Abstract: A key duplicating machine having a key clamping assembly for supporting a key blank and a customer key to be duplicated, a key cutter assembly having a cutter wheel for cutting a pattern on the supported key blank and a follower for tracing a tooth patter on the supported customer key, a housing having a front wall, a top wall and a chip collection drawer lcoated below the front and top walls, the key clamping assembly being mounted on the front wall and the key cutter assembly being mounted on the top wall such that no obstructions exist between the key cutter assembly and the chip collection drawer located below the top wall, so that chips formed from a key cutting operation by the key cutter assembly fall unimpeded to the chip collection drawer, and surfaces which may collect the chips are minimized.

Abstract: A key duplicating machine which automatically liens the original and blank keys, clamping the keys in alignment with the appropriate clamping pressure, cuts double-sided keys in a single pass, prevents operation of the machine without the presence of the original and blank keys in the machine and which is capable of accepting virtually any type of key shape for duplication. The invention includes a single-sided key duplicating module having a motor driven cutter wheel which is slidably mounted on a travel table that, in turn, is slidably mounted on a base plate. The travel table includes a motor driven stacked cam assembly which engages fixed cam followers in the base plate, so when rotated, the cam assembly, travel table and cutter wheels are moved first in a cutting pass, then in a return pass with respect to the original and blank keys. The cam assembly also includes a cam follower which displaces the cutting wheel sidewardly away from the blank key on the return pass.