Patent ID: 8555715

Claim:
A ground-contact sensor comprising: a non-moving body comprising: two or more non-moving abutment surfaces disposed on separate sides of the non-moving body; and a load cell mounted to the non-moving body at a first end and comprising a second end; a moving body configured to receive a load, the moving body comprising: two or more moving abutment surfaces disposed generally adjacent to the non-moving abutment surfaces to allow a limited displacement between the abutment surfaces, at the abutment surfaces; and a load cell receiving portion disposed generally between the abutment surfaces and operatively mounted to the second end of the load cell such that the load cell can sense a relative displacement between the non-moving and moving bodies, wherein an axial load applied to the moving body can cause the moving body to move relative to the non-moving body and the moving abutment surfaces to move relative to the non-moving abutment surfaces said limited displacement, which can cause a first displacement sensed by the load cell, and wherein a torsional load applied to the moving body can cause the moving body to rotate relative to the non-moving body and at least one moving abutment surface to move relative to the corresponding non-moving abutment surface said limited displacement, which can cause a second displacement sensed by the load cell different from the first displacement.