An axle driving apparatus of the invention is available for an economical
vehicle having a belt type stepless transmission. The axle driving
apparatus includes a pair of axles connected to respective drive wheels, a
propelling transmission mechanism, and a steering transmission mechanism.
The propelling transmission mechanism is drivingly connected to said prime
mover through said belt type stepless transmission so as to transmit
speed-variable output rotation of said belt type stepless transmission to
both said axles, thereby rotating said axles together at various speeds in
a common direction selected from two opposite directions for forward and
backward traveling of said vehicle. The steering transmission mechanism is
drivingly connected to said prime mover so as to transmit two oppositely
directive output rotations to said respective axles, thereby
differentially rotating said axles at various differences of rotational
speed between said axles. If the belt type stepless transmission comprises
first and second belts through a variator pulley and the second belt is
looped over an input pulley of the propelling transmission mechanism, the
first belt may be looped over an input pulley of the steering transmission
mechanism. Alternatively, the first belt may be looped over a power
taking-out pulley provided on an input shaft of the steering transmission
mechanism.
