Patent ID: 6283236
Filing Date: 2001-09-04
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A vehicle, comprising:at least one vehicle power source,first and second ground engaging drive wheels positioned near the rear of the vehicle,at least one pivotable ground engaging wheel positioned near the front of the vehicle,a transmission operatively coupled with the at least one power source and carried by the vehicle, the transmission comprising a driving portion and a steering portion, whereinthe driving portion is operatively connected with the first and second drive wheels for rotatably driving said wheels and having forward, neutral and reverse modes to drive said wheels at a plurality of speeds in forward and reverse directions, andthe steering portion is operatively connected with the first and second drive wheels for increasing the speed of one drive wheel and decreasing the speed of the other drive wheel to change the relative speeds of the drive wheels and execute vehicle turns,an operator station wherein a vehicle operator is positioned during operation of the vehicle,said at least one vehicle power source being positioned in front of the vehicle operator station,said drive wheels are rotatable at a speed corresponding to a maximum output of the drive portion while the steering portion is not changing the relative speeds of the drive wheels,when the drive portion is operating at said maximum output the steering portion can be engaged to operate at a maximum steering output to increase the speed of one drive wheel and decrease the speed of the other drive wheel by a maximum and equal amount, and the rotational speed of the drive wheels corresponding to said maximum output of the drive portion is between three and five times greater than a maximum amount of drive wheel speed corresponding with maximum output of the steering portion while the drive portion is in the neutral mode,a steering wheel positioned in the operator station and operatively coupled with the steering portion of the transmission via a steering linkage, andthe steering wheel has a neutral position corresponding to straight forward vehicle travel, and said steering linkage allows the steering wheel to be turned by the operator a maximum of between ninety and two-hundred-seventy degrees in either direction from the neutral position to execute vehicle turns.