DRIVE SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE,PARTICULARLY AN ENDLESS-TRACK VEHICLE

摘要

A drive system for a tracked vehicle includes an engine carried in an engine housing and a transmission carried in a transmission housing. The axes of rotation of an engine output shaft, a drive transmission input and drive transmission output shaft are parallel to each other. Drivingly interconnecting the engine output shaft and the transmission input is a transfer gear carried in a transfer housing. The transfer housing is rigidly connected to the engine housing and drivingly engages the transmission input through a rotational coupling which permits radial and skew angular offsets between an axis of rotation of the transfer gear output and the axis of rotation of the transmission input to accommodate dimensional variation in the drive system components from ideal specified dimensions without stress. The engine housing and the transmission housing are detachably interconnected at their respective longitudinal ends by connecting links which permit limited movement of the housings relative to one another except about the main axes of rotation. As a result, drive transmission functions as a unitary mass in a horizontal plane and may be supported from three bearing mounts to which engine frame supports are connected.