Claims
- 1. An axle driving apparatus comprising:a housing forming a sump to contain a hydraulic fluid; a center section mounted within the housing and containing hydraulic porting; a hydraulic pump and hydraulic motor mounted on the center section and located in the sump; an input shaft having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis, wherein the input shaft is engaged to the hydraulic pump; a motor shaft having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis, wherein the motor shaft is engaged to and driven by the hydraulic motor; and wherein the longitudinal axis of the input shaft is located between a first plane located at the first end of the motor shaft and a second plane located at the second end of the motor shaft, and the first and second planes are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft.
- 2. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one end of the input shaft is rotatably mounted within the center section.
- 3. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising gears drivingly engaged to the motor shaft.
- 4. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising at least one axle shaft drivingly engaged to the gears.
- 5. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the gears and axle shaft are mounted in the housing.
- 6. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a gear mechanism mounted in the housing and drivingly engaged to the motor shaft and at least one axle shaft mounted in the housing and engaged to the gear mechanism.
- 7. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the housing is formed of at least two members joined together at a split line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft.
- 8. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the center section comprises a pump running surface formed on a first planar surface thereof and a motor running surface formed on a second planar surface thereof and wherein the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft is located in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pump shaft and is located above the pump running surface.
- 9. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the motor shaft is supported by at least one support structure extending from the center section.
- 10. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft is located between a third plane located at the first end of the input shaft and a fourth plane located at the second end of the input shaft, and the third and fourth planes are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the input shaft.
- 11. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the center section comprises a pump running surface formed on a first planar surface thereof and a motor running surface formed on a second planar surface thereof and wherein the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft is located in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pump shaft and is located above the pump running surface.
- 12. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a differential gear mechanism drivingly engaged to the motor shaft, and a pair of axle shafts engaged to the differential gear mechanism.
- 13. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the differential gear mechanism and the axle shafts are mounted in the sump, and the housing is formed of at least two members joined together at a split line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the axle shafts.
- 14. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the motor shaft is supported by at least one support structure extending from the center section.
- 15. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 10, further comprising gears drivingly engaged to the motor shaft and at least one axle shaft drivingly engaged to the gears.
- 16. A center section for a hydrostatic transmission comprising:a first planar surface having a pump running surface formed thereon; at least two support structures extending generally perpendicular to the first planar surface; a second planar surface formed on one of the support structures and having a motor running surface formed thereon, wherein the first planar surface is perpendicular to the second planar surface; and hydraulic porting formed in the center section.
- 17. A center section as set forth in claim 16, wherein a portion of the hydraulic porting is formed in the center section below the pump running surface and a portion of the hydraulic porting is formed in the support structure on which the second planar surface is located.
- 18. A center section as set forth in claim 17, wherein the support structures are integrally formed with the center section.
- 19. A center section as set forth in claim 17, wherein at least one of the support structures has an opening formed therein and the opening extends generally parallel to the first planar surface.
- 20. An axle driving apparatus comprising:a housing forming a sump to contain hydraulic fluid; a center section mounted in the sump and having hydraulic porting mounted therein, the center section comprising a first planar surface having a pump running surface formed thereon; at least two support structures extending generally perpendicular to the first planar surface; a second planar surface formed on one of the support structures and having a motor running surface formed thereon, wherein the second planar surface is perpendicular to the first planar surface; and a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor mounted on the center section.
- 21. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 20, further comprising a motor shaft engaged to and driven by the hydraulic motor, wherein at least one of the support structures is adapted to support the motor shaft.
- 22. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 20, further comprising a pump shaft engaged to the hydraulic pump and a motor shaft engaged to and driven by the hydraulic motor, and the motor shaft extends through at least one of the support structures.
- 23. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein the support structures are integrally formed with the center section.
- 24. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 22, further comprising a plurality of teeth formed on the motor shaft located between the two support structures.
- 25. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 22, further comprising gears mounted in the housing and drivingly engaged to the motor shaft.
- 26. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 22, further comprising a differential gear mechanism mounted in the housing and drivingly engaged to the motor shaft.
- 27. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 26, further comprising at least one axle shaft mounted in the housing and engaged to the differential gear mechanism, wherein the longitudinal axis of the axle shafts is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft.
- 28. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 27, wherein the housing is formed of at least two members joined together at a split line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the axle shafts.
- 29. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft is located in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pump shaft and is located above the pump running surface.
- 30. An axle driving apparatus as set forth in claim 29, wherein a portion of the hydraulic porting is formed in the center section below the first planar surface and a portion of the hydraulic porting is formed in the support structure on which the second planar surface is located.
Parent Case Info
This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/880,587, (6,550,243) filed Jun. 13, 2001, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/846,545, filed on May 1, 2001, now abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/420,183, (6,256,988) filed Oct. 18, 1999, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 09/016,584 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,861), filed Jan. 30, 1998, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/644,474 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,892), filed May 10, 1996, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/613,371 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,092), filed Mar. 11, 1996, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/260,807 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,640), filed Jun. 16, 1994, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/025,272 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,394), filed Mar. 2, 1993, which is a division of Ser. No. 07/917,858 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,387), filed Jul. 22, 1992, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/727,463 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,692), filed Jul. 9, 1991.
US Referenced Citations (66)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
“Kanzaki Transaxle” advertisement (no date). |
EATON “Hydrostatic Transaxle Series 1150” Sep., 1984. |
TRW Ross Torqdrive Axle: (no date). |
Continuations (8)
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09/880587 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Child |
10/243368 |
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Parent |
09/846545 |
May 2001 |
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09/880587 |
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09/420183 |
Oct 1999 |
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09/846545 |
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09/016584 |
Jan 1998 |
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09/420183 |
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08/644474 |
May 1996 |
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09/016584 |
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08/613371 |
Mar 1996 |
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08/644474 |
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08/260807 |
Jun 1994 |
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08/613371 |
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08/025272 |
Mar 1993 |
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08/260807 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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07/727463 |
Jul 1991 |
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07/917858 |
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