Patent 9291105 was granted and assigned to Clark Equipment Company on March, 2016 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Disclosed are horsepower management systems and methods for use on power machines with an engine that powers a drive system. An engine speed control device controls the engine speed. A variable displacement drive pump controlled by a displacement control member provides pressurized fluid to a drive motor. A control system communicates with the engine speed control device and the pump displacement control member. The control system includes a user input device and a command lever rotatably coupled to the displacement control member and capable of receiving the user input. The command lever provides a signal to the engine speed control device in response to the user input. The command lever also commands a given displacement via the displacement control member subject to load forces on the hydrostatic pump transmitted to a limiting mechanism coupled to the command lever and the displacement control member.