For the longest time, we, including our ancestors, have been using automobiles for transport. But have you ever wondered how long ago they were invented?
And who got the idea of running those automobiles on wheels?
This article is going to enlighten you about the history of tyres and wheels.
Meaning of Tyre:
In American English, the word tyre is spelled as ‘tire’ which is considered the short form of the word attire, which refers to the wheel that has a tire on it, as a dressed wheel’.
But in British English, it is spelled as tyre which may be the negation of any weak or weary implication of the word.
The invention of the Wheel:
In history, the wheel is considered the most significant invention of man which affected transport and turned out to be a game changer for primitive times.
It was invented somewhere around 3500 BC, which is called the Bronze Age. Initially, a wheel was just a wooden piece covered with leather to have a smooth ride. Later on, the leather was replaced by rubber without air and the wheels were used for slow-running vehicles.
As Karl Benz invented the first gasoline car, the first metal tyres were seen covered with rubber and air. It happened in 1888 and these metal tyres were termed “pneumatic tyres”. The beginning of the use of these tyres was in 1895 after being featured in an automobile race.
Introduction of Tread Tyre:
1905 was the time for the introduction of the tread tyre. These tyres were designed to save the tyre carcass from direct contact with the road. It was also responsible for the improvement of the road surface friction coefficient.
Just like that, year by year, the designs, forms, and types of the tyres kept increasing and developing.
Mode of Transport To Luxury:
With the transformation of an automobile from a productive mode of transport to a sign of wealth and prosperity, driving performance effectively became a priority. This became the reason for the development of the Ultra High Performance (UHP) tyre, which provides superior control, driving, and braking performance at high speeds.
Since there was a focus on environmental conservation, from the 2000s onwards, tyres that increased fuel saving and were eco-friendly, were developed. These tyres also save energy by reducing the production price to half.
