Transaxle for lawn tractor

A lawn tractor comprising:

• a prime mover;
• a mower unit;
• a grass-discharging duct extended from the mower unit at a substantially lateral center portion of the lawn tractor;
• left and right drive wheels having respective axles disposed on lateral opposite sides of the grass-discharging duct;
• left and right final transmission devices disposed on lateral opposite sides of the grass-discharging duct;
• and
• a transaxle disposed above the grass-discharging duct, wherein the transaxle comprises:
• a transaxle housing;
• an input shaft having a lower portion extended downward from the transaxle housing;
• an input pulley for receiving power from the prime mover, wherein the input pulley is provided on the lower portion of the input shaft so as to be disposed between the transaxle housing and the grass-discharging duct;
• and
• left and right output shafts projecting laterally from the transaxle housing opposite to each other above the grass-discharging duct, wherein the axles of the left and right drive wheels are disposed below the respective left and right output shafts on respective left and right sides of the grass-discharging duct, wherein the left final transmission device is interposed between the left output shaft and the axle of the left drive wheel, and wherein the right final transmission is interposed between the right output shaft and the axle of the right drive wheel.

A lawn tractor comprising:

• a frame;
• a prime mover mounted upward from the frame and having an output shaft and an output pulley on the output shaft below the frame;
• a mower unit disposed below the frame;
• a grass-discharging duct extended from the mower unit at a substantially lateral center portion of the tractor below the frame;
• left and right drive wheels disposed on lateral opposite sides of the frame and on lateral opposite sides of the grass-discharging duct;
• and
• a transaxle supported by the frame and disposed above the grass-discharging duct, wherein the transaxle comprises:
• a transaxle housing;
• an input shaft having a lower portion extended downward from the transaxle housing;
• an input pulley provided on the lower portion of the input shaft so as to be disposed between the lowest end of the transaxle housing and the grass-discharging duct and to be drivingly connected to the output pulley of the prime mover through a belt disposed below the frame;
• and
• left and right output shafts projecting laterally from the transaxle housing opposite to each other so as to be drivingly connected to the respective left and right drive wheels.