Scale for a towable vehicle

Abstract

A scale including a frame configured to mount a caravan or trailer at a very similar height and location as a trailer hitch, to provide the trailer with weighing geometry similar to real towing conditions. There is also described a scale which mounts on a prime mover hitch, having a weighing station adjacent the hitch, disposed at the same level as the hitch. Also, there is described a tow ball load scale including: a frame including: a mount for mounting the frame to a coupler, towball or hitch of a prime mover; a towball or coupler receiver spaced along the frame from the mount, the towball or coupler mount being configured to cooperate with a trailer coupler for measuring a vertical towball load, and further including one or more load cells disposed thereon. There is also described a method of measuring a trailer towball downforce, the method including the steps of: receiving downforce load cell signal data relating to towball load in a computer processor from a towball or coupler receiver; using the downforce load cell signal data in a fit function saved in the computer processor to output a calculated trailer downforce load data; comparing the calculated trailer downforce load data with threshold load data to produce a safety data signal; sending the safety data signal and/or calculated trailer downforce data to a mobile device, or selecting a lamp or alert actuation signal and sending to a selected lamp or loudspeaker mounted on the frame, based on the safety data signal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.