Patent ID: 6269901
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: B60K,B66F,F16H

Abstract:
A hydraulic drive system for a vehicle having three independent wheel drive shaft assemblies in an essentially triangular configuration, having a transversely in-line pair of drive shaft assemblies and a single wheel drive shaft assembly longitudinally spaced from the in-line pair of drive shaft assemblies comprising:a hydraulic pump;a single drive unit forming part of the single wheel drive shaft assembly;a plurality of mechanically coupled drives, each having a separate hydraulic input and output forming the single drive unit;a pair of transverse drive units forming part of the pair of transversely in-line drive shaft assemblies;two sets of a plurality of mechanically coupled drives, each drive having a separate hydraulic input and output, each set forming one of the transverse drive units;a primary hydraulic fluid line connecting the hydraulic pump to the input of each drive of the single drive unit and to one of the drives of each of the transverse drive units;a secondary fluid line connecting each of the outputs of the drives of the single drive unit separately to unconnected inputs of the drives of one of the transverse drive units;a further secondary fluid line connecting each of the outputs of the other drives of the single drive unit separately to unconnected inputs of the drives of the other transverse drive unit;a return hydraulic fluid line connecting the output of each drive of the transverse drive units to the hydraulic pump;by-pass hydraulic fluid lines each connecting across each secondary hydraulic fluid line and the return hydraulic fluid lines; andan on/off diverter valve mounted in each by-pass hydraulic fluid line.