Mounting assembly for warning lights on a vehicle blade
An assembly for providing the secure mount of warning lights on the top and/or back side of the blade of a snow plow or road grader. The assembly is designed to protect the assembly from a harsh environment and help a mounted light withstand the shocks and impacts regularly experienced by a plow when in use.
This application claims priority to provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/727,589, filed Oct. 17, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Background of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for mounting electrical features on a plow assembly, and more particularly to a structure for effectively mounting electrical warning lights on a plow blade such that the lights and components are adequately protected.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Snow removal is an important task in colder climates where it is necessary to ensure that the public has safe access to roads and areas affected by storms and inclement weather. Also important is the ability to safely conduct road work, landscaping, and related jobs in warmer areas. A variety of work vehicles mounted with snow plows or road graders are typically used to accomplish these tasks. However, when road graders and snow plows are used to clear snow and other material or to groom gravel roads, their presence can potentially pose a safety risk to others on the road.
One common safety problem is that when these vehicles are operated to plow snow or the like, the left end of the plow blade often will extend laterally beyond the vehicle's body. This configuration, combined with conditions often providing limited visibility, poses a risk that other on-coming vehicles or those passing on the left of the road grader/plow may hit the blade.
One way in which to address this problem, that has been suggested in the past, is by mounting lights on or around the plow to help improve visibility during night operation as well as to provide additional warning illumination. Examples of these configurations include light bar arrangements on the upper edges and ends of the plow and configurations which fix a plurality of lamps to the top portion of a snow plow. While these devices might provide some enhanced visibility of plows, they are not well designed to provide adequate warning lights while protecting and securing the lighting assembly in an effective manner.
The harsh conditions and frequent and sustained impacts on a plow blade require that a much more sturdy and reinforced design be made than the previously contemplated devices. A plow having mounted lights must overcome the problem of relatively fragile lights and electrical connections being subjected to undesirable weather conditions and destructive shaking and jolting of a plow blade.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe light mounting assembly for plow blades and grader blades in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an elongated housing member extending parallel with and fixed to the top of the plow or grader blade, a pair of mounting brackets joined to the ends of the plow blade, electrical light members attached to the mounting brackets at the ends of the plow blade, and steel pipe connecting the housing member to the electrical light members.
Alternatively, the assembly may include outer frames joined to the sides of the back of a plow, a strobe light surrounded by each frame, and a plurality of flexible dampening members supporting the strobe light within the outer frames.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe foregoing features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals in the several views refer to corresponding parts.
Referring to
These components generally make up an assembly where flashing lights are mounted on the upper corners of a plow/ road grader blade 20 (
The schematic drawing of
Without limitation, housing member 12 may comprise a four inch diameter steel pipe having end caps 30. The end caps 30 are provided with bores and extending a predetermined distance through the bores are one-half inch diameter steel pipes 14. The assembly of
Supporting these light assemblies 18 are mounting brackets 16. The mounting brackets 16 have a curved lower portion 38 which conforms to the shape of the back of the plow blade 20 and a flat upper portion 40 which projects vertically upward from the top edge of the plow blade 20 when it is attached. The lower portion 38 of the bracket 16 additionally contains holes 42 which match the same bolt holes in the blade that are normally used for bolting on the blade's replaceable wear plates 22. The mounting bracket 16 is accordingly fixed in place by bolts 44 extending through the existing holes in the plow's face.
A rectangular frame 50 of the assembly is clamped, bolted, welded or otherwise attached to either the side lip or back of the plow 20. The frame 50 comprises four metal side members, as at 56, which are welded or otherwise fastened together in a generally square shape.
Referring still to
Located within the strobe housing 48 is an array of LED strobe lights 46. These strobe lights in array 46 are protected around the perimeter by a seal member (not shown) placed in between the strobe light array 46 and strobe housing 48. When in use, the light array 46 will face outward from the rear face of the plow 20. Placing a flashing strobe light array in this location enables drivers approaching from the rear to better see the location of the plow blade, and will reduce the danger to other motorists. Also within the strobe housing 48 is wiring which will exit the strobe housing 48 via an electrical cord 54 either through an opening 74 in the side of the strobe housing 46 (see
While this embodiment of the present invention has been primarily described as having a configuration utilizing a frame equipped with eight resilient straps, a more simplified version utilizing less than eight straps and corresponding components is also well within the scope of this invention. Also, the light assembly can be affixed to a top edge of a plow blade so as to e viewable to on-coming motorists.
This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.
Claims
1. Apparatus for securing warning lights to at least one end of a plow blade of a work vehicle comprising:
- (a) a rigid metal pipe of a predetermined length and diameter adapted to be affixed to an upper edge portion of a plow blade of said work vehicle, the rigid metal pipe having end caps affixed at opposed ends thereof, the end caps including a bore formed therethrough;
- (b) a length of conduit partially contained within said metal pipe and extending out through the bores in the end caps so as to run along said upper edge portion of the plow blade; and
- (c) a light box secured to said plow blade by a mounting bracket by a mounting bracket, the light box containing a first light source and having an opening therein for receiving one end of the length of conduit therethrough.
2. The apparatus as in claim 1 and further including:
- (a) a further light box secured to said plow blade by a further mounting bracket at an end opposite the one end, the further light box containing a second light source and having an opening therein for receiving a second end of the length of conduit therethrough.
3. The apparatus as in claim 1 and further including electrical wires extending into the rigid metal pipe through a bore formed in a peripheral surface of the pipe, the electrical wires running through the length of conduit into said light box for connection to said light source.
4. The apparatus as in claim 2 and further including electrical wires extending into the rigid metal pipe through a bore formed in a peripheral surface of the pipe, the electrical wires running the length of conduit into both the light box and said further light box for connection to the first and second light sources, respectively.
5. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the light box comprises a generally rectangular frame with an open center and said light source is suspended in the open center by resilient shock mounting straps.
6. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket locates the light box proximate an upper edge of the plow blade.
7. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket locates the light box on a rear surface of the plow blade.
8. The apparatus as in any one of claims 1-7 wherein the light source in one or the other of the light box and further light box is a strobe light.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 13, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 19, 2007
Inventors: Garin Velin (South Range, WI), John Johnstad (South Range, WI)
Application Number: 11/580,596
International Classification: E02F 3/64 (20060101);