Patent ID: 11897298
Assignee: WEIGH SAFE, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 20:
21. A method for distributing trailer weight on a tow vehicle, comprising:
coupling a tongue of a trailer to a hitch ball of a weight distributing trailer hitch mounted on a tow vehicle, said weight distributing trailer hitch comprising:
a hitch portion operable to interface with a hitch receiver coupled to a vehicle;
a ball portion comprising a ball support structure coupling the ball portion to the hitch portion and having a hitch ball operable to couple with a tongue of a trailer;
a spring bar for distributing weight of the trailer relative to the vehicle; and
a spring bar base supporting the spring bar, wherein the spring bar base is rotatably coupled to the ball support structure at a pivot joint to facilitate vertically pivoting the spring bar relative to the hitch portion;

determining a tongue weight of the trailer;
coupling a spring bar of the weight distributing trailer hitch to a frame of the trailer;
determining a first horizontal distance from a center of a rear axle of the tow vehicle to a center of the hitch ball;
determining a second horizontal distance from the center of the hitch ball to an attachment location of the spring bar to the frame of the trailer;
determining a third horizontal distance from the center of the hitch ball to a center of a trailer axle;
calculating an adjusted downward force to be achieved on the hitch ball operable to evenly distribute trailer weight on front and rear axles of the tow vehicle, wherein the adjusted downward force is calculated based on the tongue weight and the first, second, and third distances; and
adjusting preload on the spring bar until the adjusted downward force is achieved on the hitch ball by adjusting an angle of a spring bar relative to a hitch portion by pivoting the spring bar base about the pivot joint.