Deere & Company

Stephan R Hayden

Brian David Seegert

Nathan L Yolitz

Darren Deblack

Donald William Ertmer

Brent L Streeter

William Thomas Ladwig

An automatic park lock for an off road or recreational utility vehicle includes a shift interlock solenoid with a spring biased plunger engaging and locking an operator shift lever in the park position. A cam surface on the operator shift lever slopes between a first end and a second end, and has a groove to lock the plunger to the park position. A controller energizes the shift interlock solenoid to retract the plunger when a plurality of operating parameters are satisfied.

Automatic park lock

A continuously variable transmission belt guide is mounted next to a driven clutch assembly and in close proximity with the CVT belt at the CVT's lowest drive ratio. The CVT belt connects between a pair of moveable sheaves of the drive and driven clutch assemblies to provide a variable CVT drive ratio between a lowest drive ratio and a highest drive ratio. When contacting the CVT belt, the CVT belt guide prevents a ripple or wave from appearing in the un-tensioned side of the belt, prevents the CVT belt from losing contact with the driven clutch, and prevents undesirable vehicle performance at the lowest drive ratio.

Continuously variable transmission belt guide

Utility vehicle transmission controls include a common pivot shaft extending transversely across at least part of the operator station. The common pivot shaft has an integral collar. A shift lever has a sleeve pivotably mounted on the common pivot shaft with a portion of the sleeve extending over the integral collar. A differential lock lever has a lower end with a sleeve pivotably mounted on the common pivot shaft with a portion extending over the integral collar adjacent the shift pivot so that the shift lever and differential lock lever independently pivot.

Utility vehicle transmission controls with common pivot shaft

An interlock circuit for a utility vehicle park brake includes a relay connected to neutral switch on a transmission. The relay is actuated by electric current to move a contact to a closed position if the neutral switch is out of neutral. A throttle pedal switch connected to the relay moves a contact to a closed position if the throttle pedal is depressed. A park brake switch connected to the throttle pedal switch moves a contact to a closed position if the park brake is engaged. Closing all of the contacts grounds an ignition circuit connected to the interlock circuit, which may be a magneto ignition circuit.

Interlock circuit for utility vehicle park brake

A radiator mounting arrangement on a utility vehicle with an injection molded top tank and bottom tank, the top tank having a plurality of integrally molded features extending upwardly therefrom. A wire form is attached to a frame member of the utility vehicle and engages the integrally molded features without fasteners.

Radiator mounting arrangement on utility vehicle

A quick detachable drive shaft for use with lawn tractors having a rearward end mounted to a power source and a forward end supported by a bearing detachably mounted to a plate that is detachably connected to a bracket on the tractor with a latch that maintains the plate in connection with the bracket in a first position and releases the plate from the bracket in second position.

Growing community of inventors

Sun Prairie, WI, United States of America

Stephan R Hayden