The car you drive today is a result of centuries' worth of technological advancements and inventions that have made it possible for us to commute in our vehicles. One of those inventions are your vehicle's tyres which today, form an indispensable component of the quick and affordable modern day travel.
The tyres we see today have not been built in a day and gradual steps and inventions in the right direction have paved the way for the development of the commercially available pneumatic tyre. It's honestly difficult to give a straight answer regarding the inventor since there were so many people who contributed to the development of the tyre. That is precisely why we decided to go back in time and list out all of the significant personalities and events that made the invention of the tyre possible.
The Invention Of Vulcanized Rubber
The first invention that played a major role in the development of tyres was vulcanized rubber. Vulcanization refers to the process of heating rubber in the presence of sulphur, an accelerator and an activator at 140-160 degrees Celsius. The process is useful to convert natural rubber to a more durable material. It results in the formation of cross links between the individual rubber molecules which are responsible for its increased rigidity and durability.
The process of vulcanization was patented by Charles Goodyear in 1844. Apart from the fact that it made rubber more durable, vulcanization had another added benefit of imparting raw rubber a waterproof and winter proof quality. It also had a significant impact on secondary factors like elasticity, resilience and tensile strength that are essential for the performance we witness in tyres today.
The discovery of vulcanization was pivotal as it provided the fodder necessary for inventors to experiment and eventually invent tyres.
The First Pneumatic Tyre
Pneumatic here refers to the use of the technology of compressed air. Robert William Thomson was the first person to invent the first pneumatic tyre using vulcanized rubber. He did patent this invention of his but unfortunately, the whole process of manufacturing his tyres was way too costly to be commercially viable.
Also See:What Is A Tyre?
The First "Practical" Pneumatic tyre
This drawback was remedied by John Boyd Dunlop (1840-1921) who was a Scottish veterinarian and the recognized inventor of the first "practical" pneumatic tyre. Dunlop was the inventor of the first practical and commercially viable pneumatic tyre, but these tyres were not for automobiles but cycles! In fact, get this, he was so confident and proud of his invention that he put his tyres on a tricycle for testing and took it for a spin for everyone to see. He patented his invention in 1888.
Pneumatic Tyres For Automobiles
It was only seven years later that the pneumatic tyre was built for an automobile by none other than the Michelin Brothers. Andre Michelin and his brother Edouard, who already had a removable bike tyre patented to their names, were the first ones to develop a pneumatic tyre for an automobile. The brothers though faced the same fate as Robert William Thomson as their tyres though functional were not practical enough for commercial use.
This was taken care of by a man named Philip Strauss who invented the much-needed combination of a tyre and air-filled inner tube in 1911 that made it possible for pneumatic tyres to be commercially produced and used in automobiles.
Some other milestones in the history of tyres have been given below.
- In 1903, P.W. Litchfield of the Goodyear Tire Company patented the first tubeless tyre, however, it was never commercially exploited until it was used on the 1954 Packard.
- In 1904, mountable rims were introduced that allowed drivers to fix their own flats. In 1908, Frank Seiberling invented grooved tyres with improved road traction.
- In 1910, B.F. Goodrich Company invented longer life tyres by adding carbon to the rubber.
- Goodrich also invented the first synthetic rubber tyres in 1937 made of a patented substance called Chemigum.
- The first snow tyres for passenger cars, Hakkapeliitta, was invented by a Finnish company (now Nokian) in 1936. The tyre is considered one of the best in the industry and is still in production today.
