Sash balance connector

Claim 1

A CONNECTOR FOR REMOVABLY CONNECTING A BALANCING SPRING WITH A SASH SLIDABLE WITHIN THE SASHWAY OF A WEATHERSEAL GUIDE HAVING AN OPEN FRONT HOUSING WITHIN THE SASHWAY FOR CONTAINING THE BALANCING SPRING, SAID CONNECTOR INCLUDING A SLIDE TO RECIPROCATE WITHIN THE HOUSING AND HAVING A TRANSVERSE SLOT AND AN UPPER VERTICAL RECESS INTERSECTING THE TRANSVERSE SLOT ON A SIDE OF THE SLIDE FACING A PART OF THE HOUSING OPPOSITE THE OPEN FRONT AND SAID SLIDE HAVING A LOWER RECESS IN THE SIDE FACING SAID OPEN FRONT AND IN CONNECTION WITH THE UPPER RECESS, SAID RECESSES TERMINATING TO PROVIDE RESPECTIVELY AN UPPER BEARING PORTION AND A LOWER BEARING PORTION, A GRIPPING ROLLER HAVING RELATIVELY LOOSE SUPPORT IN SAID TRANSVERSE SLOT FOR ENGAGING THE PART OF THE HOUSING OPPOSITE SAID OPEN FRONT, MEANS ON SIDES OF THE SLIDE FOR ENGAGING SIDES OF THE HOUSING TO RETAIN THE SLIDE IN THE HOUSING, A WEDGE ELEMENT HAVING A SHANK FOR CONNECTION TO THE BALANCING SPRING AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY THROUGH THE SLIDE IN CONTACT WITH SAID BEARING PORTIONS, SAID SHANK HAVING AN OFFSET PORTION IN THE UPPER RECESS AND MOVABLE ACROSS SAID SLOT FOR CONTACTING THE ROLLER FOR WEDGING THE ROLLER AGAINST SAID PART OF THE HOUSING UPON RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE AND WEDGE ELEMENT UNDER INITIAL CONTRACTION OF THE BALANCING SPRING, A LATERAL FOOT ON THE LOWER END OF THE SHANK PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE LOWER RECESS AND THROUGH THE OPEN FRONT OF THE HOUSING, SAID SLIDE HAVING LUGS PROJECTING FROM RESPECTIVE SIDES OF THE LOWER RECESS TO PROVIDE SHOULDERS ON THE UNDER SIDES THEREOF, AND A CATCH FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE SASH AND HAVING A RESILIENT TONGUE PROVIDED WITH A PART ENGAGEABLE BETWEEN THE FOOT OF THE WEDGE ELEMENT AND SAID SHOULDERS ON THE SLIDE TO CONNECT THE BALANCING SPRING WITH THE CATCH AND TAKE UP THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE WEDGE ELEMENT AND THE SLIDE FOR FREEING THE ROLLER DURING RAISING AND LOWERING OF THE CATCH UNDER ACTION OF THE BALANCING SPRING, SAID CATCH BEING ADAPTED TO BE WITHDRAWN ON REMOVAL OF THE SASH TO FREE THE WEDGE ELEMENT UNDER ACTION OF THE BALANCING SPRING FOR WEDGING THE GRIPPING ROLLER INTO CONTACT WITH THE SAID PART OF THE HOUSING TO HOLD TENSION ON THE BALANCING SPRING WHEN THE CATCH IS WITHDRAWN.