Variable speed drive having speed limiting means

Claim 1

In a driving mechanism for a tractor or the like, the combination of belt and pulley transmission means connecting the engine and driving wheel of the tractor, movable speed variation means carried by the tractor and operable by the driver to vary the speed ratio of engine and driving wheel through said transmission means, and movable limit means carried by the tractor and manually settable by the driver to selected position, said limit means being positioned relative to the speed variation means to stop movement of the speed variation means beyond the limit determined by the selected position of said limit means and hence to limit the range of variation in the speed ratio of the engine and driving wheel, said belt and pulley transmission means including a variable speed sheave assembly, and said speed variation means including an arm member pivotally carried by the tractor, said variable speed sheave assembly being carried on said arm member to swing therewith upon movement of the speed variation means, said movable limit means including a finger member pivotally carried by the tractor and having a detent, and a plurality of spaced fixed abutments engageable by the detent to hold the finger member in set position.