Patent ID: 7431124

Claim:
A hydraulic transmission assembly for an associated ground vehicle comprising: a pump unit including a driven shaft configured to operably connect to an associated motor of the associated ground vehicle; a hydraulic motor assembly connected to said pump unit, said motor assembly including: a motor housing configured to mount to an associated wheel assembly of the associated ground vehicle for rotation with the associated wheel assembly, said housing having a central opening, a stationary elongated output shaft having a first end section received in said central opening and a second end section configured to rigidly attach to an associated frame of the associated ground vehicle, said output shaft including at least one internal fluid passage in fluid communication with at least one fluid passage of said pump unit, and a stationary manifold attached to the associated frame and fluidly connecting said pump unit and said hydraulic motor assembly with no intervening external fluid lines, wherein pressurization of said hydraulic motor assembly via said pump unit rotates said motor housing relative to said stationary output shaft which, in turn, rotates the associated wheel assembly in one of a first direction and second direction.