Evening star., 1925-03-29

Although the automobile, practical
~ speaking, is product of the
twentieth century, certain essential
features of it date back almost to
prehistoric times. Motors and batter
les, to be sure, are the results of
modern scientific effort, but the tire
is part of the motor car that had it's
beginning in ancient days.
A story has been handed down
through the ages about one Of our
ancestors of the Stone Age who built
up a large trade by winding serpents
around solid stone wheels, as tires.
The result Is believed to have looked
more or less like our balloon equipped
disc wheels of today.
Cushion Wheels 3,4OO Years Ago,
In the days of the Pharaohs, $500
years ago. Amenhotep III, King OF
Egypt. had a chariot, used by his
wife, Tiy. which had tires fashioned
of strips of leather. stained red,
binding two thicknesses of leather
padding. This chariot was found in
the tomb of Yuaa and Tuau, parents
of Thy, and represents probably one
of the earliest successful attempts
to cushion wheels.
In 1S46 Scotchman named Thomp-
son patented this Egyptian idea. His
leather cover bolted e. the wooden
rim of the wheel. The tire proved to
be impractical and was soon aban-
doned. Thompson had foresight,
though, for his patent also included a
rubber inner tube on the same prin-
ciple as those used today-in effect,
the first pneumatic tire.
In 1871 Thompson built several
road steamers of the traction type
and equipped them with solid rub
Der tires 5 inches thick and 10 inches
wide. These were the pioneer heavy
truck tires.
Two-wheeIed "Bone-Shaker.o
The two wheeled bone shaker" or
velocipede was introduced in Paris in
1864 or 1865. This torture machine
was originally equipped with fat
iron tires and hickory wheels. Later
solid rubber tires made of fiat strips
of rubber nailed to the wheel frames
were used.
With the advent OF the small
wheeled bicycle cycling was taken up
more generally and the question Of
vibration became an important one.
The Phantom" bicycle. the pride Of
1859, was the last of the old type.
Radical changes in bicycle and tire
construction followed. Wood was
dDdHuOHcu ana wire SuSpSuSlOH wheels
were introduced. Thick, solid rub
Der tires were vulcanized on q steel
ribbon, not quite meeting at the ends.
Two nuts were fixed to the steel rib
bon, near the joint of the tire. These
were joined together and held to the
rim with right-hand and a left-hand
screw. This was the first complete
mechanically fastened tire of the solid
type.
1t was not until 1888 that a vet
erinary from Belfast. Ireland, In
vented the first practical pneumatic
tire, which gave now life to the
bicycle and smoothed the way for
the automobile tires, which were to
follow in the early sos.
Air Tube Made OF Rubber.
The veterinarians first tire con-
sisted of an air tube made OF sheet
rubber, around which was wrapped
canvas bag whose sides overlapped. The
rim was made of Circular piece of
wood. On top Of this tire was fitted
strip Of rubber, serving as a cover
and taking the road wear. The whole
thing was not comely or finished with
mechanical accuracy, but It did the
trick, cut down vibration and in
creased speed.
The first detachable pneumatic was
"clincher," patented in 1890. There
was steel rim with slightly up
turned edges. an arch Of canvas lined
rubber as cover and an inner tube