Pivotable drive apparatus for a stand-on vehicle
AssigneeHydro-Gear Limited Partnership
InventorNathan W. Bonny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle transmission housing has first and second axle housings pivotably connected to opposite ends of the transmission housing and a stand-on platform may be connected to the assembly. A first gear train in the first axle housing drives a first axle having a first axis of rotation. A second gear train is disposed in the second axle housing drives a second axle having a second axis of rotation collinear with the first axis of rotation. The axle housings are both capable of pivoting about the transmission housing about a third axis that is parallel to the first and second axes. The first and second axle housings may also be separately rigidly or flexibly connected to one another. This assembly permits adjustment of the ground heights of the platform with respect to a vehicle frame.
Claims11
A drive apparatus for a vehicle, the drive apparatus comprising:
- a transmission housing having a transmission disposed therein;
- a first output shaft extending out a first end of the transmission housing and driving a first output gear and a second output shaft extending out a second end of the transmission housing, opposite the first end, and driving a second output gear;
- a first gear hub comprising a first gear flange and a second gear hub comprising a second gear flange;
- a first reduction chain extending between the first output gear and the first gear flange and transmitting a first output from the transmission to the first gear hub;
- a second reduction chain extending between the second output gear and the second gear flange and transmitting a second output from the transmission to the second gear hub;
- a hub support shaft extending between the first gear hub and the second gear hub, wherein the first gear hub is rotatably mounted on one end of the hub support shaft and the second gear hub is rotatably mounted on another end of the hub support shaft and wherein the hub support shaft is configured to be mounted to the vehicle in a non-rotatable manner;
- a first pivot arm having a first proximal end rotatably mounted on the transmission housing and a first distal end rotatably engaged to the hub support shaft;
- and
- a second pivot arm having a second proximal end rotatably mounted on the transmission housing and a second distal end rotatably engaged to the hub support shaft.
A drive apparatus for a vehicle, the drive apparatus comprising:
- a transmission comprising a first output shaft driving a first output gear and a second output shaft driving a second output gear;
- a first gear hub and a second gear hub;
- a first reduction chain extending between the first output gear and the first gear hub, the first reduction chain transmitting a first output from the transmission to the first gear hub;
- a second reduction chain extending between the second output gear and the second gear hub, the second reduction chain transmitting a second output from the transmission to the second gear hub;
- a hub support shaft extending between the first gear hub and the second gear hub, wherein the first gear hub is rotatably mounted on one end of the hub support shaft and the second gear hub is rotatably mounted on another end of the hub support shaft and wherein the hub support shaft is configured to be mounted to the vehicle in a non-rotatable manner;
- a first support structure located on a first end of the transmission adjacent the first output gear and a second support structure located on a second end of the transmission adjacent the second output gear;
- a first pivot arm having a first proximal end rotatably mounted on the first support structure and a first distal end rotatably engaged to the hub support shaft;
- and
- a second pivot arm having a second proximal end rotatably mounted on the second support structure and a second distal end rotatably engaged to the hub support shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.