# US 10,246,129 B2 · Tractor having dual hydrostatic drive with single hand control and attachment adapter for powered attachments

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- Number: US 10,246,129 B2
- Document ID: US10246129B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/642,991
- Filed: 2017-07-06
- Published: 2017-10-26
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2012-01-06
- Applicants: Silvio Gallazzini
- Inventors: Silvio Gallazzini
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246129B2

## CPC

- B62D 11/006: {Mechanical control systems}
- B60K 17/28: characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
- B62D 11/04: by means of separate power sources
- B62D 11/12: using separate change-speed gearings
- B62D 51/06: Uniaxle walk-type tractors
- B60K 31/00: Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator
- B60Y 2200/225: Walk behind vehicles, e.g. motorized wheel barrows
- F16H 61/437: Pump capacity control by mechanical control means, e.g. by levers or pedals
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A tractor has a base for supporting a motive power source, left and right driven wheels, and left and right transmissions for the respective left and right wheels; a handle structure coupled to the base for grasping by an operator from behind the tractor; a drive system for driving each of the left and right transmissions with motive power from the motive power source; wherein the left and right transmissions are hydrostatic transmissions, further having a speed regulator control lever on each transmission that allows seamless control of the transmission from reverse speed through neutral into forward speed; and a transmission control coupled to each speed regulator control lever; further wherein there is a longitudinally disposed space between the left and right transmissions, and a power take off shaft is disposed in the space extending anteriorly and driven by the motive power source for powering a powered attachment arranged to be attached at the anterior of the tractor, further including a shaft extension of said power take off shaft extending posteriorly for driving a rear power take off for powering a rear mounted powered attachment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tractor comprising:
a base for supporting a motive power source, left and right driven wheels, and left and right transmissions for the respective left and right wheels;
a handle structure coupled to the base for grasping by an operator from behind the tractor;
a drive system for driving each of the left and right transmissions with motive power from the motive power source;
wherein the left and right transmissions are hydrostatic transmissions, further comprising a speed regulator control lever on each transmission that allows seamless control of the transmission from reverse speed through neutral into forward speed; and
a transmission control structural mechanism coupled to each speed regulator control lever;
further wherein there is a longitudinally disposed space between the left and right transmissions, further comprising a power take off shaft disposed in the space extending anteriorly from the space and driven by the motive power source for powering a powered attachment arranged to be attached at the anterior of the tractor, and
further comprising a shaft extension of said power take off shaft extending posteriorly from the space for driving a rear power take off for powering a rear mounted powered attachment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tractor of claim 1, further comprising a power take off clutch coupled to an output shaft of said motive power source, said clutch being selectively engageable by the operator to power said power take off shaft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The tractor of claim 2, further comprising a belt drive coupling said clutch to a driven pulley provided on said power take off shaft.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The tractor of claim 3, further wherein said base comprises a power deck for the motive power source and an adapter housing for mounting said transmissions, said adapter housing being releasably coupled to said power deck to provide access to said belt drive.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The tractor of claim 4, further comprising a hinge coupling said adapter housing and power deck allowing the adapter housing to be pivoted away from the power deck to expose the belt drive.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The tractor of claim 3, further comprising a second belt drive for coupling the motive power source through said clutch to drive pulleys for hydraulic pumps of each of said transmissions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The tractor of claim 2, further comprising a spring loaded switch connected into an electrical circuit requiring operator presence in order to engage the power take off clutch.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The tractor of claim 7, wherein said switch is connected into a circuit that prevents the motive power source from being started if the power take off clutch is engaged.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The tractor of claim 1, wherein the tractor is a walk-behind tractor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The tractor of claim 2, further comprising a first pulley at an output of said clutch and a PTO pulley on said power take off shaft driven by a power take off drive belt between said pulleys.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The tractor of claim 10, further comprising a second pulley on the output of said clutch driving a transmission drive belt, said transmission drive belt driving pulleys engaging hydraulic pumps of said left and right transmissions.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The tractor of claim 1, wherein the handle structure comprises left and right handles, the left handle comprising a left transmission control and the right handle comprising a right transmission control;
whereby the operator can independently control the left and right transmissions using the left and right transmission controls using both left and right hands.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The tractor of claim 1, further comprising a power take off adapter disposed at an anterior location on said tractor having a power coupling driven by said power take off shaft, said adapter allowing the operator to connect and disconnect the powered attachment by manipulating handles of the handle structure of the tractor from an operator's position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The tractor of claim 1, wherein the power take off shaft is arranged in said longitudinally disposed space to drive the anteriorly disposed power take off and is coupled to said shaft extension driving said rear power take off.