The term snow chainsis used to refer to metal chains that are fitted onto tyres to aid a vehicle's movement in snowy or icy terrain. These chains are wrapped around a tyre with the help of several hooks and links that fasten the chain, enabling it to snugly attach to the tyres. Snow chains work almost as an added extension or a protrusion of the tyre's tread.
In 4 wheelers, snow chains are attached only to the drive wheels of the vehicle while in 2 wheelers, the snow chains are installed on both the tyres.
Often assumed to be steel chains, snow chains can come in a variety of different materials. They can also differ in terms of the layouts or shapes they form on a tyre's tread and can have varying methods of installation as well.
It is important to note that while purchasing chains, your priority should not be to look for chains according to your car model or variant. In fact, you should always prioritize hunting for chains that are specifically made to fit the exact tyre size on your vehicle.
Driving with chains often reduces the fuel economy of your vehicle, and also restricts the maximum speed to approximately 50 km/h (30 mph). Going faster than the 50km/h will not only increase the chances of your chains coming off but can also wear them out extremely quickly.
How were they invented?
The inventor of snow chains, Mr. Harry D. Weed, was inspired by looking at ropes and vines that people used to tie on their car's tyres to try and get more traction on snow. He worked for a machine shop east of Syracuse (New York, United States) and randomly decided to experiment with a few steel chains. He kept joining the loose ends of these chains to form a structure that would be suitable for installation on a pneumatic tyre and voila, the snow chain was born.
Mr. Weed went on to get his invention called the "Grip-Tread for Pneumatic Tires" patented ( U.S. Patent 0,768,495) on the 23rd of August, 1904.
In July 1935, the Canadian Auguste Trudeau also obtained a patent for his tread and anti-skidding chain.
Also Read: How to Install Snow Chains On Your Tyres?
The Science behind snow chains
By default, snow tyres already have studs protruding out of the tread that are able to penetrate snow and water easily. The penetration is possible as the studs are hard, small and pointy with very less surface area. As a result, the weight of the car helps the studs in piercing through the layer of water or snow.
Think of chains as nothing more than massive studs. The chains can provide traction on ice or snow by penetrating the layers and helping the tyre reach the ground. The only drawback of chains is that they don't last very long and can be a little cumbersome to install.
