Patent ID: 7328576

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a vehicle frame having a prime mover and a vehicle deck mounted thereon; a transmission housing mounted on the vehicle; an input shaft driven by the prime mover and extending into the transmission housing; a center section attached to the transmission housing and having hydraulic porting formed therein; a first hydraulic pump assembly rotatably disposed on a face of the center section and driven by the input shaft; a first hydraulic motor assembly rotatably disposed on the center section and connected to the first hydraulic pump assembly via the hydraulic porting such that the first hydraulic pump assembly and the first hydraulic motor assembly form a first closed loop transmission; a second hydraulic pump assembly rotatably disposed on the face of the center section; a second hydraulic motor assembly rotatably disposed on the center section and connected to the second hydraulic pump assembly via the hydraulic porting such that the second hydraulic pump assembly and the second hydraulic motor assembly form a second closed loop transmission; a first axle housing mounted to the transmission housing and having a first output axle extending therefrom, and a second axle housing mounted to the transmission housing and having a second output axle extending therefrom, wherein the axes of the first and second output axles are generally collinear; and a first belt connecting the prime mover to the input shaft, wherein the first belt is attached to the input shaft at a location that is below the top of the transmission housing with respect to the ground and above the axes of the first and second output axles with respect to the ground.