Abstract: A power unit includes an engine, a belt transmission driven by the engine, and a second transmission driven by the belt transmission. The engine includes an engine output shaft having an end portion projecting outward from the engine. The second transmission includes a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft having respective end portions projecting outward from the second transmission. The belt transmission includes a drive pulley provided on the end portion of the engine output shaft, a driven pulley provided on the end portion of the transmission input shaft, and a belt looped over the drive and driven pulleys. The belt has first and second portions between the drive and driven pulleys. The first portion runs from the drive pulley to the driven pulley. The second portion runs from the driven pulley to the drive pulley.

Abstract: A power unit may include an engine, a belt transmission driven by the engine, a belt transmission chamber incorporating the belt transmission, a second transmission driven by the belt transmission, a second transmission chamber incorporating the second transmission, and a housing member constituting both a part of the belt transmission chamber and a part of the second transmission chamber.

Abstract: A utility vehicle comprises: a cargo; an engine disposed under the cargo, the engine including a fore-and-aft crankshaft; a lateral axle disposed under the cargo; a hydrostatic transmission (a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor) disposed under the cargo so as to transmit power from the engine to the axle; and a mechanical transmission (e.g., a planetary gear mechanism) disposed under the cargo so as to transmit power from the engine to the axle. The mechanical transmission includes a transmission shaft disposed in parallel to the axle. The hydrostatic transmission and the mechanical transmission are laterally juxtaposed. Therefore, the utility vehicle is minimized while ensuring a sufficiently large capacity of the cargo.

Abstract: A power take-off support portion, including a shaft hole and an outer side surface formed around the shaft hole, is formed on a transaxle housing. The outer side surface of the power take-off support portion is shaped to fit a power take-off casing supporting a power take-off shaft in a first direction. A power take-off casing includes a power take-off main casing member and a base casing member joined to each other. The base casing member is formed with an inner side surface and an outer side surface. The inner side surface and the outer side surface of the base casing member are shaped so that the power take-off shaft supported by the power take-off main casing member is oriented in a second direction different from the first direction when the inner side surface of the base casing member is fitted to the outer side surface of the power take-off support portion, and the outer side surface of the base casing member is fitted to the inner side surface of the power take-off main casing member.

Abstract: In a transaxle, a transaxle housing includes a first divisional housing member and a second divisional housing member joined to each other. A transmission is disposed in the first divisional housing member. An axle is disposed in the mutually joined first and second divisional housing members and drivingly connected to the transmission in the first divisional housing member. A brake device is provided on the axle. The second divisional housing member is formed integrally with a brake chamber portion joined to the first divisional housing member so as to incorporate the brake device in the brake chamber portion. The transaxle is provided with a power take-off device for taking off power from the transmission, including a power take-off casing. A connection shaft is interposed between the transmission and the power take-off device. The second divisional housing member is formed integrally with a mount portion expanded from the brake chamber portion radially with respect to the axle.

Abstract: A power transmission apparatus interposed between a prime mover and an axle, comprising: an automatic continuously variable belt transmission serving as a main transmission; and a gear transmission serving as a sub-transmission. The sub-transmission includes input means for receiving power from the main transmission, output means for outputting power to the axle, a first gear train interposed between the input means and the output means so as to have a first deceleration ratio, a first clutch disposed on the first gear train, a second gear train interposed between the input means and the output means so as to have a second deceleration ratio which is different from the first deceleration ratio, and a second clutch disposed on the second gear train. The first clutch is engaged when a rotary speed of the input means is not smaller than a threshold value, and the second clutch is engaged unless the first clutch is engaged.

Abstract: A utility vehicle comprises: a cargo; an engine disposed under the cargo, the engine including a fore-and-aft crankshaft; a lateral axle disposed under the cargo; a hydrostatic transmission (a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor) disposed under the cargo so as to transmit power from the engine to the axle; and a mechanical transmission (e.g., a planetary gear mechanism) disposed under the cargo so as to transmit power from the engine to the axle. The mechanical transmission includes a transmission shaft disposed in parallel to the axle. The hydrostatic transmission and the mechanical transmission are laterally juxtaposed. Therefore, the utility vehicle is minimized while ensuring a sufficiently large capacity of the cargo.

Abstract: In a vehicle body assembly line is disposed a jig unit having a mechanism for aligning and clamping a side inner panel and a mechanism for aligning and clamping a front header and a rear header of a roof panel. Each of the mechanisms is movable between a position of aligning and holding the member for structuring a vehicle body and a position of evacuating the mechanism from the vehicle body sections. The vehicle body assembly line has nine stations for subassembling the structuring members. In the second station, the side inner panel is set to the jig unit which is transferred to the third station with a welding robot disposed therein, in which the front and rear headers are set to the jig unit and they are temporarily welded to the side inner panel. The jig unit is transferred to the fourth station where the headers are permanently welded to the side inner panel. The side outer panel is aligned on the basis of the side inner panel in the fifth station and it is welded in the sixth station.

Abstract: The method involved in the present invention is directed to the coating step where an assembled unit of the upper vehicle body and the under vehicle body is coated and the upper vehicle body section is separated from the under vehicle body after coating. In the vehicle body assembly step, the vehicle body is loaded on a jig unit disposed so as to be movable through stations located along the vehicle body assembly line. Upon loading the upper vehicle body on the jig unit, the vehicle body is aligned with the jig unit on the basis of an inner member of a member for structuring the vehicle body with the aid of an aligning unit mounted to the jig unit. After coating the assembled vehicle body unit, the unit is divided into the upper vehicle body and the under vehicle body, which are then processed in separate mounting steps. After mounting various parts to each of the upper vehicle body and the under vehicle body in their own mounting lines, the upper vehicle body is combined with the under vehicle body.