Shear plate for window frame assembly

1. A window frame assembly comprising:

a window frame defining a sidewall and a flange extending from and oriented substantially perpendicular to the sidewall, the flange defining a flange hole;

a thermal break engaging the window frame, the thermal break defining an outer surface, an inner surface opposite the outer surface, and a recess extending through the thermal break from the outer surface to the inner surface;

a shear plate mounted in the recess; and

a fastener coupling the shear plate to the window frame, the fastener engaging the flange hole of the flange.

2. The window frame assembly of claim 1 , wherein the window frame comprises an exterior frame member and an interior frame member.

3. The window frame assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermal break extends between the exterior frame member and the interior frame member.

4. The window frame assembly of claim 3 , wherein:

the thermal break defines a first rib and a second rib;

the first rib engages a first channel formed in the exterior frame member; and

the second rib engages a second channel formed in the interior frame member.

5. The window frame assembly of claim 4 , wherein the exterior frame member defines a first hammer bent into the first channel to engage the first rib and the interior frame member defines a second hammer bent into the second channel to engage the second rib.

6. The window frame assembly of claim 2 , wherein at least one glass pane is sandwiched between the exterior frame member and interior frame member.

7. The window frame assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the shear plate defines a shear plate hole; and

the fastener extends through the shear plate hole.

8. The window frame assembly of claim 7 , wherein:

the window frame comprises an exterior frame member and an interior frame member;

the flange is a first flange extending from the exterior frame member;

a second flange extends from the interior frame member and abuts the inner surface of the thermal break;

the fastener is a first fastener extending through a first shear plate hole of the shear plate and engaging the first flange to attach the shear plate to the exterior frame member; and

a second fastener extends through a second shear plate hole of the shear plate and engages the second flange to attach the shear plate to the interior frame member.

9. The window frame assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge assembly mounted to the shear plate.

10. A method of insulating a window frame assembly comprising:

providing a window frame comprising an exterior frame member and an interior frame member, each of the exterior and interior frame members defining a sidewall and a flange extending from and oriented substantially perpendicular to the sidewall, each of the flanges defining a flange hole;

mounting a shear plate in a recess of a thermal break, the recess extending through the thermal break from an outer surface of the thermal break to an inner surface of the thermal break;

engaging the thermal break with the exterior frame member and the interior frame member; and

fastening the shear plate to the exterior frame member and the interior frame member, wherein fastening the shear plate to the exterior frame member and the interior frame member comprises engaging a fastener with each of the flange holes.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein engaging the thermal break with the exterior frame member and the interior frame member comprises engaging a first rib of the thermal break with a first channel of the exterior frame member and engaging a second rib of the thermal break with a second channel of the interior frame member.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

engaging a first hammer of the exterior frame member with the first rib; and

engaging a second hammer of the interior frame member with the second rib.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein engaging a first hammer of the exterior frame member with the first rib and engaging a second hammer of the interior frame member with the second rib comprises pressing a roller into an outer surface of the window frame assembly to bend the first hammer into the first channel and to bend the second hammer into the second channel.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein fastening the shear plate to the exterior frame member and the interior frame member comprises:

inserting a first fastener through a first shear plate hole of the shear plate and engaging the first fastener with the exterior frame member; and

inserting a second fastener through a second shear plate hole of the shear plate and engaging the second fastener with the interior frame member.

15. The window frame assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flange of the mounting frame abuts the shear plate.

16. The window frame assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the inner surface of the thermal break is substantially planar;

the flange defines a substantially planar flange surface; and

the substantially planar flange surface abuts the substantially planar inner surface of the thermal break.

17. The window frame assembly of claim 7 , wherein:

the shear plate comprises a shear plate body defining an outer shear plate surface and an inner shear plate surface; and

the shear plate hole extends from the outer shear plate surface to the inner shear plate surface;

each of the shear plate holes defining a frustoconical countersink at the outer shear plate surface.

18. The window frame assembly of claim 17 , wherein the frustoconical countersink terminates between the outer and inner shear plate surfaces.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the flanges abuts the shear plate.