What are the Foundations of Tire industry ?
History of Tire
Many of us are used to changing the worn tires of our car regularly; But maybe we don’t know anything about their history. Today, many innovations have been made in the field of car tires, such as radial tires, pneumatic tires, tire inflation indicators, etc.; But what were the tires like in the early years of automobile invention? Stay with us to find out In the 19th century, horse-drawn carts and sleighs needed solid wheels to move over hard, rocky, or uneven terrain. For this work, wood or metal were used, which had high strength but had an equally dry and rough ride. For this reason, rubber was considered as an alternative material to cover the wheels of the trucks; But this material had good resistance and adhesion only at normal temperature and became very soft in hot weather and dry and brittle in cold weather. But in 1839, a man named “Charles Goodyear” (whose last name is familiar to most of us) invented a process called vulcanization (in which rubber is made more resistant by sulfur and extreme heat), making more durable tires that after being deformed or bent They returned to their original state. This invention greatly contributed to the development of tires.
The invention of the pneumatic tire
In the mid-1880s, Europeans turned to bicycles and their use increased. Bicycle wheels in those years were made of wood, which were covered by thick tires; But these tires were not comfortable enough and caused fatigue during long-term cycling. In addition, with the development of bicycles and the increase in their speed, people were looking for more comfort of this device. While in 1945, the pneumatic tire was invented by a person named “Robert Thomson”, but in 1888, a man named “John Dunlop” (among other familiar names) due to the desire of his young son to have a more comfortable ride on a bicycle, the first practical and practical pneumatic tire invented and installed on a bicycle.
Detachable tire
Early tires were permanently mounted on wheels and could not be removed. When pneumatic tires were invented, the problem became even bigger because pneumatic tires attached to the wheel were very difficult to repair. In 1890, a British man named “Edward Michelin” (again a familiar name in the tire industry) invented the first detachable pneumatic tire and installed it on a bicycle in 1891, and patented his invention.
Treaded tires
In the early days of using pneumatic tires, these tires were made completely flat and without tread; But after tires were used in cars, due to the higher speed of cars than bicycles and use in different weather conditions, the need for better stability and traction of tires was felt. In 1904, the “Continental Tire of Germany” company invented treaded tires for the first time, and in 1908, the Goodyear company started producing these tires for moving on slippery roads.
Tubeless tires
Until the middle of the 20th century, tubular tires were used, and the first attempts to make tubeless tires were unsuccessful; But in 1946, the Goodrich company patented the invention of tubeless tires. It took until 1952 for this type of tire to reach the production stage, and finally in 1954, the first production car in the United States was driven with tubeless tires.
Tires in the 21st century
Today, many innovations have occurred in the field of car tires. One of these innovations is the Tire Pressure Monitoring System or TPMS, which is installed as a standard option in all new cars sold in the United States. This system shows the air pressure of each car tire to the driver and warns the driver if the air pressure is too low.