Rollin Henry White (1872-1962) - Find a Grave Memorial

Rollin Henry White

Birth

11 Jul 1872

Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA

Death

10 Sep 1962 (aged 90)

Florida, USA

Burial

Lake View Cemetery

Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA Show Map

Plot

Section 9; Lot 68-B

Memorial ID

View Source

Inscription

Rollin H. White contributed to the development of steam generation in early automobiles and trucks. He also designed and sold Cleveland Tractor Company crawler tractors under the trade name Cletrac.

In 1898, White went to work at his father's factory in Cleveland, the White Sewing Machine Company, and the following year, invented his flash boiler to generate steam rapidly and safely in passenger vehicles. He also designed an engine with high and low pressure cylinders, for which he received a gold medal at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The White Steamers, produced by the spin-off White Motor Co., enjoyed great respect, winning competitions and setting speed records.

In 1912, White turned his talents to designing crawler tractors. He formed the Cleveland Motor Plow Company (name changed to Cleveland Tractor Company in 1917). Cletrac tractors were known as strong and maneuverable because of White's innovations like controlled differential steering (which is still in use by some crawler tractor manufacturers in the 21st century), an elevated drive sprocket, a unique bead chain track system, a double drive socket, and an oil pump to lubricate bottom rollers. A large number of Cletrac tractors have survived to the present day, many still in use on farms and construction projects.

White's last patent, his one hundredth, was issued in August 1933.