1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to warning lights and their mounting, and particularly to such lights for use with vehicle-carried loads.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicles on controlled roadways, especially federally controlled highways, must provide proper indication of their presence to other motorists. In passenger vehicles, such illumination is often integrated with the vehicle body. However, such arrangements are frequently impractical or impossible. For example, structural beams, logs and utility poles, for example, may be supported at their midsection with a rearward extending overhang. At times, these and other similar loads are supported in the front by a towing vehicle and in the rear by a wheeled dolly, but again with a rearward overhang.
The overhanging loads must oftentimes be marked at their rearwardmost extremity to adequately warn motorists following the load. However, no vehicle body is present at that location to carry the warning devices. Various arrangements have been proposed for these types of loads. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,893,303 includes a fixture resembling a C-clamp for attaching a warning light to tubular pipe. U.S. Pat. No. 1,535,844 employs a hanging chain cinched about a single member of a load to carry a warning display. U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,580 provides a retractable electrical cord extending from the vehicle to the end of the load being carried. A spring loaded drum for retracting the electrical wire is mounted on the vehicle.
Specially configured arrangements have been proposed for attachment to a particular, oftentimes uniquely shaped, portion of a vehicle. Examples are found in United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,975,401; 3,080,581; 5,088,439; and 5,134,385.
Also, arrangements have been proposed for particular loads, such as utility poles. A pole light is commercially available from Work Area Protection Corporation in St. Charles, Ill., and provides a rigid metal plate with downwardly extending pins which engage the upper surface of a utility pole. A chain encircling the girth of the pole secures the plate in place. The plate provides mounting for a battery operated warning light. Eastern Metal of Elmira, Inc., located in Elmira, N.Y., provides a pole transport light clamp No. LC-210, configured with a downwardly opening, C-shaped channel, the bottom edges of which are serrated with a sawtooth pattern. A spring loaded chain is secured to the C-channel and encircles the girth of the pole. A lever operated hook secures the ends of the chain to form a closed loop. A battery operated warning light, such as those typically found on traffic barricades, can be mounted atop the C-channel in combination with warning flags.
Despite the efforts by others indicated above, a need still exists for an improved indicating device to provide warning of an extended lead being carried by a vehicle on a public roadway.