Discrete drive system for a skid steer loader

A discrete drive system for propelling a skid steer loader in different directions which comprises in combination:

• a main frame including a pair of side beams and a cross beam;
• a pair of parallelly spaced, elongated transmission cases integrally formed with the side beams of said frame for transmitting drive force from a hydrostatic motor to front and rear stub axles;
• each of said transmission cases including an inner side wall, an outer side wall spaced apart from said inner side wall and tubular axle housings outwardly extending from said outer wall to rotatably support said stub axles, said inner side wall having an opening;
• means for connection the bottom surfaces of said pair of transmission cases to define a longitudinally extending compartment, said compartment receiving at least partially an engine for the loader and a hydraulic pump;
• gear reduction means mounted on the inner side wall of each of said transmission cases, said gear reduction means driving a pair of drive sprockets operatively connected to driven sprockets of said stub axles;
• and
• said gear reduction means including an outer casing rigidly secured to said inner side wall, a first output shaft having an outer end extending through said opening into said transmission case and a second output shaft associated with said hydrostatic motor, said first output shaft carrying a reduction gear mounted thereon, said second output shaft carrying a pinion gear parallelly spaced apart from said reduction gear, said reduction gear and said pinion gear operatively coupled with each other to drive said drive system at a reduced speed, said outer end of the first output shaft carrying said drive sprockets operatively connected to the driven sprockets on the stub axles through endless chains.