Patent ID: 7201250

Claim:
A utility vehicle comprising: a frame having a front and a rear; a front axle secured to the frame adjacent to the front thereof and a pair of rear axle shafts secured to the frame adjacent the rear thereof; a seat for at least two occupants and a dashboard secured to the vehicle adjacent to the seat, wherein the seat is positioned between the dashboard and the rear axle shafts; a load bed positioned on the vehicle where at least a portion of the load bed extends from directly proximate the seat toward the rear of the utility vehicle, and extending over the rear axle shafts; a prime mover mounted on the vehicle between the dashboard and the rear axle shafts and positioned at least partially below and at least partially directly beneath the seat and at least partially below and at least partially directly beneath the load bed, the prime mover having a single prime mover output shaft; a hydraulic pump secured to the frame and having a pump input shaft directly coupled to the single prime mover output shaft by a belt; a hydraulic motor hydraulically connected to the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic motor mounted on the vehicle and having a motor output shaft; a gear box comprising a gear box input shaft driven by the hydraulic motor output shaft and a plurality of gears driven by the gear box input shaft; and a differential located in the gear box and driven by the plurality of gears and drivingly engaged to the rear axle shafts.