Abstract: A sash pin engaging a locking element of a tilt shoe has a downwardly oriented hook that engages an edge of the locking element when the sash is untilted so that the sash pin cannot be accidentally withdrawn from the shoe. This avoids all the problems that can be encountered in reassembling an accidentally withdrawn sash pin.

Abstract: A hurricane window brace arranges brace elements at upper corners of a tilt sash so that the brace elements extend from a plow region of the sash into inside corners of a shoe channel in a resin jamb supporting the sash. When so positioned, the braces maintain a distance between the inside corners of the shoe channels and the plow regions of the sash so that the upper corners of the sash cannot be moved or tilted inward by wind force. Moving the braces upward or laterally, when wind force resistance is not required, allows the sash to tilt.

Abstract: A block and tackle window balance includes an extension spring and two blocks of pulleys mounted within a rigid channel. A spring coupling connects a free end of the extension spring to the first block of pulleys. The pulleys of the first block are sized in width to center the spring coupling and the free end of the extension spring within the channel. The second block of pulleys are mounted on an axle that is received in slots formed in the channel. A center portion of the axle guides a pulley cord through the second block for exiting the balance.

Abstract: A window balance system for a tilt sash uses a pair of constant force curl springs having curled convolutions carried by sash shoes and free end regions mounted in sash shoe channels above the region of travel of the shoes. The recurl tendency of the springs imparts a lift to the curled spring convolutions, and the shoes transmit the lift to the sash. The springs recurl into the convolutions as the shoes rise and uncurl from the shoes into the shoe channels when the shoes move downward, and neither movement requires the springs to slide frictionally within the shoe channels. Each shoe is preferably formed of two identical halves that are assembled to trap the curl spring along with a cam that locks the shoe when the sash tilts.

Abstract: A window balance system for a tilt sash uses a pair of constant force curl springs having curled convolutions carried by sash shoes and free end regions mounted in sash shoe channels above the region of travel of the shoes. The recurl tendency of the springs imparts a lift to the curled spring convolutions, and the shoes transmit the lift to the sash. The springs recurl into the convolutions as the shoes rise and uncurl from the shoes into the shoe channels when the shoes move downward, and neither movement requires the springs to slide frictionally within the shoe channels. Each shoe is preferably formed of two identical halves that are assembled to trap the curl spring along with a cam that locks the shoe when the sash tilts.

Abstract: A lock shoe system for an especially heavy sash has shoes with lock bolts that can be moved into locking positions by means of a tool that moves a bolt from underneath a shoe so that the bolt interlocks with a lance in the jamb liner. Once the shoes are locked to the jambs, the sash can be lifted off the shoes, moved laterally within the jambs, and angled out of the window for removal. The shoes guide the sash to a centered position as it is returned to its platforms; and when the shoes are unlocked from the jambs, the lock bolts preferably retain the sash on the shoe platforms.

Abstract: A sash platform for an automatic friction shoe connects to the shoe by means of a curved arm that fits into a correspondingly curved recess molded into the shoe body. An abutment limits the insertion of the curved arm into the shoe and holds a sash support blade at an operating level, and a curved holder surface supports the platform against the downward force of a sash. The shoe connects to a spring or counterbalance element and runs frictionally in a jamb liner channel.

Abstract: A jamb liner for a window assembly permits tilt-takeout sashes to be assembled to form a standard window assembly without tilt or takeout capabilities. The liner has an extruded body with a pair of channels for engaging the sashes. The channels are interconnected by two webs. One of the webs forms adjacent portions of sash runs, and the other web forms a bow-shaped spring for urging the channels against the sashes.

Abstract: A counterbalance shoe of a tilt sash lock shoe system runs in a resin shoe channel of a jamb liner and locks against a rib extending into the shoe channel so that the rib is backed up by a surface of the shoe. A locking element carried by the shoe is counterbalanced into a locked position in which a biting edge of the lock element bites into a front side of the rib. A non-circular sash pin carried by a sash and supported by the shoe at the bottom of an open top slot in the shoe engages and separates confronting surfaces of the shoe and the locking element. The pin is configured for separating the confronting surfaces by enough to hold the locking element out of locked position when the sash is untilted and for reducing the separation of the confronting surfaces to move the locking element into locked position when the sash tilts.

Abstract: An integral strip of resin material is used to cover exposed portions of jamb liner slots of take-out windows. Side walls on either side of the slot are displaced by passage of the tubular body. The winged flanges are drawn partly into the slot against outer portions of the side walls by a snap-fit engagement between inner portions of the side walls and the tubular part. Resilience of the winged flanges against the outer portions of the side walls helps to hold the strip in place and cover the slots. The tubular part of the strip also serves as a stop for limiting movement of a windown sash along the liner.

Abstract: A spring balance for counteracting the weight of heavy window sashes includes both a torsion spring and a tension spring. The two springs are separated by a rigid tube. One end of each spring is connected to an end of the rigid tube. A spiral member engages a follower carried by the other end of the torsion spring and includes a stop along its length for engaging an anchor carried by the other end of the tension spring. The spiral member can be attached by conventional means to a shoe or other connection to the window sash.

Abstract: Counterbalance mechanisms for a vertically movable sash have components extending downward within guides on which the sash moves. The guides can move laterally of the sash to allow the sash to tilt and be removed from the window, and the counterbalance components are arranged within the guides to accommodate such lateral movement. Slots in the guides accommodate interconnections between counterbalance components within the guides and the sash running vertically against outward surfaces of the guides, and these interconnections also allow lateral movement of the guides and tilting of the sash. The guides are mounted on window jambs by resilient elements that bias the guides into engagement with sash grooves and also accommodate lateral movement of the guides out of the sash grooves, to allow the sash to tilt.

Abstract: A lift-off shoe system uses non-locking sash support shoes (30) movable vertically and spring biased upwardly in a tilt window. Sash pins (25) have heads (26) that interlock with open top slots (31) in sash shoes (30) so that the sash pins are removable from the shoes only by lifting the pins vertically from above the uppermost position of the shoes. This simplifies the shoes, eliminates damage caused by shoe-locking mechanisms, and makes sash removal and replacement simple and convenient.

Abstract: A lock shoe system for a take-out window having take-out jamb liners (10) uses a pair of fins (22) extending laterally outward from opposite sides (18) of a sash pin slot (16) in the jamb liner for supporting lock shoes (30) that move vertically in lock shoe channels (13 and 14) within the jamb liners. The lock shoes have pivotally mounted ramp latches (60) that extend over locking devices and are inclined toward recesses (82) for receiving sash pins (25). When a sash (20) is returned to an operating position between jamb liners (10), its sash pins (250 are moved downward over ramp latches (60), pivoting these aside and releasing the lock mechanism, which snaps the pins into the receiving recesses. This produces an audible sound as each pin is latched in its respective shoe (30) so that the user can tell from the sounds made when the latching occurs that sash (20) is properly latched into each shoe, where its weight is counterbalanced.

Abstract: An extruded resin spring cover (12) extending for the full length of a resin jamb liner (10) and divided into vertical halves (14) by a longitudinal slit (15) is involved in a friction system that prevents hop or drop of a sash (13) counterbalanced between jamb liners (10). A counterbalance spring system is arranged within spring cover (12) and connected to a platform (20) that has a narrow width neck (24 or 44) extending through slit (15). A sash support portion (25, 37, or 57) of the platform is pivotally mounted outside the spring cover, and a connector portion (30, 35, or 40) of the platform is connected to the counterbalance spring system within the spring cover. Neck (24 or 44) extending through slit (15) affords the pivotal interconnection between the sash support portion and the connection portion and also contributes a fixed friction load involved in spreading the spring cover halves apart at the slit, in the region of the neck.

Abstract: A system of anchoring a window balance spring (16) in a channel (20) includes an arched anchor plate (10) connectable to spring (16) and having edge projections (15) that fit between the side walls (21) of the channel. When these and the bottom (22) of the channel are supported by a tool (30), anchor plate (10) is stamped flat against the channel bottom to spread edge projections (15) apart and drive them into the channel side walls (21) for a deformation interlock that holds the anchor and the spring reliably in place within the channel.

Abstract: A block and tackle balance system (10), contained within a spring cover (12) extending for the full length of a jamb liner (11), includes a guide (30) that directs a cord (25) through an angled course as it passes from the balance (20), through a hole (13) in the spring cover, to a support that moves up and down with a sash (15) outside the spring cover. The passing of the cord through the angled course in the guide produces load-related friction that helps prevent hop and drop of the sash. Guide (30) also preferably supports an end of the balance within the spring cover, and a support (50, 60) on the free end of cord (25) preferably engages sash (15) automatically as the sash assembled between a pair of jamb liners (11).

Abstract: A lock shoe system for a take-out window having take-out jamb liners (10) uses a pair of fins (22) extending laterally outward from opposite sides (18) of a sash pin slot (16) in the jamb liner for supporting lock shoes (30) that move vertically in lock shoe channels (13 and 14) within the jamb liners. The lock shoes bear against and ride on sash sides (24) of the fins, and the lock shoes have pivotally mounted biter knives (40) that can pivot into biting engagement with a frame side (26) of the fins to lock the shoes vertically in place. Arms (45) of the biter knives are engaged by pins (25) extending from the sash (20) into the slots for holding the knives clear of the fins whenever the sash is in its run. When the sash is removed from jamb liners (10), springs (50) on the lock shoes (30) bias the biter knives (40) into locking position against the force of the counterbalance springs (33), which bias the lock shoes upward.

Abstract: An extruded resin jamb liner (10) has a spring cover (12) with a longitudinal slit (15) in which a platform (20) moves for balancing a sash. Platform (20) is a single piece resin part having a spring connector (30) inside the spring cover, a neck (24) extending through the slit, and a sash support (25) outside the spring cover. The platform also has inside and outside friction surfaces (26 and 27) respectively engaging inward and outward facing surfaces of the spring cover on opposite sides of the slit to provide a load-related frictional resistance against vertical movement of the platform in the slit.

Abstract: Hybrid contact lenses and other composite polymeric articles of precise dimensions are made by placing a first monomer composition in a mold and irradiating and polymerizing a central portion only with ultraviolet radiation. Unpolymerized monomer is removed, a second monomer composition is placed in contact with the polymer formed from the first monomer composition and the latter is polymerized by ultraviolet irradiation or by other means to obtain a composite article which is then machined to form a hybrid lens.