Automobiles · Vol. III|Pneumatic tire|1888
Pneumatic tire
1888
A cushion of air in a rubber tube turns a harsh road into a filter. Thomson patented the idea in 1845; Dunlop reinvented it for bicycles in 1888, and cars soon followed. Without pneumatic tires the automobile would have remained a bone-shaking curiosity. Comfort is not a luxury here. It is what lets speed be used.
John Boyd Dunlop (reinvention); Robert William Thomson (1845 patent) · Belfast
How it works
- Seal air in an inner tube (later a tubeless carcass).
- The air spring spreads the load and swallows bumps.
- Tread rubber grips; the carcass holds shape.
Why it mattered
- Made bicycle and car speeds tolerable on ordinary roads.
- Created a global rubber industry with a dark plantation history.
- Turned suspension into a partnership of air and steel.
What it unlocked
For further study
- National Museums NI. Dunlop’s bicycle tires.
- Tomes, The Pneumatic Tire. Technical history.
Check
What job does the air do that solid rubber does poorly?