Change speed transmission for vehicle hydrostatic drive

Claim 1

IN A VEHICLE HAVING A GENERALLY LONGITUDINAL SUPPORT FRAME STRUCTURE AND A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING WHEEL AXLE ASSEMBLY FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, THE COMBINATION, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF CHANGE-SPEED TRANSMISSIONS INCLUDING A HOUSING FOR EACH THEREOF: MEANS DETACHABLY AND NON-ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID TRANSMISSION HOUSINGS ONE EACH ON AN OPPOSITE END OF SAID AXLE ASSEMBLY; EACH OF SAID TRANSMISSIONS INCLUDING AN INPUT SHAFT, GEARING MECHANISM OPERABLE FOR PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF SELECTABLE GEAR SPEED RATIO DRIVES THERETHROUGH, AND AN OUTPUT SHAFT, AND HAVING SAID LATTER SHAFT EXTENDING THEREFROM ON THE SIDE OF RESPECTIVE HOUSING OPPOSITE THAT TO WHICH THE PROXIMATE END OF SAID AXLE ASSEMBLY IS MOUNTED; A PLURALITY OF TRACTION WHEELS DETACHABLY MOUNTED ONE EACH ON A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID OUTPUT SHAFTS AND CONSTRAINED FOR ROTATION THEREWITH; A PLURALITY OF HYDRAULIC MOTORS MOUNTED ONE EACH ON A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID HOUSINGS AND BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID INPUT SHAFTS AND OPERATIVE FOR DRIVING SAID TRANSMISSIONS; A SOURCE OF FLUID PRESSURE CONNECTED FOR OPERATION OF SAID HYDRAULIC MOTORS; CONTROL LINKAGE MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID CHANGE-SKPEED TRANSMISSIONS AND HAVING SAID LINKAGE OPERATIVE FOR SELECTING SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR EACH OF SAID TRANSMISSIONS EACH OF THE GEAR SPEED RATIO DRIVES AVAILABLE THROUGH EACH OF SAID CHANGE-SPEED TRANSMISSIONS; AND CONTROL VALVE MEANS INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SOURCE OF FLUID PRESSURE AND SAID HYDRAULIC MOTORS AND OPERATIVE FOR INDIVIDUALLY CONTROLLING THE SPEED AND DIRECTION OF DRIVE OF EACH TRACTION WHEEL IRRESPECTIVE OF THE GEAR SPEED RATIO SELECTED BY SAID CONTROL LINKAGE MEANS FOR THE TRANSMISSION CONNECTED TO A RESPECTIVE TRACTION WHEEL THEREBY TO EFFECT STEERING OF THE VEHICLE.