Vehicle drive and control system

A control system for driving, braking and steering a vehicle, the vehicle having a prime mover, a hydraulic transmission having an input shaft powered by the prime mover, the hydraulic transmission engaged to a pair of brake clutch assemblies, both of which transfer power from the hydraulic transmission to a driven wheel and consist of a brake mechanism and a drive mechanism, and a source of hydraulic fluid, the control system comprising:

• an auxiliary pump driven by the input shaft, wherein the auxiliary pump draws fluid from the source of hydraulic fluid;
• a pair of bidirectional control valves in fluid communication with the auxiliary pump, each valve having a brake position, a neutral position and a drive position, wherein each valve is independently controllable;
• and
• a pair of bidirectional actuators, each actuator in fluid communication with one of the pair of control valves and operably located proximate to one of the brake clutch assemblies;
• wherein selective movement of each of the control valves to the brake position permits the hydraulic fluid from the auxiliary pump to move the corresponding actuator into engagement with the brake mechanism of the brake clutch assembly to arrest movement of the associated driven wheel;
• wherein selective movement of each of the control valves to the neutral position cuts off the hydraulic fluid to the corresponding actuator and disengages the corresponding actuator from the brake mechanism and the drive mechanism of the brake clutch assembly to place the associated driven wheel in a freewheel condition;
• and
• wherein selective movement of each of the control valves to the drive position permits the hydraulic fluid from the auxiliary pump to move the corresponding actuator into engagement with the drive mechanism of the brake clutch assembly to propel the associated driven wheel.

A control system for controlling a vehicle, the vehicle having a prime mover, a transmission having a control shaft and a pair of wheels, each of the pair of wheels coupled to a respective drive assembly and a respective brake assembly, the transmission coupling the prime mover to each one of the drive assemblies, the control system comprising:

• a steering switch for actuating each one of the drive assemblies and brake assemblies to provide a steering function;
• an electric actuating assembly coupled to the control shaft of the transmission for controlling an output speed of the transmission and forward and reverse motions of the vehicle, wherein the electric actuating assembly is configured to rotate the control shaft of the transmission in a forward range of motion away from a neutral position and in a reverse range of motion away from the neutral position;
• and
• a control switch for controlling the electric actuating assembly;
• wherein the steering switch selectively engages one or more of the drive assembly or the brake assembly coupled to each of the pair of wheels to effect a direction of the vehicle, based on a position of the steering switch.