David Roberts (1859 - April 22, 1928, Grantham) was the Chief Engineer and managing director of Richard Hornsby & Sons in the early 1900s. His invention, the caterpillar track, was demonstrated to the army in 1907. In 1903, the British War Office offered
David Roberts (1859 - April 22, 1928, Grantham) was the Chief Engineer and managing director of Richard Hornsby & Sons in the early 1900s. His invention, the caterpillar track, was demonstrated to the army in 1907. In 1903, the British War Office offered a prize of 1000 pounds to produce a tractor that could haul a load of 25 tons for 40 miles without stopping for fuel or water. Hornsbys entered an 80 horsepower 12 ton tractor, which was the only entrant to complete the 40 miles, subsequently running on to 58 miles before running out of fuel. Roberts, from this experience of the War Office competition, had the vision to design a vehicle for the British Army which would be able to traverse unstable ground. On July 23, 1904, his patent (No. 16,345) obviated this problem, with a vehicle where two pitched chains of links and pins with cross bars and blocks of metal and wood to make contact with the ground are passed around the front and rear sprocket wheels, one on each side of the vehicle and form a track. In August 1906, the 1903 competition winning tractor was fitted with chain tracks. On testing this vehicle in July 1907, the word caterpillar was first used to describe the machine (by British soldiers).
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