Mounting assembly for warning lights on a vehicle blade

Abstract

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.

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.