Modular power distribution and drive system
AssigneeHydro-Gear Limited Partnership
InventorsRaymond Hauser, Nathan W. Bonny, Michael L. Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular drive system for a zero turn radius vehicle having a central gear box with a vertical input shaft, a central drive train that powers a variety of left and right side drive mechanisms, and a power take off mechanism having a clutch and brake assembly. The vertical input shaft is a through-shaft design that allows the central gear box to be mounted with either end of the through-shaft oriented in an upward direction. A screw-on filter acts in conjunction with a charge pump to remove debris from the central gear box's hydraulic fluid.
Claims15
A modular drive assembly for a zero turn radius vehicle having a prime mover with an output shaft, the modular drive assembly comprising:
- a central gear box having a housing;
- an input shaft having at least a first end external to the housing and adapted to engage the prime mover output shaft;
- a drive train within the housing and engaged to and driven by the input shaft;
- an output drive shaft perpendicular to the input shaft and driven by the drive train, the output drive shaft having a first end extending out a first side of the housing and a second end extending out a second side of the housing opposite the first side;
- and
- a power take off mechanism having an auxiliary output shaft that is collinear with the input shaft and a power take off clutch to selectively couple the auxiliary output shaft to the input shaft;
- a first variable speed drive having a first drive input shaft flexibly connected to a first end of the output drive shaft;
- and
- a second variable speed drive having a second drive input shaft flexibly connected to a second end of the output drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.