Patent ID: 6904748

Claim:
A hydrostatic transmission for a vehicle, comprising: a housing formed with a fluid sump therein; a variable displacement hydraulic pump disposed in said housing; a hydraulic motor disposed in said housing; a center section disposed within said fluid sump, said center section having a pump mounting surface, onto which said hydraulic pump is mounted, and a motor mounting surface, onto which said hydraulic motor is mounted; a hydraulic circuit formed in said center section for hydraulically connecting said hydraulic pump with said hydraulic motor; an output operation device for controlling pressure fluid discharged from said hydraulic pump, wherein said output operation device is moved to an operational position for rotating said hydraulic motor from a neutral position for stopping said hydraulic motor; and means interlocking with said output operation device, wherein, when said output operation device is adjacent to said neutral position, said means drains said pressure fluid to a low pressured area so as to lower the pressure in said hydraulic circuit below a predetermined level for allowing said vehicle to travel, and wherein said output operation device is shifted to said operational position, said means does not drain said pressure fluid to said low pressured area.