Power lawnmower with hydrostatic drive

A self-propelled mower that includes a front mowing deck housing a blade assembly containing one or more movable blades,

• a rear power deck containing an engine, a pair of drive wheels and a power train coupling the engine to the drive wheels, wherein the engine has a horizontally disposed output shaft positioned over the power deck, and power take off means for connecting the blade assembly to said output shaft,
• handle bar means attached to the back of the power deck for steering the drive wheels,
• said power train further includes a hydrostatic transmission having an output shaft means connected to the engine and a drive shaft means connected to the drive wheels and a speed regulator to set the speed ratio of the drive shaft means to the input shaft means within a continuous range from reverse through neutral, wherein the drive shaft means is idle, to maximum forward,
• a control member positioned on the handle bar means that is connected to the regulator by a speed control linkage for setting the regulator at any desired positioned within the continuous range so that the operator can select a desired drive wheel speed without releasing the handle bar means or uncoupling the transmission from the engine, and
• wherein the power take off means further includes a gear box mounted upon the mower deck with a horizontal input shaft that is coupled to the horizontally disposed output shaft of the engine, and with an output shaft, means connecting said gear box output shaft to the blade assembly, and clutch means for releasably coupling the engine output shaft to the gearbox input shaft.