Sash lock

In a lock including a keeper on a window sash and a catch having flexible forked sections, said catch being reciprocally mounted to a face of a window frame for grasping and releasing the keeper, an improved structure for operating said catch comprising:

• a housing for mounting against the frame face, said housing including an opening therethrough with a portion substantially cylindrical about an axis substantially perpendicular to the frame face;
• and
• an operator including
• a cylindrical pivotal portion receivable within the housing cylindrical portion and adapted to pivot about said axis,
• a handle portion secured at one end to the operator pivotal portion, and
• an actuator portion having a button at one end for engaging the catch to control movement thereof, said button being generally circular and capable of moving between said catch forked sections and said actuator portion being secured at the other end to the operator pivotal portion, whereby a part of said actuator portion is trapped between said housing and said frame face to prevent removal of said operator from the mounted housing.

A method of assembling a lock catch operating structure for a lock including a keeper on a window sash and a catch reciprocally mounted to a face of a window frame for grasping and releasing the keeper, said lock catch operating structure including

• a housing for mounting against the frame face, said housing including an opening therethrough with a portion substantially cylindrical about an axis substantially perpendicular to the frame face;
• and
• an operator including
• a cylindrical pivotal portion receivable within the housing cylindrical portion and adapted to pivot about said axis,
• a handle portion secured at one end to the operator pivotal portion, and
• an actuator portion having a button at one end for engaging the catch to control movement thereof, said actuator portion being secured at the other end to the operator pivotal portion, whereby a part of said actuator portion is trapped between said housing and said frame face to prevent removal of said operator from the mounted housing,
• said method comprising the steps of:
• extending said operator actuator portion through said housing opening;
• pivoting said operator and housing relative to one another about an axis substantially perpendicular to said housing cylindrical portion axis to dispose said operator pivotal portion within said housing cylindrical portion;
• snapping said operator into engagement with said catch;
• and
• mounting said housing against the window frame face.

A method of assembling a lock for releasably maintaining a window frame adjacent a window sash, said lock including a catch, an operator, and a housing, said method comprising the steps of:

• inserting an actuator portion of the operator through a housing opening which is generally cylindrical about an axis;
• pivoting said operator and housing relative to one another about a second axis substantially perpendicular to said housing opening axis to dispose a cylindrical portion of the operator within the housing opening;
• and
• mounting said housing against an interior face of the window frame with the operator actuator portion substantially adjacent said interior face whereby said interior face blocks said operator against reverse pivoting of said operator about said second axis which would displace said cylindrical portion from the housing opening.

In a lock including a keeper on a window sash and a catch reciprocally mounted to a face of a window frame for grasping and releasing the keeper, an improved structure for operating said catch comprising:

• a housing for mounting against the frame face, said housing defining an interior open to the frame face when mounted thereagainst and including an opening through said house with a portion substantially cylindrical about an axis substantially perpendicular to the frame face;
• and
• an operator including
• a cylindrical pivotal portion secured by the housing cylindrical portion for pivoting within said cylindrical portion about said axis,
• a handle portion secured at one end to the operator pivotal portion, and
• an actuator portion connected to the operator pivotal portion and supporting an engaging member for engaging the catch to control movement thereof, said actuator portion being disposed in the housing interior and adjacent said frame face when said housing is mounted thereagainst to prevent removal of the operator cylindrical pivotal portion from the housing cylindrical pivotal portion from the housing cylindrical portion.