Braking and speed control system

Claim 1

A vehicle comprising: a frame; a pair of drive wheels supporting said frame; a pair of hydrostatic drive units respectively for each of said drive wheels including a variable displacement pump and a hydraulic motor driven thereby and a control arm pivoted on each pump for varying the output thereof to its respective motor; pump speed control means operatively associated with both of said control arms for effecting simultaneous movement thereof in the same direction between neutral and forward positions; a manually operated speed control lever pivoted on said frame and having forward and neutral positions; means associated with said frame for fixing said speed control lever in a selected forward position; first spring-biased lost motion connecting means interconnecting said pump speed control means and said speed control lever in such a manner that said pump speed control means is normally biased to a forward speed position upon said speed control lever being in a forward position; brake means associated with said drive wheels for effecting simultaneous braking thereof, said brake means including a manually operated brake control linkage operatively associated therewith; an override link interconnecting said brake control linkage and said pump speed control means, said override link having a second lost motion connection with said pump speed control means so disposed that upon said brake control linkage being in a normal unbraked position, said second lost motion connection permits said pump speed control means to operate unhindered throughout its entire range of positions in response to operator movement of said speed control lever and upon said brake control linkage being actuated to brake said drive wheels with said speed control lever fixed in a forward position, said pump speed control means is returned to its neutral position overcoming said first spring-biased lost motion connection.