Patent ID: 7503174

Claim:
A drive apparatus for use in driving at least one output axle of a vehicle including an operating system having a first and a second operating state, the drive apparatus comprising: a housing; a variable drive system disposed within the housing and engaged to and driving the at least one output axle; a control device coupled to the variable drive system to control the output thereof, the control device movable among a neutral position, a plurality of reverse positions and a plurality of forward positions, the control device comprising a first control device component and a second control device component; and an actuator assembly mounted to the first control device component and selectively engaged to the second control device component, the actuator assembly connected to the operating system, wherein the actuator assembly causes the operating system to be in the first operating state when the control device is in the neutral position or any of the forward positions, and the actuator assembly causes the operating system to be in the second operating state when the control device is in any of the reverse positions.