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The history of the tire - A far-reaching look back

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Created on February 1, 1987

Text:

Jan Norbye

Photos:

Archiv

1903 befestigten die Pioniere noch mit Stahlnägeln versehene Lederhüllen um die Pneumatics - Nahansicht

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1903 befestigten die Pioniere noch mit Stahlnägeln versehene Lederhüllen um die Pneumatics

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Der spätere holländische Flugzeugkonstrukteur Fokker entwarf diesen problemlosen Reifen

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Reifenpannen waren bei den geplagten Automobilisten an der Tagesordnung

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Der Luftdruck im Schlauch drückte den Reifen gegen den Felgenrand

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Ein Michelin-CAM-Testreifen Stahldrähte verbinden die Wülste die Leinwand-Plies verlaufen in der Längsrichtung

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Ein Continental-Reifen mit Gleitschutzdecke im Jahre 1921

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Der Michelin-X-Reifen in den Grössen 125 bis 400 in 1952

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Der Michelin-X-Reifen von 1952 von vorne gesehen. Die ausgebuchteten Seiten sollten für den Radialreifen typisch werden

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Summary

This article contains the following chapters

Removable rims
With vulcanization
Palmer's tire canvas
Part of the suspension system
Thanks to radial tires
Mignol's steel threads
New production method
"Metalic" tires
For Citroën and Lancia
New series from Michelin

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

In the beginning was the wheel. Carts with wheels were already being used 5000 years before the invention of the tire. The first tires made of iron rings or solid rubber were intended as protection for the wooden wheels. When John Boyd Dunlop applied for a patent for his pneumatic tires in 1888, he did not know that R. W. Thomson had already submitted a similar application in 1845. However, Thomson had hoped to use his tires to make horse-drawn carriages more comfortable, while Dunlop had devised the tires for his son's bicycle. In 1895, the brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin were the first to fit such pneumatic tires to an automobile, a Peugeot. The following eras each had their own special significance for tire development:1895 to 1910: Better methods were developed for mounting the tires on the rims. 1905 to 1915: Tires are better protected against nails and broken glass; the spare wheel is easier to fit. 1905 to 1940: A better profile prevents the wheels from slipping sideways and spinning. 1910 to 1950: The canvas is further developed and gradually becomes more durable. 1920 to 1950: Comfort, rolling resistance and directional stability are improved.

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