Hydro-gear Limited Partnership

Hyrdo-gear Limited Partnership

Hydro-gear Limited Parntership

Thomas J Langenfeld

Shane A Deters

Raymond M Hauser

Matthew C Roney

Nathan W Bonny

Michael Lee Bennett

Scott W Keller

Daryl Smothers

J David Pratt

Jesse L Probst

Robert E Trimble

Craig Wigness

John D Schreier

Herb M Poplawski

William H Ward

Michael W Taylor

Scott E Windhorst

Heath F McCormick

Ryan S Buescher

A reduction drive assembly includes a planetary gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly includes a first gear carrier that includes a first plate and projections extending therefrom. The first plate defines first support openings. The planetary gear assembly includes a second gear carrier that defines second support openings and joint openings. The joint openings receive the projections to couple the first and second gear carriers. The planetary gear assembly includes a sun gear coupled to an output shaft and disposed between the first and second gear carriers. The planetary gear assembly includes planet gears disposed around the sun gear between the first and second gear carriers. Each of the planet gears has a carrier pin. Each carrier pin is received by one of the first support openings and one of the second support openings to retain the planet gears between the first and second gear carriers.

Electric motor and gear assembly

A reduction drive assembly includes a spindle that defines an aperture and a motor output shaft extending through the aperture. The reduction drive assembly includes an output hub and a planetary gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly includes a ring gear fixed to the output hub, a first stage sun gear coupled to and driven by the motor output shaft, a second stage sun gear, a planetary gear carrier engaged to the second stage sun gear, first stage planetary gears each of which is supported by a respective support pin of the planetary gear carrier and meshed with the first stage sun gear and the ring gear, carrier pins extending from a first end of the spindle, and second stage reduction gears each of which is rotationally mounted on a respective one of the carrier pins and is meshed with the second stage sun gear and the ring gear.

A reduction drive assembly includes a housing and a flange. Outer surfaces of the spindle and the flange form at least one fillet corner. A motor output shaft extends through an aperture of the spindle. The reduction drive assembly includes a planetary gear assembly that includes a sun gear driven by the motor output shaft and gears. The reduction drive assembly includes a fixed ring gear that is meshed with a second stage gear of each of the planet gears, an output hub, a rotating ring gear coupled to the output hub and meshed with a first stage gear of each of the planet gears, a set of bearings positioned radially between the spindle and the output hub and axially between the fixed ring gear and the flange of the housing, and a spacer ring positioned between the set of bearings and adjacent the at least one fillet corner.

Electric drive assembly

A hydraulic fluid expansion tank is located inside a housing of a drive device. The expansion tank comprises a siphon tube in communication with a sump located within the drive device and also comprises a vent opening in communication with a vent of the drive device that is in communication with atmospheric pressure. The fluid expansion tank is positioned and restrained within the drive device without the use of fasteners.

Fluid expansion tank

A hydrostatic drive includes a transmission having a pump and motor disposed on a center section, and a charge pump to provide fluid to a charge gallery. A power take off (PTO) driven by a prime mover includes a clutch assembly, solenoid valve, and PTO drive member driven by a prime mover input. When the solenoid valve is in a first position, fluid flows from the charge gallery to the clutch to connect the input with the PTO drive member, and when the solenoid valve is in a second position, fluid flows from the PTO mechanism to the sump to disengage the PTO drive member from the input. A filter may be disposed on a land on the center section and seated in a filter pocket in the housing. The filter engages with a bottom surface of the filter pocket to maintain a seal against the land.

Steerable transaxle

A vent for a hydraulic drive device disposed in a housing includes a vent body having a closed first side, a second side having an opening, and a sidewall. An internal passageway in the vent body connects the second side opening to the atmosphere. The vent body is removably disposed in a vent opening in one of two positions. When the first side of the vent body is inserted into the vent opening, the closed first side prevents communication between the sump and atmosphere, and when the second side of the vent body is inserted into the vent opening, the internal passageway and the second side opening permit communication between the internal sump and atmosphere.

Vent for a hydraulic drive device

A reduction drive has an electric motor and an output hub rotatable with respect to a motor housing. A planetary gear reduction assembly is disposed entirely within an internal volume formed by the output hub and includes a first ring gear fixed to and rotating with the output hub, a second ring gear fixed to a portion of the main housing, a sun gear driven by the motor shaft, and gears mounted on a carrier assembly and driven by the sun gear. Each planet gear has a first stage gear driving the first ring gear, and a second stage gear engaged to the second ring gear.

Electric motor with compound planetary gear drive

A drive apparatus for a vehicle includes a hydraulic pump connected to two separate hydraulic motors by a center section. A center section hydraulically connects the pump and the motors by means of a pump running surface connected to two motor running surfaces by hydraulic porting. A plurality of projections extend from the center section. Two of the projections have a first flat surface that is coplanar with the pump running surface, and a third projection has a separate flat surface that is parallel to and offset from the pump running surface. The third projection may be disposed between the two motor running surfaces.

Drive apparatus

A hydraulic drive unit for use in a vehicle or other application incorporates a motor connected to a pump through a porting system and an output shaft driven by the motor. A mechanical brake is used to brake the motor, while a valve provides a hydraulic brake for preventing flow between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulic pump. A brake actuator is connected to both the mechanical brake and the hydraulic brake, whereby actuation of the brake actuator causes both the mechanical brake and the hydraulic brake to be actuated.

Transaxle having dual brake system

In a drive device using a hydraulic pump controlled by a rotatable swash plate, the swash plate includes a pocket and a trunnion engaged to the pocket and rotatable about an axis of rotation offset from the swash plate axis of rotation. An interface is formed on a first end of the trunnion, and a first arcuate side of the interface engages a flat portion of the first side of the pocket as the trunnion is rotated in a first direction, and a second arcuate side of the interface engages a flat portion of the second side of the pocket as the trunnion is rotated in the opposite direction. The swash plate may also include at least one protrusion on a top surface extending in a direction perpendicular to swash plate axis of rotation to engage the housing and limit axial movement of the swash plate.

Drive device

A hydrostatic transmission includes a pump running surface and a motor running surface connected by internal porting formed in a housing member. A valve is disposed in the housing and connects a sump formed by the housing and the internal porting. A trunnion includes a first arm engaged to a swash plate to rotate the swash plate to vary the output of the pump, and a second arm which rotates with the first arm, the second arm having an operative end that is capable of opening the valve to permit a hydraulic connection between the internal porting and the sump through the valve bore when the trunnion is rotated to a predetermined position.

Hydrostatic transmission

A drive apparatus includes an internal sump and a center section having a pump running surface for mounting a pump cylinder block and at least one motor running surface for mounting at least one motor cylinder block. A brake mechanism includes set of brake rod guides are formed in and extend from the center section adjacent the pump running surface and the one or more motor running surfaces for supporting one or more brake rods. The brake rods may engage the motor cylinder blocks at oblique angle thereto, to provide a braking force. The brake mechanism may include a brake shaft, and a brake arm attached thereto and operatively engaged to the brake rods.

A hydraulic drive unit for use in a vehicle or other application incorporates a motor disposed in a housing and connected to a pump through a porting system, and an output shaft driven by the motor. A mechanical brake is used to brake the motor, while a valve provides a hydraulic brake for preventing flow between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulic pump. A brake actuator is connected to both the mechanical brake and the hydraulic brake, whereby actuation of the brake actuator causes both the mechanical brake and the hydraulic brake to be actuated.

Growing community of inventors

Sullivan, IL, United States of America

Thomas J Langenfeld