Patent ID: 6823961
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: B60K,E02F

Abstract:
A skid steer vehicle, comprising:a chassis having first and second sidewalls; an engine mounted to the chassis and having at least first and second hydraulic pumps; and first and second drive systems, disposed adjacent to the first and second sidewalls, respectively, each drive system including: a hydraulic motor having an output shaft with an axis of rotation; a gearbox coupled to the hydraulic motor and including a first reduction gear set driven by the hydraulic motor; a driveshaft having an axis of rotation, the driveshaft extending from the gearbox and having a first end disposed forward of the gearbox and a second end disposed rearward of the gearbox; a first axle housing assembly including a first axle housing coupled to the first end of the driveshaft and a first axle that extends laterally outward away from the first axle housing, the first axle housing assembly housing at least second and third reduction gear sets; a second axle housing assembly including a second axle housing coupled to the second end of the driveshaft and a second axle that extends laterally outward away from the second axle housing, the second axle housing assembly housing at least fourth and fifth reduction gear sets; and a wheel driven by one of the first and second axles; wherein the hydraulic motor of the first drive system is fluidly coupled to the first hydraulic pump to be driven thereby and further wherein the hydraulic motor of the second drive system is fluidly coupled to the second hydraulic pump to be driven thereby, and wherein the first reduction gear set includes a speed-reducing bevel gear set, the third speed-reducing gear set is a bevel gear set, one of the fourth and fifth speed-reducing gear sets is a bevel gear set and another of the fourth and fifth speed-reducing gear sets is a spur gear set, and the first axle housing assembly includes a first internal shaft that is disposed parallel to the first axle and the second reduction gear set includes a first spur gear mounted on the first axle and a second spur gear mounted on the first internal shaft.