Patent ID: 7896123

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a pair of first axles; a first transaxle including a single first transaxle housing incorporating a differential for differentially connecting the pair of first axles and incorporating a first hydraulic motor for driving the differential, the first hydraulic motor including suction and delivery ports; a pair of second axles; a pair of second transaxles including a pair of respective second transaxle housings separated from each other, and supporting the respective second axles, and a pair of respective second hydraulic motors disposed in the respective second transaxle housings so as to drive the respective second axles, each of the second hydraulic motors including suction and delivery ports; a hydraulic pump having suction and delivery ports for supplying fluid to the first hydraulic motor and the pair of second hydraulic motors; a parallel circuit including a first line extended to connect the suction ports of the second hydraulic motors to each other; and a second line extended to connect the delivery ports of the second hydraulic motors to each other; and a series circuit including a third line extended from one of the suction and delivery ports of the hydraulic pump and connected to one of the first and second lines, a fourth line extended from the other of the suction and delivery ports of the hydraulic pump and connected to one of the suction and delivery ports of the first hydraulic motor, and a fifth line extended from the other of the suction and delivery ports of the first hydraulic motor and connected to the other of the first and second lines, whereby the series circuit fluidly connects the first hydraulic motor and the parallel circuit to the hydraulic pump in series, whereby the series circuit supplies fluid from the delivery port of the hydraulic pump via one of the third and fourth lines to one of the first hydraulic motor and parallel circuit, and then supplies the fluid via the fifth line to the other of the first hydraulic motor and parallel circuit before returning the fluid to the suction port of the hydraulic pump via the other of the third and fourth lines, and whereby the parallel circuit distributes fluid from the series circuit via the first line to both the suction ports of the second hydraulic motors in parallel, and collects the fluid from the delivery ports of the second hydraulic motors via the second line before returning the fluid from the second line to the series circuit.