Patent ID: 7017957

Claim:
A sash lock for a sash window assembly, the sash window assembly including an upper sash window and a lower sash window, each of the sash windows mounted within opposed guide rails on a master frame, wherein at least one of the sash windows is slidable within the frame relative to the other sash window and one of the windows having a keeper mounted on a rail, the keeper including a keeper surface, the sash lock comprising: a locking assembly for mounting on a rail of the window without the keeper, the locking assembly including: a housing having an aperture; an actuator arm having a shaft disposed along a rotational axis and within the aperture of the housing; and a cam having a cam surface adapted for engaging the keeper surface of the keeper and at least one engagement member that engages the shaft of the actuator arm wherein the cam includes a thru-hole and the shaft includes a blind hole adapted to accept a screw disposed within the thru-hole of the cam wherein the shaft includes at least one slot peripherally disposed about the blind hole that correspondingly engages with the at least one engagement member of the cam wherein the at least one peripherally-disposed slot defines at least one shaft portion peripherally disposed about the blind hole wherein the at least one shaft portion deflects and squeezes the at least one engagement member of the cam in response to advancement of the screw disposed within the thru-hole of the cam and the blind hole of the shaft when torque is applied to the screw during assembly.