Patent ID: 7856820

Claim:
An axle driving apparatus comprising: an axle; a housing supporting the axle, the housing including two divisional housing members joined to each other through a joint surface extended perpendicular to the axle; a center section separably installed to a place in the housing, the center section being provided thereon with a pump mounting surface and a motor mounting surface, ports being opened at the respective pump and motor mounting surfaces, wherein the pump mounting surface and the motor mounting surface are disposed perpendicular to each other, and wherein, when the center section is installed to the place in the housing, the pump mounting surface is closer to the axle than the motor mounting surface, and a plane including the motor mounting surface intersects the pump mounting surface; a hydraulic pump disposed in the housing and mounted on the pump mounting surface; a pump shaft of the hydraulic pump, wherein the pump shaft is extended perpendicular to the axle and outward from one of the divisional housing members; a movable swash plate of the hydraulic pump; a pair of coaxial trunnion shafts projecting from opposite surfaces of the movable swash plate, wherein the trunnion shafts are extended parallel to the axle, wherein the divisional housing members support the respective trunnion shafts, and wherein one of the trunnion shafts projects outward from the corresponding divisional housing member; a motor shaft extended parallel to the axle; a hydraulic motor disposed in the housing and mounted on the motor shaft, wherein the hydraulic pump and motor mounted on the respective pump and motor mounting surfaces are fluidly connected to each other through the ports in the center section; and a gear train disposed in the housing so as to drivingly connect the motor shaft to the axle.