A latch assembly connected to the drive unit of a bi-fold door for retaining the bi-fold door secure to a building has elongated straps attached to rotatable latch drums mounted on the outer ends of the drive shaft of the drive unit. Lift drums powered by a motor driven gearbox raise and lower the bi-fold door. Latch assemblies having springs attached to the straps maintain tension on the straps during the opening and closing of the bi-fold door.

Disclosed are apparatus for a snap lock balance shoe and system to be incorporated in pivotable double hung windows. In one embodiment, the snap lock balance shoe includes a pair of retractable tabs that partially extend through openings within an inverted window balance.

A latch assembly connected to the drive unit of a bi-fold door for retaining the bi-fold door secure to a building has elongated straps attached to rotatable latch drums mounted on the outer ends of the drive shaft of the drive unit. Lift drums powered by a motor driven gearbox raise and lower the bi-fold door. Latch assemblies having springs attached to the straps maintain tension on the straps during the opening and closing of the bi-fold door.

A window balance assembly may include a carrier, a spring element, and a mounting bracket. The spring element may include first and second portions. The first portion may be coupled to the carrier. The mounting bracket may engage the second portion of the spring element and may selectively engage the carrier.

A method of making a composite pipe has the steps of (a) providing one or more sources of composite tape, the composite tape being formed of reinforcing fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix; (b) helically winding the composite tape(s) around a cylinder under the application of heat to form a pipe comprising fused, concentric layers of adjacently positioned, helically-wound composite tape; (c) scanning a region where edges of wound composite tape are expected to be, to generate scanning information; (d) controlling the gap between further adjacent windings by (1) using the scanning information to determine wound composite tape edge position(s), and (2) using the determined wound composite tape edge position(s) to adjust the winding process during winding; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d). The invention also relates to a corresponding apparatus for making a composite pipe.

A sash (62) of a window opening up to 180 and capable of tilting is mounted onto a fixedly installed frame profile (63) and houses a pair of superimposing sashes that fit tightly therein when in closure position, i.e. an upper stationary sash (65) and a lower movable-divertible sash (64), each of the sashes (64,65) provided with laterally extending shafts (49) for connection with sash (62), roller wheels (50) provided onto the shafts (49) of sash (64) that roll within a predefined path created by insert guide profile members (19) and diverter guide members (66,68) to alternately bring sash (64) in a position of superimposing sash (65) and a position of alignment with the same. Lifting mechanisms (46) provided with a regulatory screw (84) for adjusting the pretension of a spring component thereof and thereby the force required by the user for moving the sash (64) are installed within the vertically extending sides of the sash (62).

A window balance assembly may include a carrier, a spring element, and a mounting bracket. The spring element may include first and second portions. The first portion may be coupled to the carrier. The mounting bracket may engage the second portion of the spring element and may selectively engage the carrier.

A hinge assembly for pivotally connecting an associated appliance lid to an associated appliance body includes a base adapted to be connected to the associated appliance body. The hinge assembly also includes a snubber housing connected to the base. A cam is rotatably supported on the snubber housing, and the cam is adapted to be engaged by the associated appliance lid and rotate about a lid pivot axis in a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. A snubber is operatively connected to the snubber housing. The cam exerts a snubber activation force on the snubber when the cam rotates about the lid pivot axis in the second direction corresponding to movement of the associated appliance lid from an opened position toward a closed position and such that the snubber damps movement of the cam when the cam rotates in the second direction. A counterbalance spring is operatively engaged between the base and the cam and exerts a counterbalance force on the cam that biases the cam in the first direction.

Disclosed herein are improvements for sash windows including a system which can be used with a variety of balancing systems which comprises a jamb liner being mountable in a window jamb for guiding a pair of sliding sashs, the jamb liner having a longitudinal body, the body having a front face configured such that a side of the sashs is slidably and engageably mountable thereto, and an oppositely facing rear face mountable to a recess in a side of the jamb, wherein the rear face of the body is configured such that the jamb liner is securely receivable by the recess and removable therefrom. Further disclosed is a window system having a jamb liner and a pulley device.

A snap lock balance shoe of a balance system may be incorporated in pivotable double hung windows. In one embodiment, the snap lock balance shoe includes a pair of retractable tabs that partially extend through openings within an inverted window balance channel. The shoe includes a locking member that extends toward a window jamb when a cam of the shoe is rotated. This extension locks the balance system in place in the window jamb. During a method of assembly of the balance system, the snap lock balance shoe may be engaged with the channel and then pivoted to secure the snap lock balance shoe to the channel.