Patent ID: 8393236

Claim:
A modular drive assembly for a zero turn radius vehicle having a prime mover with an output shaft, the modular drive assembly comprising: a central gear box having a housing; an input shaft having at least a first end external to the housing and adapted to engage the prime mover output shaft; a drive train within the housing and engaged to and driven by the input shaft; an output drive shaft perpendicular to the input shaft and driven by the drive train, the output drive shaft having a first end extending out a first side of the housing and a second end extending out a second side of the housing opposite the first side; and a power take off mechanism having an auxiliary output shaft that is collinear with the input shaft and a power take off clutch to selectively couple the auxiliary output shaft to the input shaft; a first variable speed drive having a first drive input shaft flexibly connected to a first end of the output drive shaft; and a second variable speed drive having a second drive input shaft flexibly connected to a second end of the output drive shaft.