Abstract: System for vertically aligning mating members of a tow vehicle and trailer. An elongate guide bar is attached to extend away from the rear of the vehicle, to permit contact of the guide bar with the trailer's jack shaft when the vehicle is backed up to the trailer. A mover system is then attached to the guide bar and used to move the jack shaft along the guide bar, to place the respective mating members in vertical alignment. The mover system is removed, and the jack shaft is lowered to engage the respective now vertically aligned mating members.

Abstract: An improved trailer hitch for automatically aligning and coupling a trailer to a towing vehicle. A movable coupler has a forward portion comprising a conventional socket and latching device for attachment to a ball on the towing vehicle and a rearward portion comprising vertically oriented rearwardly converging side walls. The rearward portion is configured to mate with an opening in the trailer front end so that the side walls abut vertically oriented forwardly diverging guide plates in the trailer front end. The side walls have a vertical thickness along a portion of their length substantially less than the vertical thickness of the guide plates so that the coupler may be raised vertically while in the opening to facilitate attachment of the socket on the coupler to the ball on the towing vehicle. Means are provided for automatically locking the coupler to the trailer when the side walls of the coupler are in abutment with the guide plates in the trailer front end.