Self-propelled walk-behind implement and transaxle therefor
First Claim
1. A self-propelled, walk-behind implement comprising:
- a body;
an engine attached to said body, said engine having an output shaft;
ground-engaging drive wheels; and
a transaxle comprising;
a housing, a rotatable input shaft extending into said housing and selectively operatively engaged with said engine output shaft, an axle having an axis of rotation, said axle extending through said housing, said drive wheels coupled to said axle, a rotatable driving member disposed within said housing and engaged with said input shaft, said driving member being rotatably driven by said input shaft, and a driven member disposed within said housing and being rotatably driven by the rotating driving member, said driven member having;
a first axial position along said axle axis of rotation in which said driven member is out of operative engagement with said axle, said axle being freely rotatable relative to said housing when said driven member is in its said first axial position, and a second axial position along said axle axis of rotation when said input shaft is operatively engaged with said engine output shaft and in which said driven member is in operative engagement with said driving member and said axle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A self-propelled, walk-behind implement including a body, an engine attached to the body and having an output shaft, ground-engaging drive wheels, and a transaxle. The transaxle includes a housing, a input shaft extending into the housing and selectively operatively engaged with the output shaft, an axle having an axis of rotation and extending through the housing, the drive wheels coupled to the axle, a rotatable driving member disposed within the housing and engaged with the input shaft, and a driven member disposed within the housing and driven by the driving member. The driven member has a first axial position along the axle in which the driven member is not engaging the axle and the axle is freely rotatable, and a second axial position in which the driven member is in operative engagement with the driving member and the axle and the input and output shafts are operatively engaged.
26 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A self-propelled, walk-behind implement comprising:
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a body;
an engine attached to said body, said engine having an output shaft;
ground-engaging drive wheels; and
a transaxle comprising;
a housing, a rotatable input shaft extending into said housing and selectively operatively engaged with said engine output shaft, an axle having an axis of rotation, said axle extending through said housing, said drive wheels coupled to said axle, a rotatable driving member disposed within said housing and engaged with said input shaft, said driving member being rotatably driven by said input shaft, and a driven member disposed within said housing and being rotatably driven by the rotating driving member, said driven member having;
a first axial position along said axle axis of rotation in which said driven member is out of operative engagement with said axle, said axle being freely rotatable relative to said housing when said driven member is in its said first axial position, and a second axial position along said axle axis of rotation when said input shaft is operatively engaged with said engine output shaft and in which said driven member is in operative engagement with said driving member and said axle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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18. A transaxle for a walk-behind implement comprising:
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a housing;
a rotatable input shaft extending into said housing;
an axle having an axis of rotation, said axle extending through said housing;
a rotatable driving member disposed within said housing and engaged with said input shaft, said driving member being rotatably driven by said input shaft; and
a driven member disposed within said housing and being rotatably driven by the rotating driving member, said driven member having;
a first axial position along said axle axis of rotation in which said driven member is out of operative engagement with said axle, said axle being freely rotatable relative to said housing when said driven member is in its said first axial position, and a second axial position along said axle axis of rotation when said input shaft is rotated and in which said driven member is in operative engagement with said driving member and said axle.
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Specification