Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is based on provisional application No. 60/152,797 for “RETROFIT SNOWPLOW LIGHTING”; Filed: Sep. 8, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an improved lighting apparatus, and in particular, to an apparatus and method for retrofitting a snowplow with lighting to warn other motorists of the presence and location of the snowplow. 
     2. Description of the Background 
     For snow removal from public roads, public and municipal agencies typically fit a snowplow on road repair, sanitation, and other public works vehicles, which are large diesel vehicles with wide plows and tall lights. They are heavy and have long stopping distances, especially in poor driving conditions. When they are plowing, it is highly undesirable to stop or swerve to avoid a road hazard, because plowing requires steady and straight progress to effectively move snow off of the road surface. 
     Motorists are using the roads during snowfall conditions with increasing frequency. Motorists are also increasingly using vehicles that lend a largely false sense of safety and invulnerability in poor driving conditions, such as four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles. Snow plow operators must increasingly contend with drivers that move past too closely and too quickly for safety. It is therefore highly desirable to make motorists aware of the presence and position of a snowplow mounted on the front of a public works vehicle. 
     In contrast, the vast majority of vehicles used to plow snow for profit are pickup trucks and utility vehicles. They are often vehicles engaged in the landscaping business in the warmer months. These vehicles are not as tall as public works vehicles and warning illumination, if present, is often blocked or partially blocked by the snowplow. This snowplow user must be able to move from job to job on the roads, typically at nighttime or other poor visibility conditions. Warning illumination would therefore also be of great advantage to the person plowing driveways and lots for profit, especially in climates where the winter night is very long. 
     A key benefit of a retrofit kit for snowplow lighting is that the snowplow user may acquire the lighting kits after they have evaluated the need for lighting, or after they have established business to pay for the lighting kit. A retrofitted light kit of the proper design would be simple to remove to repair and replace components, and would serve the market for existing snowplow owners. Snow throwers for residential use, which are gasoline powered and use an impeller or pair of impellers to remove snow hydraulically instead of by way of a plow, are well known in the prior art, and sometimes employ lighting apparatus to facilitate plowing at night. Such retrofitted light kits are for the purpose of allowing the user to see in night operation, and for the purpose of warning others. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a retrofit snowplow lighting system for incorporation onto a new or existing snowplow, which warns others of the presence and location of the snowplow apparatus. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for conveniently applying a lighting apparatus to an existing snowplow that is versatile so as to permit installation on a wide variety of commercially available snowplow units, and is economical and facile in manufacture. 
     These and other related objects are accomplished by providing a plurality of lamps fixed to the side portion of a snowplow, near the top of the moldboard or near the top of the frame. Holes are applied to structural members of the moldboard, and fasteners and protectors are employed to fixedly attach electrical connections through the holes. Fasteners such as eye bolts are used to fixedly attach the electrical connections that run from the moldboard, through the snowplow frame, and into the engine compartment. A detachable electrical connection allows the lighting apparatus to be connected to the vehicle electrical system when in use, and detached when the snowplow attachment is removed. Further connections allow the moldboard to be disconnected from the snowplow frame without disrupting the illumination kit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and certain modifications thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and certain modifications thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an oblique view drawing of an exemplary snowplow moldboard  10  configured to accept a snowplow lighting apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an oblique view drawing of the top side portion  12  of the moldboard  10  of FIG. 1, and an exemplary snowplow lighting fixture  40 . 
     FIG. 3 is a side view photograph of a snowplow moldboard  10  showing a snowplow lighting fixture  40  fitted according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an oblique view photograph of the snowplow moldboard  10  of FIG.  3  and snowplow frame  20  showing two snowplow light fixtures fitted in a moldboard light bracket and a frame light bracket, respectively. 
     FIG. 5 is a diagram of an exemplary wiring apparatus for providing electrical power to a pair of moldboard light fixtures. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary snowplow moldboard  10  is formed from an cylindrically arcuate plate of rigid material, such as steel or aluminum. It is reinforced structurally by a top member  11  to prevent warping, and a plurality of web members  15  to prevent bending, and to provide a surface to which attachment of the plow to a frame (not shown) is made. End web members  14  are positioned near the side edge portions  13  of moldboard  10 . The bottom edge  17  of the moldboard  10  is fitted with a blade  18 , typically a replaceable length of metal or plastic that is worn by the application of the snowplow to the road. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a combination of top member  11 , web members  15 , and end web members  14  are fitted with holes  16  for the removable attachment of electrical connections (not shown). The holes  16  are preferably applied by drilling or reaming, but may be applied by any well known and commercially available process. 
     Top member  11 , end web member  14 , and side edge portion  13  combine to form a top end portion  12  in the exemplary moldboard  10  which is the preferred location of a lighting appliance. The lighting fixture and associated hardware and electrical connection are well protected from damage and the elements in this location. The top end portion  12  also represents the extreme edge of the hazard to passing motorists. 
     FIG. 2 more closely shows an exemplary top end portion  12  of moldboard  10 . A moldboard lighting appliance  40  comprises a moldboard lighting bracket  41  and flange  42  which are made of two pieces of ordinary steel welded by any commonly available process, and contains an aperture for a light fixture  43 . An exemplary light fixture  43  is manufactured by the Trucklite company of Jamestown, N.Y. It comprises a circular pliant fitting  44  that holds a circular lens  45 , in a circular aperture of standard size. A housing  46  protects the hardware of the light. It is readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art that light fixture  43  can be of any commercially available type, and need not be circular in aspect. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the lighting appliance  40  is spot welded to the margins of top end portion  12  of moldboard  10 , but may be attached my any other well known and commercially available means. Lighting bracket  41  and flange  42  need not be made of steel but may be formed of any damage- and weather-resistant material. 
     FIG.  3  and FIG. 4 portray fully assembled lighting fixtures attached to the preferred locations of a snowplow adapted for use on a public works vehicle. Snowplow frame  20  generally comprises canting means  22  for adjusting the angle of attack of the plow when plowing, for the purpose of pushing the snow in the desired direction, and raising means  24  for raising and lowering the moldboard  10  and blade  18  with respect to the road surface. In FIG. 3, a warning light fixture  43  is shown attached to top end portion  12  of moldboard  10 . FIG. 4 further portrays a second light fixture  43  is mounted at the top of the raising means  24  of snowplow frame  20 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, an exemplary snowplow frame  20  has canting means  22  which forms a transverse angle, and also comprises raising means  24 . In some exemplary snowplow frames  20 , canting means  22  and raising means  24  are hydraulically powered and utilize a control system that can be operated by the driver from the driver position of the vehicle. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art that the lighting apparatus of the present invention may also incorporate activation means that may be operated from the driver position. However, in the preferred embodiment, activation is in the same manner that the headlights of the vehicle, or existing running or warning lights, are activated. 
     Snowplow frame  20  has fasteners (not shown) for receiving the above described electrical connections (not shown). In the present embodiment, fasteners are threaded eye bolts connected to the snowplow frame  20  by threaded nuts, but may be applied by any well known and commercially available process. 
     Further regarding FIG. 5, a snowplow lighting apparatus  30  comprises a plurality of lighting fixtures  43  which are each connected to a plurality of first electrical connections  32  of the type described herein. These first electrical connections  32  are connected by way of terminations  35  to a supply connection  36 . Supply connection  36  is also an electrical connection of the type described herein. Second termination  38  of supply connection  36  is connected to the power system of the snowplow vehicle. In the preferred embodiment, first terminations  35  are of a resilient plastic clip type, but may be of any well known durable and weather-resistant type. Second termination  38  is of a metal type commonly found to supply electrical power to a towed trailer, but may also be of any durable and weather-resistant type. The electrical connections  32 ,  33 , and  36  are sized to be routed in protected areas of moldboard  10  past points where attachments can be made through and adjacent to apertures  16 . The electrical supply apparatus  30  is in segments to permit the portions of the snowplow apparatus to be disassembled for repair and maintenance. 
     In the present embodiment, the electrical connections are formed from well known and commercially available 14-gauge electrical wire, shrouded by a wire loom conduit to protect the electrical circuit from damage. It is readily apprehended by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art that any well known and commercially available means of supplying electrical power to the light appliances, and means for protecting the electrical connections from damage and wear, may be used. 
     Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiment and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Technology Category: 0