▁world wide , ▁but ▁all ▁failed ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁practical ▁situations . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁Benjamin ▁Hol t ▁paid ▁Al vin ▁Or lando ▁Lomb ard ▁US $ 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁produce ▁vehicles ▁under ▁Lomb ard ' s ▁pat ent ▁for ▁the ▁Lomb ard ▁Ste am ▁Log ▁Ha uler . ▁The ▁center ▁of ▁innov ation ▁was ▁in ▁England , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁Hol t ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁England ▁to ▁learn ▁more ▁about ▁on going ▁development . ▁During ▁that ▁period , ▁the ▁chief ▁engineer ▁( and ▁man aging ▁director ) ▁of ▁Richard ▁Horn s by ▁& ▁S ons ▁in ▁Gran th am , ▁England , ▁David ▁Roberts , ▁was ▁experiment ing ▁with ▁a ▁chain - track . ▁Horn s by ' s ▁design ▁incorpor ated ▁a ▁ste ering ▁cl utch ▁that ▁varied ▁the ▁speed ▁of ▁each ▁set ▁of ▁whe els , ▁allowing ▁the ▁operator ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁tra ctor ▁by ▁ret arding ▁one ▁t read ▁or ▁the ▁other . ▁Roberts ▁of ▁Horn s by ▁& ▁S ons ▁obtained ▁a ▁pat ent ▁for ▁their ▁design ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁ ▁By ▁December ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁Hol t ▁w ield ed ▁considerable ▁influence ▁over ▁former ▁compet itors , ▁including ▁Hou ser - H aines ▁Man ufact uring ▁and ▁Matt ison - Will iam son ▁Works . ▁ ▁Hol t ▁returned ▁to ▁Stock ton ▁and ▁applied ▁his ▁skills ▁and ▁his ▁company ' s ▁expert ise ▁in ▁met all