One of Caterpillar's Fathers Inducted Into Inventor Hall of Fame

February 14, 2006 — One of Caterpillar Inc.'s founding fathers is being recognized for his ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit with induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. At a recent news conference held in Washington, D.C., the Hall of Fame announced it is posthumously honoring Benjamin Holt for ushering in the modern era of mechanized farming and construction with his "Traction Engine" (Patent #874,008).

 

Holt's invention was inspired by the plight of California farmers who found wheels ineffective in preventing heavy equipment from sinking into the soft, muddy soil. Holt designed a track-laying system to disperse weight and provide better traction, producing a prototype of the first practical track-type tractor in 1904. The photographer who documented one of its first successful tests dubbed the machine the "caterpillar," inspiring the company name.

 

"Holt invented the tracks, but he also set the standard for innovation and quality that all of Team Caterpillar aspires to in 2006 and beyond," said Robert T. Williams, Caterpillar vice president with responsibility for the company's flagship Track-Type Tractors Division.

 

In honor of the continuing inventive spirit at Caterpillar, the company is beginning an internal inventor award program, recognizing engineers who acquire 15 or more patents in the course of their Caterpillar careers. Caterpillar has more than 3,800 inventors who have contributed to more than 6,800 granted U.S. patents for Caterpillar, with nearly 1,200 U.S. patents alone granted within the last five years.

 

The Holt Manufacturing Company merged with competitor C. L. Best Tractor Co. in 1925, forming the Caterpillar Tractor Co., predecessor to modern-day Caterpillar Inc. Both founding families set in place the tradition of innovation that continues today. Benjamin Holt achieved 47 patents in his name; his nephew Pliny Holt had 38 patents. Fellow Caterpillar Inc. founders Daniel Best had 42 patents and his son C. L. Best, the first chairman of Caterpillar, had 27 patents. Some of C. L. Best's patents reflect inventions he refined during his tenure as chairman as he continued to innovate while leading the successful company.

 

Used extensively by the U.S., French, and British armies in World War I and World War II, the track-type tractor was used to haul men and supplies across the battlefield. From 1914 to 1918, 10,000 Caterpillar tractors were made by The Holt Manufacturing Company and other licensed manufacturers for use in the war. It was one of the inspirations for the design of the British tank, which profoundly altered ground warfare tactics. At the end of World War II, Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, Commander, Third Fleet, touted, "The four machines that won the war in the Pacific were the submarine, radar, the airplane and the tractor-bulldozer."