US Patent 9358879 Hydrostatic transaxle

A transaxle for a vehicle is provided, including a pump assembly having an input shaft extending from a housing and driven by a prime mover and a pump disposed on a first hydraulic mounting member attached to a pump housing. An attached motor assembly includes a tubular axle/motor housing, a motor disposed on a second hydraulic mounting member therein and openings in the axle/motor housing to receive hydraulic fluid from the first mounting member. The pump hydraulically drives the motor through porting formed in the first and second hydraulic mounting members via protrusions extending from the first mounting member to the second mounting member. A pair of dual planetary gear reduction mechanisms may be driven by the motor output shaft to power one of a pair of driven wheels of the vehicle.