

Hi everyone,

Hoping someone can help. i have this older Dominion Key cutting machine, it hasn't been used in years and i noticed that there is a plate missing on the front. i can't tell if there is any parts that are missing where that plate goes. i have attached a photo to this post, hoping someone can tell me what what use to be there or if there is anything missing and what that button does or use to do.

Thanks in advance.

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j35 ... G_6380.jpg

[gloves]

I can't help at the moment, but AFAIK Dominion has been bought out by ILCO, I'd check their catalog.

[MacGyver101]

Unfortunately, I can't find a manual or an exploded parts diagram for that machine... but, based on an old copy of the 1965 Dominion catalog, that looks like a Dominion Model 130AM Automatic Key Duplicator (which may help in searching for a manual):

I couldn't immediately find any old manuals from Googling around, but you may have better luck than I. (And, if you do find a scanned copy, I'd be much obliged if you could pass it along... I'll add it to the library.)

[MacGyver101]

Actually, after staring at your photo and the catalog description for another few minutes, I'd hazard a guess that the button is the "starting button" that used to activate the feed motor, which would have automatically advanced the key carrier... and that motor was most likely originally housed behind the missing door. If so, I'm guessing that the motor died at some point, and someone decided to convert the automatic key machine into a manual one? (That's just a guess, based on the photo, though... I've never seen one of those machines in person.)

[Squelchtone]

MacGyver101 is paving the way here, I'm just gonna post this link to the 132AM machine, which is probably the one you have, manuals available if you want to email the guy on this website and pay him: http://www.simon-says.net/lds2/dominion-h/dominion-h.htm


Here's a Dominion patent for an automatic key cutting machine, maybe this will help:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=FT07AAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=dominion+lock+company&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4MQUT6PgMK220QHd18HFAw&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=dominion%20lock%20company&f=false

Here's another interesting patent that has a push button start and some limit switches, there is a schematic in the Drawings section: http://www.google.com/patents/US3625111?printsec=drawing&dq=automatic+key+cutting+machine&ei=ecUUT6SxJKLk0QHp5d2GAw#v=onepage&q=automatic%20key%20cutting%20machine&f=false

good luck,
Squelchtone

[MacGyver101]

Ah, okay... mystery solved. Here's the patent: US Patent 3,196,750.

There used to be a power switch inside that cavity that controlled the motor (coloured blue in the figure below):

The switch was a simple "push on, push off" style of switch. Depressing the button (coloured green) would toggle the switch and turn on the motor. When the key cutting was finished and the key carrier reached the end of its run, the collar on the end of the rod (coloured red) would toggle the switch a second time, turning off the motor.

So, it seems you have everything there except for the switch.

[Ivan747]

wow thanks! i searched for at least an hour on google and couldn't find those diagrams! i guess it makes sense now, the machine is now on a manual switch and just keeps cycling over and over when on. i guess im on the hunt now for that switch. Anyone know the specific name for it, i found out its a Micro switch but the one on the diagram seems to have dual rollers and i haven't seen those on google searches or ebay.

Thanks again!

[unjust]

i believe that my machine of a similar age has a replacement microswitch, and it's not a roller switch at all. (slightly different layout, forgetting the model # off the top of my head)

for casual use i suspect you'll be fine with any microswitch that you can get in about the right spot. look into a place liek ax-man surplus for odd switches. if you're set on a double roller, i can ask some of the electronics geeks at the shops for a recommended supplier.