A device for coupling a towing vehicle to a trailer vehicle of a vehicle combination, where the towing vehicle has a trailer coupling and the trailer vehicle has a drawbar. A measurement device is configured to measure forces and/or torques between the towing vehicle and the trailer vehicle has a two-part support with a first and second support components. The first support component has at least two measurement arms which extend radially and are symmetrically offset relative to one another. A strain gauge rosette is on each measurement arm. The second support component has counter-arms which extend radially and which correspond in number and arrangement to the measurement arms. The two support components can be attached firmly to one another and to the trailer coupling or to the drawbar. Also disclosed is a measurement-data capture and evaluation unit.

A trailer coupling for a motor vehicle including a coupling arm for attaching a trailer or for carrying a load carrier, and including at least one sensor for detecting a deformation, caused by a load engaged on the bearing element, of a bearing element of the trailer coupling wherein at least one recess is provided on the bearing element for the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is provided for measuring a spacing of reference surfaces of the at least one recess. The reference surfaces move toward one another or away from one another during a deformation of the bearing element and extend in a transverse manner in relation to a support section of the bearing element which deforms during stress applied by the load and/or are free from a flow of forces through the support section of the bearing element.

An example apparatus is configured to couple to a trailer and a tow vehicle. The apparatus includes a frame; one or more clamps mounted to the frame and configured to couple the frame to an underplate of the trailer; and a shaft having a first end rotatably coupled to the frame and a second end configured to couple to at least one replicated element of a towed vehicle. The at least one replicated element is configured to engage the tow vehicle.

A trailer coupling for a motor vehicle for attaching a trailer or for supporting a load carrier, including a coupling arm provided for coupling a coupling piece of the trailer or load carrier, and at least one sensor arranged on the coupling arm for detecting a deformation of the coupling arm caused by a load on the coupling arm. For the trailer coupling, at least one recess is provided on an outer circumferential contour of the coupling arm, in which or on which recess the at least one sensor is arranged or held.

A universal hitch adapter system includes a universal hitch adapter with at least one force sensor operable to measure push-and-pull forces and coupled to a) one of a front end and a rear end of an aircraft tractor and b) an aircraft tow bar coupled to a nose gear of an aircraft. The system also including a memory; a user input interface operable to receive a user's selection of one of a plurality of aircrafts stored in the memory and a user's input associated with one of a shear pin; a processor operably configured to determine at least one shear pin breaking force threshold for each of the plurality of aircrafts based on the user's input; and an indicator operable to emit an alert as a result of the force sensor measuring a force that meets or exceeds the at least one shear pin breaking force threshold.

A weight distributing trailer hitch and associated method are described. The weight distributing trailer hitch can include a hitch portion for interfacing with a hitch receiver associated with a vehicle. The weight distributing trailer hitch can also include a ball portion to facilitate coupling with a tongue of a trailer. In one embodiment, the weight distributing trailer hitch can further include a spring bar vertically pivotal relative to the hitch portion, and an adjustment mechanism actuatable to selectively adjust a tilt angle of the spring bar relative to the hitch portion to vary preload on the spring bar and adjustably distribute weight of the trailer relative to the vehicle. In another embodiment, the weight distributing trailer hitch can further include a spring bar for distributing weight of the trailer relative to the vehicle, and a load measurement device to determine a magnitude of a downward force on the hitch ball.

A spring bar coupling device is described for coupling a spring bar of a weight distributing trailer hitch to a trailer frame. The spring bar coupling device can include a spring bar support operable to interface with and support a spring bar of a weight distributing trailer hitch. The spring bar support can have a vertical support arm having a first coupler opening, and a lower spring bar stop extending from the vertical support arm to provide a lower interface for the spring bar. The spring bar coupling device can also include a channel bracket having at least two opposing walls defining a vertically oriented channel operable to receive the vertical support arm, and a second coupler opening in at least one of the two walls. The first and second coupler openings can be configured to be aligned with one another at a first coupling location when the vertical support arm is located at least partially within the vertically oriented channel. In addition, the spring bar coupling device can include at least one coupler operable to extend into the first and second coupler openings to couple the spring bar support to the channel bracket.

A device for pulling a trailer and/or retaining a load carrying unit that is mountable at the rear end of a motor vehicle body. The device comprises a supporting arm that is connected by a first end region to the motor vehicle body and is provided at a second end region with an element for attaching the trailer and/or for fixing the load carrying unit and furthermore which comprises sensors for capturing reversible deformations of the supporting arm caused by loads on the supporting arm. The device includes strain sensors which are affected by reversible deformations thereof are assigned to a supporting arm section of the supporting arm. For capturing at least one selected bending strain, at least one strain sensor is arranged on one side and at least one strain sensor on an opposite side of a surface region of a neutral reference surface assigned to the selected bending load. Each of the strain sensors are arranged at a distance from this surface region.

An example apparatus is configured to couple to a trailer and a tow vehicle. The apparatus includes a frame; one or more clamps mounted to the frame and configured to couple the frame to an underplate of the trailer; and a shaft having a first end rotatably coupled to the frame and a second end configured to couple to at least one replicated element of a towed vehicle. The at least one replicated element is configured to engage the tow vehicle.

A weight distribution system used with a hitch on a vehicle and a trailer, the weight distribution system comprising a moment bar with a forward end attached to the hitch so as to pivot about a generally vertical axis, the moment bar extending rearwardly along a center longitudinal plane of the trailer toward a rearward portion, the moment bar configured to exert a forward moment on the vehicle in response to an upward force on the rearward portion; a bracket attached to a trailer frame element, wherein the bracket is above the first rearward portion and further from the center longitudinal plane of the trailer than the rearward portion; and a tension member combined with a tension mechanism so as to increase and decrease a tensile force between the bracket and the rearward portion, to thereby increase and decrease the upward force on the rearward portion whereby sway of the trailer is reduced by biasing the system back to the centerline when the vehicle and trailer are out of alignment is disclosed.