Patent ID: 7082761

Claim:
A hydraulic continuously variable transmission, comprising: a swash plate plunger pump comprising a pump swash plate and a pump cylinder adjacent said pump awash plate; a swash plate plunger motor comprising a motor swash plate and a motor cylinder adjacent said motor swash plate; a swash plate support member for supporting one of said swash plates; an output shaft extending through and supporting said pump cylinder and said motor cylinder, said output shaft being rotatably supported through a plurality of rotatable bearings, wherein one of said rotatable bearings is attached to said swash plate support member and comprises a ball bearing; and a closed hydraulic circuit interconnecting said swash plate plunger pump and said swash plate plunger motor; wherein at least one of said pump swash plate and said motor swash plate is supported by said swash plate support member so as to be pivotally movable, with a swash plate angle thereof being variably adjustable; and wherein the one of said rotatable bearings comprises an inner race and an outer race, and the inner race of the rotatable bearing attached to said swash plate support member is recessed, relative to the outer race thereof, on the side facing said pivotally movable swash plate.