Patent ID: 7192376

Claim:
An axle driving apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a housing; a hydrostatic transmission disposed in the housing, including an input means, a hydraulic pump driven by the input means, a hydraulic motor driven by pressurized oil from the hydraulic pump, and an output means driven by the hydraulic motor; a differential assembly disposed in the housing, including an input gear driven by the output means, a first output gear, and a second output gear, wherein the first and second output gears are driven by the input gear; a first axle and a second axle, coaxially disposed with the differential assembly, and driven by the first output gear and the second output gear, respectively; a clutch slider disposed on one of the first and second axles so as to be movable along the corresponding axle in opposite axial directions and so as to substantially surround one of the first or second output gears; and a projection, wherein, when the clutch slider is moved in one axial direction, the projection engages the input gear with the first or second output gear driving the first or second axle, on which the clutch slider is disposed, so as to prevent the differential rotation of the first and second axles, and wherein, when the clutch slider is moved in the other axial direction, the projection disengages the input gear from the corresponding first or second output gear so as to allow the differential rotation of the first and second axles.