Abstract:
An adjustable stop is adapted to limit travel of a sliding sash window/door, and can be installed upon the window/door master frame during initial manufacturing of the product, or may be an after-market option added at some time after manufacturing was completed. The stop may even be installed upon sash windows/doors currently in service in a building. The stop is intended to limit sash travel between a closed position and a safe position, where the safe position is a position significantly less than a full-open position. The safety stop may be comprised of a housing and a tumbler being pivotally mounted within a cavity in the housing, with a spring to bias the tumbler out of an opening in the housing. Mounting is by a flange extending from the housing, with spacers of varying thickness that are capable of removably attaching thereon to accommodate sash to master frame height differences.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/456,347, titled “Single Action Vent Stop,” filed Jun. 15, 2009, which claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/217,365, filed May 29, 2009, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to improvements in safety latches for sliding sash windows and doors, and more particularly to a safety latch which permits after-market installation on a variety of different window configurations, and is capable of preventing accidental egress of a small child from a window. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A sash window or sash door is comprised of a master frame that permits installation into a wall of a home or other building. The master frame is generally arranged to receive at least one sliding member, with the sliding member being in the form of a window or door member that is encased within its own frame. The sliding door or window may contain multiple panes of glass that are separated and supported by muntin bars, or alternatively, a single glazing may be used, to which may be added a decorative artificial muntin grid that simulates the look of the multi-paned window. 
         [0004]    Sliding sash windows and doors may be designed to slide horizontally or vertically within the master frame. In addition, sash windows and doors may be provided in the form of a single-hung or a double-hung arrangement. In the single hung arrangement, there may be one sash window member that is fixed within the master frame and a second sash window member that slides relative to the first sash window member. In the double hung arrangement, both sash window members may be permitted to slide relative to the master frame. 
         [0005]    Historically, these sliding sash windows were provided with a single latching mechanism, which permitted a person to lock the window in a closed position, or to unlock the window and permit free movement of a sash from one end of the master frame to the other end of the master frame. Safety concerns, in terms of preventing the unauthorized entry of burglars through open windows or other intruders threatening the security of occupants, has led to the introduction of a secondary latching mechanism on many new windows that may be deployed to selectively limit the travel of the sash, once the primary latch has been toggled to unlock the window sashes. One example is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,214 to Polowinczak for “Stop for a Slidable Window.” This sash window stop, and other similar stops, is designed to be disposed within a cavity in the manufactured sash window frame, whereby a portion of the stop may be toggled to protrude outward and limit the travel of a sash. 
         [0006]    The drawback for these window stops is that they are not conducive for after-market installation into a sash window. The window stop disclosed herein provides a unique means of installing such a travel limiting latch onto an existing sash window. The stop herein does not require creation of a cavity in the sash window frame, and may furthermore be easily modified to accommodate various different sash window configurations. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is an object of the invention to provide a means of preventing accidental egress of a child out of a sliding sash window or sash door. 
         [0008]    It is an object of the invention to provide a travel limiting stop for a sliding sash window or sash door. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the invention to provide a sliding sash window stop that may be installed onto a window after manufacturing of the window is completed. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a sliding sash window stop that may be easily installed onto a window that is already in use in a building. 
         [0011]    It is another object of the invention to provide a window stop that may be installed onto many different sash window configurations. 
         [0012]    It is also an object of the invention to provide a means of quickly adjusting the stop to accommodate different depths of sash window insets within a master window frame. 
         [0013]    Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The after-market safety stop disclosed herein is intended for attachment to a master frame of a sliding sash window assembly or a sliding sash door assembly, to be capable of limiting sash travel between a closed position and a safe position, where the safe position is a sash position between the closed sash position and a full-open sash position. The safe position may be established to permit sash movement sufficient for ventilation, but be small enough to prevent window sash travel of a magnitude that would allow a small child to accidentally fall out of the opened window. The safety stop may be attached to older windows already installed in a building, because they lack such a stop, or even where they have a safety stop, but it permits travel that is excessive or insufficient in comparison with the needs of the occupant. 
         [0015]    The safety stop may be comprised of a multi-walled housing that has a cavity and several openings. A tumbler may be pivotally disposed into the housing cavity, with a portion of the first end of said tumbler protruding out from said one opening in the housing top end, and with the tumbler pivoting at a point between its first end and second end. 
         [0016]    The tumbler may be biased by a biasing member, which may essentially be a torsion having arms that are adapted to be held within the housing and the tumbler. The biasing member may be set to bias the tumbler to pivot out from the housing cavity. The tumbler may also be capable of occupying four different positions, two of which may be considered to be transient positions. The tumbler may be placed in a first position, where a tumbler bearing surface may limit movement of a sash member between a closed position and a safe position, or in a second position, where the sash member be able to move past the tumbler, by deflecting the tumbler into an intermediate position, where it may be retained until the sash member is moved back towards the closed past enough to be clear of the safety stop. The tumbler may occupy a second transient position—a retracted position, when the tumbler is toggled between the first and second position. 
         [0017]    A mounting flange may be integral to the housing, and protruding outward therefrom, at a position between a top end and a bottom end of the housing, with the mounting flange being generally parallel to the housing bottom end, but offset therefrom by a certain amount. The mounting flange may comprise two or more orifices usable for mounting the safety stop to the sash window or door. 
         [0018]    The bottom surface of the mounting flange may also contain two or more orifices for receiving two or more posts to attach a spacer block to the safety stop. The spacer block may be capable of nesting within the mounting flange bottom surface, and may remain therein because of a friction fit between the posts and orifice. Alternatively, the posts may snap into the orifices through the use of a detent. The spacer blocks may have a thickness to adjust for variations in a height difference between said sliding sash and said master frame. Using different thicknesses for the spacer and combinations of different spacers may permit accommodation of for various manufacturers of a sliding sash window assembly or a sliding sash door assembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a vertical sliding sash window assembly installed in a building, with the adjustable after-market stop of the current invention installed thereon to limit upward travel of the lower sash window. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a section cut through the sliding sash window and adjustable stop of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the adjustable window stop of the current invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the adjustable window stop of the current invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the adjustable window stop of the current invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the adjustable window stop of the current invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the tumbler of the safety stop of the current invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the biasing member of the safety stop of the current invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a top perspective view of one embodiment of a spacer block. 
           [0028]      FIG. 10  is a bottom perspective view of the spacer block of  FIG. 19 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is a section cut through the spacer block of  FIG. 19 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 12A  is a front view of the window stop housing. 
           [0031]      FIG. 12B  is a top view of the window stop housing of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0032]      FIG. 12C  is a bottom view of the window stop housing of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0033]      FIG. 12D  is a left end view of the window stop housing of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0034]      FIG. 12E  is a right end view of the window stop housing of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0035]      FIG. 13  is the bottom view of  FIG. 12D , but enlarged to show the housing contour features that interact with the biasing member. 
           [0036]      FIG. 14  an enlarged perspective view of the housing contour features of  FIG. 13 , with the two positions of the biasing member illustrated thereon—Safe (A) and Non-safe (B), as well as motion in between, including two temporary positions (B &amp; D) in which the tumbler is retracted. 
           [0037]      FIG. 15  is a series of schematic representations showing the positional changes (A, B, C, and D) of the post of the biasing member, relative to the housing contour of the underside of the top housing wall. 
           [0038]      FIG. 16  is the view of  FIG. 13 , but enlarged to show the housing contour features, and with the post of the biasing member shown in a position (“A”) relative to the contour that the post occupies when the tumbler is in the safe position. 
           [0039]      FIG. 17  is the view of  FIG. 16 , but with the post of the biasing member shown in a position (“B”) relative to the contour that the post occupies when the tumbler is in the retracted position, as the tumbler is being toggled from the safe to the unsafe position. 
           [0040]      FIG. 18  is an enlarged view of  FIG. 17 , but with the post of the biasing member shown in a position (“C”) relative to the contour that the post occupies when the tumbler is in the un-safe position. 
           [0041]      FIG. 19  is the view of  FIG. 18 , but with the post of the biasing member shown in a position (“D”) relative to the contour that the post occupies when the tumbler h is in the retracted position, as the tumbler is being toggled from the unsafe to the safe position. 
           [0042]      FIG. 20  is an exploded view of the parts comprising the safety stop assembly of the current invention and three spacer blocks. 
           [0043]      FIG. 21  is the perspective view of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0044]      FIG. 22  is a perspective view of the safety stop assembly of the current invention and two screws, prior to installation, and being shown in relation to a perspective view of a sliding sash window and master frame to which the stop is to be secured. 
           [0045]      FIG. 23  is a side view of the adjustable after-market window stop of the current invention, shown with the tumbler in the first (fully extended, blocking) position. 
           [0046]      FIG. 24  is a side view of the adjustable after-market window stop of the current invention, shown with the tumbler in the retracted position. 
           [0047]      FIG. 25  is a side view of the adjustable after-market window stop of the current invention, shown with the tumbler in the second position, and with a sash contacting the curved tumbler surface ready to deflect the tumbler out of its path. 
           [0048]      FIG. 26  is a side view of the adjustable after-market window stop of the current invention, shown with the tumbler in the intermediate position. 
           [0049]      FIG. 27  is the section cut of  FIG. 2 , enlarged and showing need for an after-market stop with three spacer blocks for a window with a sash member co-planer with the master frame. 
           [0050]      FIG. 28  is the section cut of  FIG. 34 , showing the same after-market stop with two spacers for a window with a sash member being slightly offset from the master frame. 
           [0051]      FIG. 29  is the section cut of  FIG. 35 , showing the same after-market stop but with only one spacer, for a window with a sash member having a larger offset from the master frame than the window of  FIG. 35 . 
           [0052]      FIG. 30  is the section cut of  FIG. 36 , showing the same after-market stop but with no spacers, for a window with a sash member having a larger offset from the master frame than the window of  FIG. 36 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0053]      FIG. 5  shows a first embodiment of the adjustable window stop assembly  10  of the present invention, which may be practiced using the adjustable window stop assembly  10  and one or more spacer blocks ( 80 A,  80 B, etc) of the same or of varying thickness. 
         [0054]    The window stop assembly  10  may include a housing  20 , a tumbler  40 , and a biasing member  60 , as seen in  FIG. 20 , the operation of which is disclosed by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/456,347, which claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/217,365, filed May 29, 2009, the disclosures of each being incorporated herein by reference. The housing  20  may be constructed to be of many different shapes, and need not resemble the box-like structure of the housing shown in  FIGS. 12A through 12E . In fact, the housing could be formed of a single walled member and could resemble half of an egg-shape. It may be formed as one continuous piece, as with a casting or an injection molded plastic part, or it may be an assembly of several wall members that are assembled using mechanical fasteners. Using a box-like formation for the housing results in simplification of several other aspects of the design of the safety stop herein, and is therefore described in one embodiment. 
         [0055]    The housing  20  may comprise a top wall  21 , a bottom wall  22 , a first end wall  23 , a second end wall  24 , a first (uninterrupted) side wall  25 , and a second (interrupted) side wall  26 , to create a cavity  20 A. The second side wall  25  may have extending therefrom a mounting flange  31 , which may be formed integral to the housing, or may be attached thereon using mechanical fasteners or a welding process. The mounting flange  31  may be comprised of a top surface  31 A, a bottom surface  31 B, and a periphery  31 C that may be of a generally rectangular shape, except for a pair of outside corner radii  32 . The mounting flange may have two or more mounting holes  34  running completely through the flange, from the upper surface  31 A to the lower surface  31 B. The holes  34  may additionally have a countersink  34 A or a countersink with a recess for accommodating flush-head or pan-head fasteners. Both the top surface  31 A and the bottom surface  31 B may be flat. However, in an alternate embodiment, the bottom surface  31 B may be sculpted to leave behind a padded area  31 P in the region around holes  34 , as well as a ridge of thickness  38  along the edge. The mounting flange  31  may have one or more additional holes  35  which begin at the bottom surface  31 B of the mounting flange  31 . The holes  35  may be full depth, or may alternatively only penetrate to a depth being between the bottom surface  31 B and the upper surface  31 A, so as to improve the visual appearance of the safety stop. These additional holes  35  may be used to receive posts located on the spacer blocks  80 A and  80 B in a friction fit, which will be discussed hereinafter. 
         [0056]    The thickness of the mounting flange  31 , as well as the housing walls  21 - 26 , may be sized to prevent impact loads, generated from a force exerted on the sliding sash by an intruder, from easily destroying the safety stop, as an intruder may seek to gain unauthorized entry into a dwelling in that manner. The choice of material for constructing the stop may similarly serve to deter such a forced entry. The periphery  31 C of the mounting flange  31  may have the upper edge broken with a radius  33 , as seen in  FIGS. 12D and 12E . 
         [0057]    The mounting flange  31  may be positioned on the second side wall  25  so as to be located in between the top wall  21  and the bottom wall  22  of the housing  20 . The mounting flange  31  may be offset from the bearing surface area  45  of the tumbler a distance  37 A ( FIG. 6 ) that may accommodate most windows. The amount of offset relates to the invention providing the capability of a functional installation on variations different configurations of windows and doors, as will be discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the offset could be incrementally varied so as to produce a series of different stop assemblies to accommodate the different sash-to-frame depth differences discussed later (see  FIGS. 27-30 ), but the invention may preferably be practiced according to the embodiment described herein where the spacers permit a user to install the stop on various different windows without needing to purchase a specific stop having a particular offset. 
         [0058]    The bottom wall  22  of the housing may also be generally flat and be offset from the bearing surface area  45  a distance  37 B ( FIG. 6 ), so that the flange  31  position on side wall  25  and the housing bottom wall  22  have a corresponding relationship. Therefore, the mounting flange may also be generally parallel to the bottom wall  22 , but offset therefrom by an amount  37 C ( FIGS. 6 and 12E ). The mounting flange  31  may also protrude out from the housing side wall  25  to be at and angle  39  relative to that wall. The angle  39  may preferable be 90 degrees, but the flange may also protrude out at a non-orthogonal angle. 
         [0059]    The housing  20  may further comprise an opening  27  in at least a portion of the bottom wall  22  to expose cavity  20 A, to thereby accommodate pivotal installation therein, and subsequent pivotal motion therefrom, of the tumbler  40 . The opening  27  may remove the bottom wall  22  completely between the first side wall  25  and the second side wall  26 , as seen in  FIG. 12C . Opening  27  may also remove the bottom wall up to the inside of wall  23 , but may fall short of reaching wall  24   
         [0060]    There may also be an opening  29  in the top wall  21  to expose cavity  20 A, as seen in  FIG. 12B . The top wall  21  and the first side wall  25  and second side wall  26  may be trimmed back to have a periphery  30 , which may enable insertion of the tumbler  40  through the opening  29 , for its pivotal mounting in the housing cavity  20 A ( FIG. 4 ). The pivotal mounting may be accommodated by a pair of in-line holes  36  in the first and second side walls  25  and  26 , to receive a pair of integral pins on the tumbler  40 . In an alternate embodiment, there may be pins on the housing  20  to be received by an orifice in the tumbler  40  (not shown), or there may be a separate pin that is received by holes in both the housing walls and the tumbler. In addition, the housing  20  may also have a curved transition wall  28  between top wall  21  and first end wall  23  ( FIG. 12A ). 
         [0061]    Tumbler  40 , as seen in detail in  FIG. 7 , may be comprised of a body portion  41 , and a button portion  42 , and may be considered to have a first end  47 , where the button may be located, and a second end  48 . The body portion  41  may be comprised of an elongated, generally rectangular section  43  that is interrupted by several features. The elongated body portion  41  may be so shaped to fit within the cavity  20 A of housing  20 , that may be formed by the generally orthogonal housing walls  21 - 26 . The body  41  may include a pair of cylindrical pins  44  protruding outward from each side of the body. The periphery of body  41  may also include a curved portion  45 , which may be used to help deflect the tumbler, when it is not in the safe (first) position, as will be discussed hereinafter in the description of the installation of the safety stop assembly  10 . The body  41  may also include a bearing surface area  45 , which may be used when the safety stop assembly is in the safe position, to inhibit travel of the sliding sash by having the to rail  103 A of the sash member  103  contact the bearing area  45 . 
         [0062]    The periphery of the body  41  may also be interrupted by a first notch  50 , and also by a secondary notch  51 , which may not cut completely across the entire width of the tumbler body from one side to the other. Both notches may nonetheless leave behind several protruding features. These protruding features include a cantilevered post  52 , an L-shaped protrusion  53 , and a straight protrusion  54 , all of which may be used to secure the second end  65  of biasing member  60  to the tumbler  40 . 
         [0063]    The integral button portion  42  may be of any shape and size that may conveniently receive pressure from a user&#39;s finger to toggle the tumbler from a safe (first) position to a non-safe (second) position, and for toggling the tumbler from the second position back to the first position. The tumbler positions achieved by the current invention are shown in succession in  FIGS. 23-26 . The safe (first) position is shown in  FIG. 23 . Thereafter, application of a generally downward force to the button portion  42 , results in the tumbler being completely or nearly completely disposed within the cavity  20 A of housing  20 , in the retracted position as seen in  FIG. 24 . The tumbler will temporarily occupy the retracted position, until the force is removed from the button portion  42 , after which the biasing member  60  will bias the tumbler to be in the non-safe (or second) position, as seen in  FIG. 25 . When in the non-safe position, the sliding sash member  103  of the door or window may strike the curved surface  46  of the tumbler, and thereby deflect it out of the way, with the tumbler then occupying an intermediate retracted position, as seen in  FIG. 26 . The intermediate retracted position could be any position between the full retracted position of  FIG. 24  and the non-safe position of  FIG. 25 . However, in general, the intermediate retracted position may be a position in which the second end of the tumbler is only protruding out from the housing  20  a slight amount, which may be roughly equal to the clearance between the sliding member and the housing bottom wall  22  (see  FIG. 26 ). In a preferred embodiment, the integral button portion  42  may have a curved surface  49  ( FIG. 7 ) that mirrors the curved surface  30  of the housing  20  (see  FIG. 12A ), as the button portion may be proximate thereto throughout the various positions of the tumbler ( FIGS. 23-26 ). 
         [0064]    The biasing member  60  may comprise many different embodiments, and may alternatively be a compression spring, a tension spring, a leaf spring, or a torsion spring, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the biasing member  60  may comprise the torsion spring illustrated in the perspective view of  FIG. 8 . The biasing member  60  may be a helical torsion spring having a first arm  61  and a second arm  62 , being connected by one or more helical turns  63  that may create a torsional restoring force, when the arms  61  and  62  are moved apart from a rest position into a deflected position. In general, the helical turns (or coil) may be subjected to twisting about the axis of the coil by sideways forces (bending moments) applied to its ends—the arms, twisting the coil tighter. The biasing member, when constructed as a helical torsion spring, may be formed of metal rod or wire. 
         [0065]    The second arm  62  may transition to a pair of bends that terminate in a second end  65 . With the turns  63  being mounted upon the post  52  of tumbler  40  ( FIG. 20 ), the second arm  62  and second end  65  may be fixed within the protruding features of tumbler  40 . The second arm  62  may be constrained between the flat side of the L-shaped protrusion  53  and both the straight protrusion  54  and lower portion  52 A of the post  52 . The lower portion  52 A may extend upward from notch  51 , and may be wherefrom the post  52  is cantilevered. The second leg  65  may be deflected outward to then be released so as to be trapped within the “L” portion of the L-shaped protrusion  53 . 
         [0066]    The first arm  61  may have a slight kink, as seen in  FIG. 8 , and then may transition into a first end  64 , which may include a post  64 A. The post  64 A may be just the wire or rod of the torsion spring terminating to have a rounded (spherical) end, or it may alternatively have a 180 degree bend to produce a rounded edge, either of which will be referred to hereinafter as “the post.” The post  64 A may serve to interact with contoured features  210  on the underside of wall  21  of housing  20  ( FIGS. 13-19 ), to maintain the tumbler in the non-safe position, once the tumbler has been installed into the cavity  20 A. 
         [0067]    Assemblage of the housing  20 , tumbler  40 , and biasing member  60  into the adjustable window stop assembly  10 , may be seen through the exploded view of  FIG. 20 . The biasing member  60  may be installed onto the tumbler  40  features as previously described. By next depressing the first arm  61  relative to the tumbler, to counter the torsion force created by the coils  63 , the second end  48  of the tumbler  40  may be inserted into the cavity  20 A through the opening  29  of housing  20 . The pins  44  on opposite sides of the tumbler body may received by the orifices  36  of the first and second side walls  25  and  26  of housing  20 , to establish pivotal mounting of the tumbler within the housing, and also leaving a portion of the tumbler second end  48  to protrude out through opening  27  of bottom wall  22  of housing  20 . Once the tumbler is pivotally mounted within the housing  20 , the force used to depress the first arm  61  of the biasing member  60  relative to the tumbler  40  may then be released, and the post  64 A of the biasing member  60  will contact the contoured features  210  of the housing  20 . That contact is seen in  FIGS. 14-19 . 
         [0068]      FIG. 14  illustrates, in detail, the contour features  210  of the underside of the wall  21  of housing  20 , and shows thereon the positions that the post  64 A of the biasing member  60  may occupy. There movement of the post  64 A is shown upon the contour features  210  in  FIG. 14 , and also is shown schematically in  FIG. 15  to aid the reader in understanding the operation of the tumbler. When the tumbler is in the safe position ( FIG. 23 ), the post  64 A of the tumbler occupies the position “A” of  FIG. 14 , and rests upon surface  211 . As a user depresses the button  42  of the tumbler to move the tumbler from the safe position to the retracted position ( FIG. 23  to  FIG. 24 ), the post  64 A in  FIG. 14  will move from position “A” to position “B.” In doing so, the post  64 A may move from surface  211  to contact an inclined surface  212 , and then drop along a vertical face  213 , to then continue along a generally flat surface  214  until reaching position “B.” Once the user releases the force from button  42  of the tumbler, the tumbler is biasing by biasing member  60  into the non-safe position ( FIG. 25 ). Movement of the post  64 A, after the user releases that force, is from position “B” to position “C.” In moving from position “B” to position “C,” the post  64 A may move from the generally flat surface  214 , to drop along a vertical face  215  and traverse along surface  216 , where the post  64 A may be nested against a curved vertical face  217 . It should be pointed out that the use herein of the adjective “vertical” is to be loosely interpreted as it is being used to aid the reader in understanding the described contoured features  210  of the housing  20 . Those faces, in fact, need not be “vertical” relative to the housing wall  21  or orthogonal thereto, and need only to protrude outward from either the flat or inclined surfaces to guide the travel of the post  64 A. However, for simplicity in further describing the invention, the term vertical will still be used herein. 
         [0069]    Biasing by the biasing member  60  will seek to deflect the tumbler  40  from the non-safe to the safe position, but is prevented from doing so by the vertical face  217  serving to restrain the movement of post  64 A of the biasing member, which inhibits outward rotation of the tumbler. This rotationally restrictive relationship may be understood by looking at the positions of post  64 A (A, B &amp; D, and C) relative to the profile views of housing wall  21  in the  FIGS. 23-25 . Also, the post  64 A is shown occupying positions A, B, C, and D, sequentially, in  FIGS. 16-19 . 
         [0070]    Movement of the tumbler from the non-safe to the safe position may occur by the user again applying a force to button  42 , which causes the tumbler to again move into a retracted position and with the post  64 A respectively moving from position “C” to occupy position “D.” In moving from position “B” to position “C,” the post may move along surface  216 , drop along a vertical face  218 , then traverse from an inclined surface  220  to a generally flat surface  219 . Once the user releases that force from button  42  of the tumbler  40 , the tumbler is biased by biasing member  60  into the safe position ( FIG. 23 ). Movement of the post  64 A, after the user releases that force, is from position “D” to position “A.” In moving from position “D” to position “A,” the post may move along generally flat surface  219 , then up the inclined surface  220  and down a vertical face  221 , and then traverse along surface  211  until reaching position “A.” It should be pointed out that the direction of movement of the post  64 A is aided by those vertical faces, which serve to prevent erroneous movement. For example, for movement of the post  64 A from position “D” to position “A,” the post is prevented from inadvertently returning to “C” by the vertical face  218 , which curves around at curved vertical face  218 A, and thereby forces the post  64 A to traverse along surface  220  and towards position “A.” Movement between each of the other positions—A to B, B to C, and C to D—is similarly accomplished by vertical faces  221 ,  213 , and  215 . The incline surfaces serve in combination with the vertical faces to facilitate construction of a continuous series of contours to permit the described motion of the post  64 A. 
         [0071]    It may now be seen by looking at  FIGS. 14 and 25 , that the movement from position C towards position D may be arranged so that the vertical face  217  has a rounded vertical end  217 A and that vertical  218  is very quickly encountered after the post  64 A has moved from position “C.” This would provide an arrangement where, in looking at  FIG. 25 , it may be seen that slight deflection by the sash  103  of the tumbler  40  will cause the post  64 A to slip around the rounded vertical end  217 A and down the vertical face  218 , in proximity to curved vertical face  218 A, to then be biased to position “A” without occupying position D. This may be advantageous in an embodiment where the safety stop will tend to always be in the safe position, because even where the user has toggled the tumbler to the un-safe position to open the window all the way, once the window strikes the tumbler, it will be released from position “C” as just described, and when the sash window has been return to the closed (or near closed) position, the safety stop will then automatically biased to the tumbler to the safe position—with the stop being in position “A.” If vertical face  117  and vertical face  218  extend further in the direction towards position “D,” the ability to have the window automatically trip the tumbler to bias back to the safe position may be prevented, and would thus require the user to manually choose to do so. This arrangement may also be a desirable feature for an alternative safety stop. 
         [0072]    Similarly, it may be seen that complete movement of the post  64 A into position “B,” wherein the tumbler is fully retracted within the housing, is not necessary, as the post need only move beyond the vertical face  213  to ensure that it will maneuver into position “C,” once the force is removed from button  42 . However, vertical face  213  may be moved so as to be proximate to position “B,” which would necessitate that a fully retracted or near-fully retracted tumbler position would be reached before ensuring that the post would be force to engage with vertical face  217  at position “C.” 
         [0073]    One embodiment of the spacer blocks,  80 A,  80 B, etc, is shown in  FIGS. 9-11 . The spacer blocks  80 A and  80 B may be identical, except for possible differences in thickness of the spacers. For the sake of commonality, only one thickness of spacer might be used, and being a very small thickness, wherein multiple spacers could be used as needed, however, the varying thickness spacers may be more practical. The spacers will be discussed generically in terms of spacer  80 A, but the discussion may apply to other spacers,  80 B,  80 C, etc, as well, except for the aforementioned thickness differences. 
         [0074]    The spacer  80 A may have a periphery  81  that matches the periphery of the mounting flange  31  of housing  20 . Spacer  80 A may also have a top  82  and a bottom  83 . The bottom  83 , as seen in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , may have a sculpted cavity  84 , leaving behind a ridge of thickness  90 , and a boss  85  surrounding a pair of orifices  86  that match the mounting orifices in the mounting flange  31  of the housing  20  (for receiving safety stop mounting fasteners), and a boss  87  around a second pair of smaller orifices  88 . The smaller orifices  88  in the spacer, like the orifices  35  in the mounting flange  31  of housing  20 , may be full depth, or may be depth limited as seen in  FIG. 11 . The boss  87  about each orifice  88  may be connected by a stiffener  89 . 
         [0075]    The smaller orifices  88  of the bottom  83  may be for receiving the posts  93  protruding up from the top surface, which would occur where multiple spacers ( 80 A and  80 B . . . ) are used. The posts  93  would be received, for the first spacer utilized with the stop assembly  10 , by the orifices  35  in the bottom surface  31 B of mounting flange  31 . They may simply be nested therein, or they may be received therein using a friction fit or using a detent where the spacer would have to snap into place on the mounting flange (or other spacers when more than one spacer is used). The top surface  82  may also have an upward protruding lip  94  that spans at least part of the periphery  81 , and which may be received by the ridge of thickness  38  in the bottom surface  31 B of the mounting flange  31  of the housing  20 , or alternately received by the ridge of thickness  90  in the bottom of other spacers, if used. 
         [0076]    The adjustable safety stop assembly  10  may be installed on a window while the window is being assembled by a window manufacturer, or alternatively, may be installed after the window has been assembly but prior to its installation in a building. Additionally, it is also possible to install the safety stop  10  on a sash window or door that is already in service in a building, where the assembly would be supplied as an after-market stop, for use on sash members of a window/door product that did not originally incorporate a safety lock into the design of the window or door. Furthermore, after-market safety stop herein may also be installed on a window or door already in service in a building, where the window/door already had a safety stop integrally assembled into the window/door, but where the person using the window prefers to have the window stop at alternative or additional sash travel-limited safety locations. Generally, such pre-installed stops provide generous travel for the sash, but not being travel that is great enough to allow entry through the window by a burglar or other intruder. A home owner may prefer to add safety stops to that window to limit the travel to only about one or two inches, possibly to prevent a small pet from escaping, and might feel that the window only being opened that small amount would provide sufficient ventilation into the room. Also, the home owner may wish to add another safety stop to permit the window to open a little further for increased ventilation, but still not be opened enough to allow a small child to accidentally egress out of the open window. There may be many reasons for adding one or more additional safety stops to a newer window that already has an integral stop. 
         [0077]      FIG. 22  shows a pair of screws  110  that may be used to mount the after market safety stop  10  to the master frame  101  of single hung or double hung sash window or door.  FIGS. 34-37  illustrate the use of multiple spacers or no spacers, in cross-sectional views of different window configurations which have various differences in height between the sash  103  and master frame  101 . 
         [0078]    As seen throughout these views, installation of the safety stop assembly  10  may be with the bottom surface  31 B of the mounting flange  31  contacting the inward facing side  105  of the master frame  101 , with the tumbler second end  48  being adjacent to a side surface  106  of the master frame  101  ( FIG. 27 ), and with the tumbler bearing surface at the second end being proximate to the top rail of the lower sliding sash member ( FIG. 23 ). The top rail of the lower member may best be referred to herein for safety locking, as an inner rail  103 A of the sliding sash member. 
         [0079]    The offset amount in locating the mounting flange  31  on the side wall  25  of housing  20  relative to the bottom wall  22  may determine the thickness of the spacers used, along with the depth difference between the inward facing surface  105  of the master frame and the inward facing surface  107  of the sash  103 , for a given safety stop assembly  10 . As may be seen from  FIGS. 27-30 , a formula for the thickness of the total stack of spacer blocks may be approximately equal to that mounting flange offset minus the measured depth (or height) difference between the window and master frame, plus a small amount for clearance. As seen in  FIG. 30 , where the depth difference between the inward facing side of the master frame  105  and inward facing side  107  of the sash member  103  is equal to or slightly greater than the offset amount of the mounting flange, no spacer is required. As the depth difference is reduced in going from  FIG. 27  through  FIG. 30 , the total thickness of the spacers  80 A,  80 B, . . . , that are used must increase. The maximum thickness would be required ( FIG. 27 ) when the inward facing side of the master frame  105  and inward facing side  107  of the sash member  103  are flush (zero depth difference), and which would require a spacer total thickness approximately equal to the offset of the mounting flange from the bottom wall  22  of housing  20 , plus a small added amount to provide clearance between the bottom wall  22  with the sash member  103 , to thereby prevent its obstruction. 
         [0080]    The examples and descriptions provided merely illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art and having the benefit of the present disclosure will appreciate that further embodiments may be implemented with various changes within the scope of the present invention. Other modifications, substitutions, omissions and changes may be made in the design, size, materials used or proportions, operating conditions, assembly sequence, or arrangement or positioning of elements and members of the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit of this invention.