Transaxle

Claim 2

A transaxle comprising: a housing; a shift shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, said shift shaft having a first portion and a second portion wherein said first portion is of greater diameter than said second portion, said shift shaft having an output spur gear affixed to and rotatable with said shift shaft; a plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears journalled for free rotation on the first portion of said shift shaft; a drive gear integrally conjoined with a speed change gear, said drive gear being journalled for free rotation at least in part on the first portion of said shift shaft and said integrally conjoined speed change gear being journalled for free rotation on the second portion of said shift shaft, such that said drive gear is disposed axially intermediate said integrally conjoined speed change gear and said plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears; shift means rotatable with said shift shaft and axially movable on the first portion of said shift shaft for selectively coupling each of said plurality of speed change spur gears and said drive gear one at a time to said shift shaft to effect rotation in unison therewith; a counter shaft rotatably mounted in said housing parallel to said shift shaft; a plurality of companion spur gears affixed to and rotatable in unison with said counter shaft, each of said companion spur gears being in constant running mesh with at least one of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said integrally conjoined speed change gear; a differential gear assembly mounted in said housing and being in constant running mesh with the output spur gear of said shift shaft; and a pair of output drive shafts rotatably mounted in said housing and driven by said differential gear assembly.

Claim 3

The transaxle of claim 1, and further including: a reverse speed change gear journalled for free rotation on the first portion of said shift shaft, said shift means also selectively coupling said reverse speed change gear in like manner as said plurality of speed change gears and said drive gear; and a reverse intermediate gear rotatably mounted in said housing and being in constant running mesh with said reverse speed change gear and one of said plurality of companion spur gears.

Claim 4

The transaxle of claim 1, in which said shift means includes a shift key axially slidable in a longitudinal channel in the first portion of said shift shaft, said shift key being spring biased radially outward, and in which each of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said drive gear includes at least one radially oriented keyway adjacent said first portion of said shift shaft configured to receive said shift key therein when aligned therewith.

Claim 5

The transaxle of claim 2, in which said shift means includes a shift key axially slidable in a longitudinal channel in the first portion of said shift shaft, said shift key being spring biased radially outward, and in which each of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said drive gear includes at least one radially oriented keyway adjacent said first portion of said shift shaft configured to receive said shift key therein when aligned therewith.

Claim 6

The transaxle of claim 3, wherein said drive gear is a bevel gear and said at least one radially oriented keyway of said bevel gear underlies in a radially inward direction only the bevel gear while said integrally conjoined speed change gear is free of any underlying keyway.

Claim 7

The transaxle of claim 4, wherein said drive gear is a bevel gear and in which said at least one radially oriented keyway of said bevel gear underlies in a radially inward direction only the bevel gear while said integrally conjoined speed change spur gear is free of any underlying keyway.

Claim 8

The transaxle of claim 6, and further including a plurality of annular washers disposed between adjacent speed change gears and serving to separate adjacent keyways.

Claim 9

A transaxle comprising: a housing; a shift shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, said shift shaft having a first portion and a second portion wherein said first portion is of greater diameter than said second portion, said shift shaft having an output spur gear affixed to and rotatable with said shift shaft; a plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears and a reverse speed change spur gear journalled for free rotation on the first portion of said shift shaft; a neutral spacer disposed about the first portion of said shift shaft and intermediate said reverse speed change spur gear and said plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears, said neutral spacer defining at least in part an annular channel opening radially inward toward said shift shaft; a bevel gear integrally conjoined with a speed change spur gear, said bevel gear being journalled for free rotation at least in part on the first portion of said shift shaft and said integrally conjoined speed change gear being journalled for free rotation on the second portion of said shift shaft, such that said bevel gear is disposed axially intermediate said integrally conjoined speed change gear and said plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears; shift means rotatable with said shift shaft and axially movable on the first portion of said shift shaft for selectively coupling each of said plurality of speed change spur gears, said reverse speed change gear, and said bevel gear one at a time to said shift shaft to effect rotation in unison therewith, said shift means including a shift key axially slidable in a longitudinal channel in the first portion of said shift shaft, said shift key being spring biased radially outward, and in which each of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said bevel gear includes at least one radially oriented keyway adjacent said first portion of said shift shaft configured to receive said shift key therein when aligned therewith, the annular channel of said neutral spacer being configured to receive said shift key therein when aligned therewith without effecting coupling to said shift shaft; a counter shaft rotatably mounted in said housing parallel to said shift shaft; a plurality of companion spur gears affixed to and rotatable in unison with said counter shaft each of said companion spur gears being driving interconnected with at least one of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said integrally conjoined speed change gear; a differential gear assembly mounted in said housing and being in constant running mesh with the output spur gear of said shift shaft; and a pair of output drive shafts rotatably mounted in said housing and driven by said differential gear assembly.

Claim 10

A transaxle comprising: a housing; a shift shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, said shift shaft having a first portion and a second portion wherein said first portion is of greater diameter than said second portion, said shift shaft having an output spur gear affixed to and rotatable with said shift shaft; a plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears and a reverse speed change spur gear journalled for free rotation on the first portion of said shift shaft; a neutral spacer disposed about the first portion of said shift shaft and intermediate said reverse speed change spur gear and said plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears, said neutral spacer defining at least in part an annular channel opening radially inward toward said shift shaft; a bevel gear integrally conjoined with a speed change spur gear, said bevel gear being journalled for free rotation at least in part on the first portion of said shift shaft and said integrally conjoined speed change gear being journalled for free rotation on the second portion of said shift shaft, such that said bevel gear is disposed axially intermediate said integrally conjoined speed change gear and said plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears; shift means rotatable with said shift shaft and axially movable on the first portion of said shift shaft for selectively coupling each of said plurality of speed change spur gears, said reverse speed change gear, and said bevel gear one at a time to said shift shaft to effect rotation in unison therewith, said shift means including a shift key axially slidable in a longitudinal channel in the first portion of said shift shaft, said shift key being spring biased radially outward, and in which each of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said bevel gear includes at least one radially oriented keyway adjacent said first portion of said shift shaft configured to receive said shift key therein when aligned therewith, the annular channel of said neutral spacer being configured to receive said shift key therein when aligned therewith without effecting coupling to said shift shaft; a counter shaft rotatably mounted in said housing parallel to said shift shaft; a plurality of companion spur gears affixed to and rotatable in unison with said counter shaft each of said companion spur gears being driving interconnected with at least one of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said integrally conjoined speed change gear; a differential gear assembly mounted in said housing and being in constant running mesh with the output spur gear of said shift shaft; and a pair of output drive shafts rotatably mounted in said housing and driven by said differential gear assembly.

Claim 11

The transaxle of claim 8, in which said neutral spacer is constructed of stamped sheet metal and configured as an annular ring having a flat bottom wall, a radially inwardly extending end wall, and a radially outwardly extending opposite end wall.

Claim 12

The transaxle of claim 8, and further including a reverse intermediate gear rotatably mounted in said housing and being in constant running mesh with said reverse speed change gear and one of said plurality of companion spur gears.

Claim 13

The transaxle of claim 10, and further including a plurality of annular washers disposed between adjacent speed change gears and serving to separate adjacent keyways.

Claim 14

The transaxle of claim 11, in which one of said plurality of annular washers engages the radially outwardly extending opposite end wall of said neutral spacer and defines at least in part the annular channel.

Claim 15

The transaxle of claim 12, and further including a reverse intermediate gear rotatably mounted in said housing and being in constant running mesh with said reverse speed change gear and one of said plurality of companion spur gears.

Claim 16

A transaxle comprising: a housing; a shift shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, said shift shaft having an output spur gear affixed to and rotatable with said shift shaft; a plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears and a reverse speed change spur gear journalled for free rotation on the first portion of said shift shaft; shift means rotatable with said shift shaft and axially movable on said shift shaft for selectively coupling each of said plurality of speed change spur gears and said reverse speed change gear one at a time to said shift shaft to effect rotation in unison therewith; a counter shaft rotatably mounted in said housing parallel to said shift shaft; input means for driving said counter shaft; a plurality of companion spur gears affixed to and rotatable in unison with said counter shaft, each of said companion spur gears being drivingly connected with at least one of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said integrally conjoined speed change gear; a reverse intermediate gear rotatably mounted on a stub shaft in said housing and being in constant running mesh with said reverse speed change gear and one of said plurality of companion spur gears, the stub shaft of said reverse intermediate gear being supported on one circumferential half only by a half-bearing pocket integral with said housing; a differential gear assembly mounted in said housing and being in constant running mesh with the output spur gear of said shift shaft; and a pair of output drive shafts rotatably mounted in said housing and driven by said differential gear assembly.

Claim 17

A transaxle comprising: a housing; a shift shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, said shift shaft having an output spur gear affixed to and rotatable with said shift shaft; a plurality of adjacent speed change spur gears and a reverse speed change spur gear journalled for free rotation on the first portion of said shift shaft; shift means rotatable with said shift shaft and axially movable on said shift shaft for selectively coupling each of said plurality of speed change spur gears and said reverse speed change gear one at a time to said shift shaft to effect rotation in unison therewith; a counter shaft rotatably mounted in said housing parallel to said shift shaft; input means for driving said counter shaft; a plurality of companion spur gears affixed to and rotatable in unison with said counter shaft, each of said companion spur gears being drivingly connected with at least one of said plurality of adjacent speed change gears and said integrally conjoined speed change gear; a reverse intermediate gear rotatably mounted on a stub shaft in said housing and being in constant running mesh with said reverse speed change gear and one of said plurality of companion spur gears, the stub shaft of said reverse intermediate gear being supported on one circumferential half only by a half-bearing pocket integral with said housing; a differential gear assembly mounted in said housing and being in constant running mesh with the output spur gear of said shift shaft; and a pair of output drive shafts rotatably mounted in said housing and driven by said differential gear assembly.

Claim 18

The transaxle of claim 14, in which the half-bearing pocket is open in a direction toward a line extending through the axes of rotation of said reverse speed change gear and said one of said plurality of companion spur gears.

Claim 19

The transaxle of claim 15, in which said reverse speed change gear, said reverse intermediate gear and said one of said plurality of companion spur gears with which said reverse intermediate gear is in mesh are spaced relative to one another such that said reverse intermediate gear is restrained from escaping in the open direction of said half-bearing pocket by said reverse speed change gear and said one of said plurality of companion spur gears.