A noise dampener that includes a dampener body; a hinged lever connected to the body and moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position; a plunger cooperatively engaged with the lever, the plunger having a dedicated hitch engagement surface; and a fastening means configured to fasten the lever and plunger to an exterior surface of the hitch. The lever is operable to move the plunger in a vertical up and down movement so that the hitch engagement surface presses against an exterior surface of attachment arm inserted into the hitch.

An articulated vehicle assembly comprising a master vehicle having a master steering system and an onboard sensor arrangement configured to monitor at least said master steering system; a slave vehicle having a slave steering system and an onboard actuator arrangement configured to manipulate at least said slave steering system; an articulation system for articulating in a queue the master and the slave vehicles along a common longitudinal axis; and a processing unit configured to receive input signals from the onboard sensor arrangement and produce corresponding output signals to the onboard actuator arrangement to manipulate said slave steering system so as to maintain the master vehicle and the slave vehicle aligned along the common longitudinal axis, at least when the master vehicle performs a turn on a horizontal plane.

A stabilization system for an off-road trailer may include a hitch ball assembly, a tower assembly, and a stabilizer arm assembly. The tower assembly may include a pivot mechanism that allows the stabilizer arm assembly to pivot about a pivot axis relative to the hitch ball assembly. The stabilizer arm assembly may include one or more arms extending between the pivot axis and the off-road trailer and one or more piston damping assemblies extending between the arms and the off-road trailer. The piston damping assemblies may be configured to exert forces on the off-road trailer in response to the off-road trailer moving with respect to a towing vehicle to reduce further motion of the off-road trailer with respect to the towing vehicle.

A stabilization system for an off-road trailer may include a hitch ball assembly, a tower assembly, and a stabilizer arm assembly. The tower assembly may include a pivot mechanism that allows the stabilizer arm assembly to pivot about a pivot axis relative to the hitch ball assembly. The stabilizer arm assembly may include one or more arms extending between the pivot axis and the off-road trailer and one or more piston damping assemblies extending between the arms and the off-road trailer. The piston damping assemblies may be configured to exert forces on the off-road trailer in response to the off-road trailer moving with respect to a towing vehicle to reduce further motion of the off-road trailer with respect to the towing vehicle.

A towing device operably provided on a trailer for powering and controlling the trailer. The towing device has an actuator operably connected with the trailer during a towing operation. The towing device also has at least one switch provided in the actuator and operable to variably control at least one motor/generator provided on the trailer. The at least one switch is also operable to send a first signal to the at least one motor/generator via a first force exerted on the actuator by a vehicle, and wherein a first torque is applied to at least one wheel on the trailer via the at least one motor/generator being operably engaged with the at least one wheel. In addition, the towing device may include a controller operably connected to the at least one switch and to the at least one motor/generator, to control the torque applied by the at least one motor/generator.

A method for dampening trailer sway, includes: receiving, by a controller of a vehicle system that is coupled to a trailer, a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle system, wherein the vehicle speed signal is indicative of a vehicle speed of the vehicle system; determining a friction force to be applied to the trailer by an actuator using the vehicle speed of the vehicle system and a graph that establishes a relationship between the friction force to be applied to the trailer and the vehicle speed; and adjusting, by the controller, the graph that establishes the relationship between the friction force and the vehicle speed using the decay rate of the plurality of oscillation amplitudes to create an updated graph.

A traction saddle disposed on a tractor for connection with a traction pin of a trailer, is provided. The traction saddle includes a base, a gear set, and a damper. A gear carrier of the gear set fixes axial centers of the planetary gears of the gear set, the planetary gears are meshed with an inner ring gear of the gear set, and the inner ring gear is fixed to the base. The gear carrier is used for fixing the traction pin to rotate with the traction pin. The planetary gears are meshed with one end of a sun gear of the gear set to drive the sun gear to rotate, and the damper is connected to the other end of the sun gear to apply resistance to rotation of the sun gear. In addition, a traction pin, a tractor, a trailer, and a truck are also provided.

A system for estimating a hitch angle includes a control module with memory for storing programmatic control logic, a processor for executing the control logic, and one or more input/output (I/O) ports. Wheel speed sensors on a trailer communicate with the processor via the I/O ports. A trailering application defines a portion of the control logic and has at least first, and second control logics. The first control logic estimates the hitch angle from a first term, a second term and physical parameters of the vehicle and trailer. The second control logic provides the estimated hitch angle to one or more of a driver and to on-board control systems of the vehicle and trailer.

A system for estimating a hitch angle includes a control module with memory for storing programmatic control logic, a processor for executing the control logic, and one or more input/output (I/O) ports. Wheel speed sensors on a trailer communicate with the processor via the I/O ports. A trailering application defines a portion of the control logic and has at least first, and second control logics. The first control logic estimates the hitch angle from a first term, a second term and physical parameters of the vehicle and trailer. The second control logic provides the estimated hitch angle to one or more of a driver and to on-board control systems of the vehicle and trailer.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for a three-point attachment trailer hitch. An example hitch includes a crossbar including a first end and a second end, the first end or the second end including at least one tab protruding from an edge of the first end or the second end, and a first endplate positioned on the first end or the second end of the crossbar using the at least one tab, the endplate including a first threaded hole and a second threaded hole, a diameter of the second threaded hole larger than a diameter of the first threaded hole.