Patent ID: 7401425

Claim:
An improved snowthrower which is propelled by a pair of ground engaging drive members comprising a left ground engaging drive member and a right ground engaging drive member powered by a power source, the snowthrower having an upwardly and rearwardly extending handle assembly to allow a walking operator to guide and control the snowthrower, wherein the improvement relates to a steering system for the snowthrower which comprises: (a) independent left and right drive trains for independently driving the left and right ground engaging drive members, respectively, from the power source, wherein each drive train comprises: (i) a drive member rotatable about an axis of rotation; (ii) a driven member rotatable about the axis of rotation; (iii) a clutch having at least one pivotal pawl with the clutch configured to transmit torque from the drive member to the driven member directly through the pawl to transfer a driving force to one of the ground engaging drive members; and (iv) an axially movable shift member for pivoting the pawl as the shift member is moved axially along the axis of rotation; and (b) left and right steering controls carried on the handle assembly of the snowthrower and connected, respectively, to the clutches in the left and right drive trains to selectively disengage a ground engaging drive member on one side of the snowthrower to steer the snowthrower toward the one side of the snowthrower having the disengaged ground engaging drive member.