Axle Driving Apparatus

An axle driving apparatus comprising:

• a housing provided therein with a fluid sump, the housing including two divisional housing members joined to each other through a joint surface;
• an axle disposed in the housing;
• a hydraulic motor disposed in the housing the hydraulic motor including a motor shaft having a rotary axis disposed in parallel to the axle;
• a hydraulic pump disposed in the housing between the hydraulic motor and the axle when viewed in plan so as to be fluidly connected to the hydraulic motor, the hydraulic pump including a pump shaft having a rotary axis disposed in perpendicular to the axle;
• a gear train drivingly interposed between the motor shaft and the axle;
• a movable swash plate of the hydraulic pump;
• and
• a pair of coaxial trunnion shafts projecting from opposite surfaces of the movable swash plate, wherein the trunnion shafts are disposed between the motor shaft and the axle in parallel to the motor shaft and the axle, wherein the joint surface between the two divisional housing members is disposed in perpendicular to the axis of the trunnion shafts, wherein the divisional housing members support the respective trunnion shafts, and wherein one of the trunnion shafts projects outward from the corresponding divisional housing member so as to be provided thereon with an operation lever.