Combined parting bead extender and weather strip cover for window installations

An extender for a combined double hung, double sash guide and weather strip unit is disclosed. The extender is slidably received in the open upper end of the parting bead of the weather strip unit and carries at its upper end prongs. When the extender is driven upwardly, as by raising the window sashes, the extender closes the air gap between the upper edge of the weather strip unit and the head jamb and at the same time the prongs are driven into the head jamb so that the extender also serves to attach the weather strip unit into the window frame thus eliminating the need for top staples or nails.

This invention relates to a double hung, double sash window installation 
and more particularly to unitary combined sash guide and weather strip 
units for use with such installations. 
Unitary combined sash guides and weather-strip units for double hung window 
installations are well known. Such units comprise a pair of longitudinally 
extending, side-by-side channel shaped sash guides separated by a sash 
parting bead, the entire unit being constructed of bent sheet material 
formed by a metal roll forming operation. In positioning the weather-strip 
units and sashes in a window frame, the guides are assembled over the side 
of the sashes in their lowered position and the entire assembly is tilted 
into the frame; that is to say, the lower end of the assembly is first 
positioned in its proper location within the frame and is then rocked 
about its lower end to an upright position in the frame, whereupon staples 
or nails are driven into the side jamb through flats along the 
longitudinal outer edge of the end walls of the sash guide channels. In 
order that the weather strip-members will clear the window frame head jamb 
when the assembly is rocked to its upright position in the frame, each 
weather-strip member must be slightly shorter than the side jamb with the 
result that when the assembly is finally located in its upright position 
in the frame, a gap naturally exists between the head jamb and the upper 
end of the weather-strip unit. This gap provides an air leakage path 
between the interior of the house and the outside and it is one of the 
objects of the invention to provide means for closing that gap after the 
assembly has been installed in its proper position within the window 
frame. 
It is another object of the invention to provide means which not only 
closes the aforementioned gap against air leakage, but also serves as a 
connector for attaching a weather-strip unit in its position of use within 
the frame thereby eliminating the need for top stapling or nailing the 
unit into the frame. 
The foregoing and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the 
provision of a body member of bent sheet material which is adapted to be 
slidably received within the open upper end of a parting bead of a weather 
strip unit. The body member carries means, such as outwardly projecting 
wings, engageable exteriorily of the parting bead for sliding the body 
member upwardly relative to the parting bead to close the aforesaid gap 
while simultaneously driving prong means, which may be carried at the ends 
of the wings, into the head jamb so that the body member then serves as a 
connector for the weather-strip unit.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a conventional 
window frame having side jambs 12 and a head jamb 14, the latter having 
therein the usual parting bead groove way 16 in which a jamb parting bead, 
usually of wood, is located. Received within the window frame is a 
weather-strip unit 17 of known construction having a pair of side-by-side, 
longitudinally extending channel-shaped sash guides, 18, 20, each defined 
by an end wall 22 and a pair of spaced side walls 24, 26 and 28, 30, 
respectively. The sash guide channels are centrally joined together by an 
integral parting bead 32 defined by a longitudinally extending, open 
ended, U-shaped channel having a laterally extending end wall 34 joining 
together in spaced relationship coextensive side walls, each of which also 
defines one wall 26 or 28 of a respective sash guide channel 18, 20. 
As can be seen, when the weather-strip unit is installed in its position of 
use within the window frame, the unit abuts the side jamb 12 of the window 
frame with the upper edge of the unit being spaced below the head jamb 14 
to define a gap 36 resulting from the need for the weather-strip unit to 
have sufficient clearance below the head jamb to permit the assembled 
strips and sashes to be rocked into the window frame as above described 
without interference between the upper edges of the strip and the head 
jamb. The gap 36, one on each side of the window, defines a path for air 
leakage between the interior of a house and the outside. 
The present invention provides means for closing off the gap 36 by use of a 
parting strip extender, and also eliminates the need for top stapling or 
nailing the weather-strip in place by arranging the parting strip extender 
so that it serves, in addition, as a weather strip connector. The combined 
extender and connector is designated generally by the numeral 38 and 
comprises a U-shaped body of bent sheet material having an end wall 40 and 
side walls 42 complementary with the internal shape and dimension of the 
parting bead 32. The body member is adapted to be slidably received within 
the upper open end of the parting bead 32 and carries upon its upper side 
prong means 44 located preferably at the ends of integral, out-turned 
wings 46 extending exteriorily of the parting bead with a length 
sufficient to ensure that the prongs 42 are clear of the head jamb parting 
bead grooveway 16. The wings are preferably initially inclined downwardly 
from the upper side edges of the body member to enable the mounting of the 
weather-strip in its position of use without the prongs interfering with 
the head jamb. 
Desirably the body member, when installed in the parting bead, is keyed 
against movement away from the end wall 34 of the parting bead. Such 
keying may be provided in a variety of ways but preferably by way of a 
groove 48 formed, as by embossment, adjacent the upper end of one or both 
of the parting bead side walls 26, 28 and a ridge 50 also formed by 
embossment, on one or both side walls 42 of the body member 38 and 
slidably engageable with grooves 48 as can be clearly seen in FIG. 3. 
In use, the combined parting bead extender and weather-strip connector is 
inserted into the open upper end of the parting bead of each weather strip 
and pushed down as far as the extender can go. The strips are then 
assembled over the sides of the sashes in their lowered position and the 
lower edges of the entire assembly is inserted from the inside into the 
window frame. Thereafter, the assembly is rocked into its upright position 
until the weather-strip parting bead is in substantial registry with the 
head jamb grooveway 16 as shown in FIG. 1. Thereafter, the prong means 42 
are driven into the head jamb 14, as seen in FIG. 2, by the application of 
force to the wings 46. Such force not only raises the connector relative 
to the parting bead to close off the gap 36 but it also straightens the 
wings 46 as shown in FIG. 2 to a horizontal position as the prong means 44 
are driven into the head jamb 14. Force may be applied to the wings by an 
instrument, such as a hammer, or if desired such force may be provided by 
merely raising the respective sashes with sufficient momentum to drive the 
prong means into the wood of the head jamb. 
In FIG. 1 phantom lines depict sashes 52, 54 in the process of being moved 
in the direction of the arrows 56 towards the extended wings, and, in FIG. 
2, the sashes 52, 54 are shown in their fully raised position after having 
driven the prong means into the head jamb. 
Desirably the wings are inclined downwardly in order to permit rocking 
installation of the sash and weather-strip assembly as above described. If 
the nature of the head jamb or the resiliency of the wings is such that 
inclined wings are not practical, the wings may be arranged initially 
substantially horizontally and, if necessary, the upper edge of the 
weather-strip member can be lowered sufficiently to permit the assembly to 
be rocked into place without interference by the prongs with the head 
jamb. Though this would naturally result in a somewhat wider gap 36, this 
would not be a disadvantage since the parting bead extender can readily 
close the gap over a substantial range of gap widths. 
The sash guide and weather-strip is provided with sash balance springs and 
spring housings as well known in the art, but these items are not shown in 
the drawings since they are not concerned with the present invention. 
It will be apparent that the invention is susceptible of a variety of 
changes and modifications without, however, departing from the scope and 
spirit of the appended claims.