A key clamp for a key cutting apparatus is provided. The key clamp comprises a first jaw and a second jaw. The first jaw comprises an engagement surface having a widthwise dimension and a lengthwise dimension. The engagement surface comprises a first row of serrations, arranged along a lengthwise edge of the engagement surface, and a second row of serrations. The second jaw has an engagement surface comprising a row of serrations for location, in the widthwise dimension, between the first row of serrations in the first jaw and the second row of serrations in the first jaw.

An identification module is disclosed for use in a key making machine. The identification module may have a key receiving assembly configured to receive only a shank of an existing key. The identification module may also have a tip guide, configured to receive a tip of the shank of the existing key. The tip guide may have a slot that exposes a tip end of the shank. The identification module may also have an imaging assembly configured to capture an image of the tip end through the slot.

A clamp is disclosed for a key making machine. The clamp may have an anvil, and a door movable toward the anvil to sandwich a key blank therebetween. The clamp may also have a gate pivotally connected to the door and configured to engage the key blank.

A retainer, that holds a group of precision, off-the-shelf components in relative alignment so as to allow a standard key duplicating machine to function as a key code origination machine is disclosed. A person of ordinary skill in pinning a lock and operating a key duplicating machine is able to practice the invention. An aspect of the invention is that an ordinary, inexpensive key duplicating machine can be converted to code-cutting functionality with minimal cost, requiring no adaptation of key duplicating machine. Also disclosed are methods of positional registration, machine error compensation, and notch shaping.

A clamp bench for key duplicating machines, comprising a fixed component, a first rotary component, a second rotary component and a slide base; the fixed component comprises a first fixed component and a second fixed component, the first fixed component is used to hold the master key in place and the second fixed component is used to hold the key blank in place; the first rotary component, the first fixed component and the second fixed component are rigidly connected to the first plane of the first rotary component, the second rotary component forms a rotary connection with the second plane of the first rotary component. Using the clamp bench, the user can press and rotate the handle with one hand to perform composite rotary feeding of the duplicated key along two different axial lines around the rotary axis and the slide base, completing the processing of the key with bevel tooth.

An identification module is disclosed for use in a key making machine. The identification module may have a key receiving assembly configured to receive only a shank of an existing key. The identification module may also have a tip guide, configured to receive a tip of the shank of the existing key. The tip guide may have a slot that exposes a tip end of the shank. The identification module may also have an imaging assembly configured to capture an image of the tip end through the slot.

A clamp for key duplicating machines includes a support, a pin emerging therefrom with a threaded upper end engagable by a knob, the support base having a pair of upper parallel projections on opposite sides of the pin, a lower jaw of square plan, positioned on the support and having a central hole rotatably engaged by the pin, with four grooves in its lower surface parallel to the jaw sides and engagable in pairs with the projections, an upper jaw of square plan, having a central hole rotatably engaged by the pin and cooperating with the lower jaw to clamp a key, wherein the pair of projections are shaped as parallel cylindrical pegs emerging from the upper surface of the support. When the clamp is active, its lower jaw rests only by two grooves on the two projections, otherwise the lower surface is spaced from the support upper surface.

The present invention generally relates to the field of replicating or copying keys. More specifically, the present invention provides an improved key holder assembly for use in a key cutting machine, the key holder providing a universal or multiply key type holding apparatus to simplify the process of creating a copy of a master key. Spring or otherwise biased components hold a received or inserted ley blank in a preferred position for presenting to a cutting component.

Disclosed is a method for recognizing a bitting code of a key. The method comprises: using a back light source and/or a lateral light source to collect an image of a key to be recognized; and recognizing, on the basis of the image, a bitting code of the key to be recognized. Further disclosed are an apparatus for recognizing a bitting code of a key, and a storage medium and an image collection device. The present disclosure can improve the efficiency of recognizing a bitting code of a key and reduce the wear of the key during a recognition process.

A key cutting machine is provided. The key cutting machine comprises a rotary cutter, an anvil and control circuitry. The rotary cutter is for cutting into the blade of a key blank. The anvil is for stabilising the key blank whilst the rotary cutter is cutting the key blank. The control circuitry is configured to: cause at least one of the anvil or the rotary cutter to move, such that the anvil is located substantially at a first face of the blade of the key blank and the rotary cutter is located substantially at a second face of the blade of the key blank, the second face of the blade of the key blank being on an opposite side of the blank to the first face; and cause the rotary cutter to cut into the second face of the blade of the key blank.