The history of modern tires dates back to 1846 when Robert Thompson, a railroad engineer, filed his patent for a pneumatic tire. Even then, its design had advantages over many later ones: the fact is that several air bellows were located inside the Thompson tire, and even having punctured one of them or a couple, it was possible to continue driving. As Thompson himself pointed out in the accompanying documents, his tire was supposed to reduce the forces spent on the movement of crews, as well as reduce noise. The tire was made of leather, which, in principle, provided medium wear resistance.
In 1888, John Dunlop manufactured his first tires for his son's tricycle. On July 23, 1888, Dunlop was granted patent N 10607 for an invention, and the priority for the use of a "pneumatic hoop" for vehicles was confirmed by the next patent dated August 31 of the same year.
The first who thought of using pneumatic tires on cars were the French, André and Edouard Michelin, who were already producing bicycle tires at that time. The first race on the Paris - Bordeaux route in a car with pneumatic tires was carried out in 1895, and a year later John Dunlop equipped the car with his tires.
In 1911, Philip Strauss invented the first tubular tire. Tubeless tires, invented earlier in 1903 by GoodYear engineers, gained popularity only after the war - in 1954, the Packard became the first vehicle equipped with tubeless tires as standard.
In 1923, Continental began using cord fabric in tires. This element consisted of shuttle threads held by support threads and covered with rubber. The tires made in this way lasted much longer.
In the 1950s, Michelin revolutionized the industry by introducing radial tires. The French managed to achieve a twofold increase in resource, in addition, the radial tires were somewhat quieter than the bias ones. However, the transition from a diagonal to a radial structure was delayed for almost 20 years and this was due to the fact that manufacturers experimented with materials and technologies, and only in the 70s they reached the level of price-quality ratio, which allowed almost the entire passenger car fleet to switch for the use of radial tires.
Since the end of the 40s, tires have been produced that are wider than height - the so-called super-balloons. This was followed by tires with low and ultra-low cross-section, in which the ratio between height and width was reduced to 80%.
Today, a 65% height-to-width ratio is standard on most vehicles. Modern tires are becoming wider - now the height-to-width ratio has already been reduced to 30%. Ultra-wide tires are produced for powerful sports car models, and are not widely used due to their high cost and operating characteristics.
Modern radial passenger car tires include up to 25 different structural parts and up to 12 different mixtures.
THE LATEST INVENTIONS IN THE TIRE INDUSTRY
The tire industry, like any other high-tech industry, is constantly evolving. A few years ago, everyone admired how tire workers manage to make 22-inch ultra-low-profile rubber, and now completely different delights are in favor.
The most popular technology in recent years has become "self-supporting tires". This type of rubber allows not to stop driving even with a complete loss of pressure in the tire, and the speed and distance do not suffer either. This technology is collectively called Run Flat Tires, abbreviated as RFT, and each of the manufacturers names such products in their own way.
The sealant will help seal one puncture. RFT tires have significantly reinforced sidewalls. The PAX system is used on armored limousines. The need for such wheels is long overdue. Few people enjoy changing a wheel in the field. That's when the new RFT tires come in handy.
Fifteen years ago, the world's leading tire manufacturers took care of this problem almost at the same time. How to keep air in the tire during a puncture? Three main options have been developed to solve this problem. In the beginning, the design genius came up with self-sealing tires. The principle of operation is simple: a layer of liquid sealant is applied to the inner surface of the tire. In the event of a puncture, the sealant quickly tightens the puncture, and in this state the car can reach the tire fitting without loss of control.
However, this technology had many disadvantages. More than one puncture - and the sealant no longer copes with its task. If the sidewall is broken, it is generally powerless. But the technology turned out to be very affordable, therefore it is used by many manufacturers to this day. But with another misfortune - the slow depressurization of the wheel - these sealants cannot cope. And such troubles arise very often, for example, after a strong impact, the rim bends - as a result, the air from the tire is slowly released.
This is where "self-supporting" tires will show themselves in all their glory! Their advantage is that the car will be able to travel a sufficient distance without loss of control, even if the wheel is punctured in several places and there is no air in the tire at all. The design is ingeniously simple: RFT tires have significantly reinforced sidewalls, and in the event of a loss of pressure, the entire mass of the car falls on them, saving the rims. For the first time such tires appeared as standard equipment on the Chevrolet Corvette in 1993. RFT technology allows you to drive 100-200 km on a completely flat tire at a speed of no more than 90 km / h.
Now almost all manufacturers have similar products in their arsenal.
RFT tires do their job great, but this technology also has its drawbacks: when flat, they behave almost exactly the same as fully inflated, and if the car is not equipped with tire pressure sensors, the driver may simply not notice the difference. In addition, these tires are stiffer, noisier and weigh more than usual, and the latter factor cannot but affect the economy.
Another option for solving the problem with a flat tire is an insert on the rim inside the tire. This technology has long been successfully used on armored limousines. But the inserts are also harsh, and you won't ride them for a particularly long time.
HISTORY OF SOME POPULAR BRANDS
DUNLOP
The merits of Dunlop in the development and improvement of pneumatic tires are significant and undeniable! Dunlop 
was the first to use rubber and steel studs on the tread. The company's engineers were the first to split the tread of a tire into multiple rows, which increased durability while maintaining traction. Dunlop pioneered the lateral grouser tire. As you know, the tube, patented by J. Dunlop, was borrowed from a soccer ball and could not be replaced, so Dunlop employee C. Woods was the first to invent the tube for pneumatic tires. The company was the first to bring the idea of \u200b\u200ba tubeless tire to life.
From the very beginning, the Dunlop team considered the tire not as a separate element, which many engineers sinned, but as an integral part of the car. This approach resulted in the creation of the world's first tire testing laboratory. Back in the late 1970s, Dunlop employees were the first in the world to develop the Denovo tires, which allowed them to keep driving even in the event of a puncture. Another idea, which Dunlop engineers have been working on since the mid-90s, is for the tires to inform the driver of their condition in the same way as other car systems, such as the engine cooling system or the electrical system, do.
Dunlop is ranked 5th in the world in terms of tire production. Dunlop has contracts for the supply of tires with 33 auto giants.
MICHELIN
In 1829, Edward Dowbry married a young Scotswoman, Elizabeth Barker, niece of a scientist by the name of 
The Macintosh, who first discovered that rubber dissolves in benzene, and who was the first to coat the fabric with this solution, pioneering the production of the first rubberized raincoats, sometimes called “macs” ever since. Madame Elizabeth Dowbry (Barker) was the first to understand the beauty of a solution of rubber in benzene and began to make balloons and balls for her children to play with. At the same time, after seeing enough of the kids' tricks with balls and balls, her two cousins \u200b\u200bdecided to develop the idea and set up a tiny rubber factory in the town of Clermont-Ferrand. On May 28, 1889, this company was named Michelin. Eduard Michelin was its first director and so, by chance, immortalized his name in history. In 1891, a bicycle with a Michelin tire won its first race victory and a year later, 10,000 bicycles were fitted with tires from this particular factory. In 1895, when the first car appeared, there was no longer an alternative for its wheels - only Michelin. For the first time in the world, the Eclair was equipped with pneumatic tires. This led to the victory in the Paris - Bordeaux - Paris race. After that the car and the pneumatic tire became inseparable ... 
In 1903, the very first motorcycle tire was manufactured at the factory. A few words about Edouard Micheline himself (1859-1940). A gifted and talented person who graduated from the Paris School of Arts long before participating in the rubber business, where he seriously studied painting. But, having gone into business, he served as the head of the company for 51 years.
GOODYEAR
The GoodYear trademark belongs to The GoodYear Tire - Rubber Company, which also owns the trademarks Dunlop, Fulda, Kelly, Debica, Sava. The corporation owes its name to Charles Goodyear, an American inventor who first discovered the rubber vulcanization process in 1834. The history of the company began in 1898 in the United States, when brothers Frank and Charles Seiberling founded a company to manufacture tires for bicycles and trucks. In 1903, a Lichfield engineer received a patent for the invention of a tubeless tire. GoodYear's recent history is marked primarily by the introduction of the Aquatread rain tires in 1992. The idea of \u200b\u200bsplitting the tread with a deep central groove for better drainage was revolutionary. The company is currently represented on six continents and sells its tires in 185 countries.
The history of the car tire dates back to the middle of the 19th century. After the American inventor Charles Goodyear discovered the production of rubber from rubber, a solid rubber rim stretched over a wooden wheel was used as a tire. It did not have an air gap, so driving a cart with such a tire on uneven roads was absolutely uncomfortable by today's standards, although the rubber layer of the wheel partially absorbed shocks and vibration.
Scottish inventor Robert William Thomson is considered the “forefather” of pneumatic tires. In 1845, he received a patent for an “improved wheel,” which was a wooden rim to which an outer tube-shaped leather cover was bolted onto it, and in turn was placed an air chamber made of rubberized canvas. However, at that time, this “improved wheel” was not successful due to its low strength, so everyone forgot about it.
The wheel of Robert William Thomson. 1- spoke, 2- rim, 3- hoop, 4- tire, 5- chamber, 6- outer cover, 7- for-rivets 8- washers 9- bolts. Image source: studfiles.net
Later, in 1888, British inventor John Boyd Dunlop proposed his own version of the pneumatic tire. He perfected his son's bike by attaching an air-filled garden hose to the wheel rim with canvas tape. To increase the strength of the top layer, a piece of strong rubber was attached to this tape. A year later, the success of this invention was confirmed in bicycle racing, and John Dunlop opened his own pneumatic tire workshop, which later transformed into the famous corporation “Dunlop Tire”.
John Dunlop's tire. 1 - rim, 2 - chamber, 3 - tire carcass, 4 - hubs. Image source: studfiles.net
Dunlop's new tire was not strong enough for the car's heavy weight. In addition, the non-removable tires made such tires extremely inconvenient to use. In 1890, Childe Kingston Weltch invented a new tire design for a car with removable tires. And a little later, in 1895, the brothers André and Edouard Michelin presented pneumatic tires that are completely suitable for use on a car. Now the Michelin name is probably known to almost everyone by the name of an international corporation.
Childe Kingston Weltch's tire. 1- rim, 2- wire rings, 3- tire. Image source: studfiles.net
Since the development of the Michelin brothers, the car tire has undergone frequent improvements to increase its durability and simplify mounting and dismounting. The tires began to use sealing materials in the form of strips - cords. For hundreds of years, experiments have been carried out with the composition of rubber, tread pattern, materials for the cord. All this was done in order to make the tires as reliable as possible even under high loads. Also later, tubeless tires were developed so that in the event of a puncture, it was possible to travel some more distance on the wheel. In the second half of the 20th century, low-profile tires were invented, which, in contrast to previously used tires with an almost “round” profile, have better grip.
Tire profiles. 1 - regular, 2 - low profile. Image source: studfiles.net
Today, research and inventions in the field of car tires are carried out not only to increase durability, but also towards environmental friendliness, because tire production causes great damage to the environment. Researchers and engineers are looking for new environmentally friendly materials for making tires.
The importance of the car tire to the automotive industry is undeniable. Tires provide smooth running, speed, safety, flotation and comfort. This automotive addition has evolved along with the automobile, and has played an important role in the development of the automotive industry.
There have been attempts to improve the wheel since the very moment of its invention. The first wooden wheels quickly collapsed on contact with the road. They were thought to be strengthened with a steel rim. The idea made the wheel more durable, but the terrible rumble and harshness remained a problem for years.
The first inventor of the tire is considered to be the Englishman Robert Thomson. In the middle of the 18th century, he patented his invention - a camera made of pieces of leather connected by rivets. However, his innovation has not received any practical application - no one is simply interested in this development.
The second inventor of the tire was also a resident of Foggy Albion - John Dunlop - an ordinary veterinarian. He lived at the end of the 18th century - at this time the bicycle was already widespread. The veterinarian's son could never learn to ride this very tough iron horse. Then Dunlop made hoops from an ordinary watering hose and pumped air into them. The result simply amazed the inventor himself and all his acquaintances. As a result, in 1888, John Dunlop received patent # 10607 for his "pneumatic hoop" that could be used for vehicles.
John Dunlop
In the 19th century, several inventors tried to refine the tire. In 1890, a young engineer, Charles Kingston Weltch, separated the tire from the tube. The process took place with the help of rings made of wire, which were clamped into the rim, and after a while the rim was given a certain depression in the center.
A little later, the Englishman Bartlett and the Frenchman Didier proposed methods of mounting and dismounting tires.
All this gave rise to the idea of \u200b\u200busing the tire in the automotive industry. The brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin were the first to "shoe" cars. Yes, the brand of one of the highest quality tires in the modern world is named after them.
Michelin Brothers
For the first time, pneumatic tires have been fitted to a Peugeot. The innovation provided the car with a smoother and softer ride, improved handling and longer life of both the wheels and the car itself. However, changing these tires was incredibly difficult and time consuming.
The Michelin brothers rose to fame when in 1985, wearing their tires, successfully completed a 1200 km race. Since that time, cars with tires on wheels have become the accepted norm.
In the 1950s, Michelin was already a full-fledged company. At this time, radial tires were first introduced into circulation. The invention had a belt made of steel cord. From that time on, tires began to be divided into winter and summer, it became possible to produce tubeless tires. Many experimental tires have also been created - in various sizes and with different tread patterns.
Since 1970, the tire industry has grown at a faster pace, and more and more competent tire manufacturers have emerged. This has led to today's diversity - because these days tires can be matched to any weather,
The automobile tire has come a long way from the first invention, which was patented back in 1846, to modern variety and technological excellence. More than a century ago, a single person was involved in the production of tires, and the first manufactories, factories and conveyors began to appear decades later. It is now giant transcontinental corporations that have their own testing bases, huge production facilities and a staff of tens of thousands of people ...
And on June 10, 1846, the United States issued a significant patent for the history of the automotive industry, number 10990, which secured to Robert W. Thompson the right to manufacture and install the world's first pneumatic tires, with a primitive by modern standards engineering solution based on an air chamber made of canvas impregnated with a solution of rubber mass and gutta-percha to retain air.
The outer part consisted of riveted pieces of tanned leather. The first tests of the new invention took place in the same year, when Thompson installed tires on a carriage, and then checked the level of thrust reduction. The results were great. Traction power decreased by 38% when driving on rough terrain, and on not the best road surface in the world by almost 70. In addition, traveling by carriage on these tires was more comfortable, softer and quieter. However, immediately after the death of the inventor, these tires were forgotten. The world began to wait for the emergence of a new guru in the field of pneumatic tires, trying to curse less while shaking in carriages.
The most powerful breakthrough in the field was the patent from 1888, which was issued to John Dunlop, whose name is known today, probably, every schoolboy who played any game about racing. It is the name Dunlop that is associated with the appearance of the first pneumatic tire in the form that we are used to seeing it.
In 1887, after numerous complaints from his son about the inconvenience of a bicycle, John Dunlop glued two hoops from a garden hose, pumped them with air, and then pulled them onto a bicycle wheel. Again, rubberized canvas was among the materials. The success of this Danlop tire was practically proven in the historic bicycle race in which the terrible cyclist William Hume on pneumatic bike easily won every race he ever dared to participate in. This success was the main reason for John Dunlop (apart from, of course, money problems in the family) to organize his own small tire production in Dublin. Pneumatic Tire & Bout Sales Bicycle Company became the first company in the world to study and manufacture pneumatic tires at an industrial level.
Just a year later, an unknown engineer at Dunlop's company suggested separating the tire from the tube and reinforcing the tire with wire rings. At the same time, the first method of mounting and dismounting tires was invented, which was a breakthrough for all tire companies.
After that, it took the world just five years for the Frenchmen André and Edouard Michelin (Michelin) to make the world's first car tire, which, with difficulty, reached the finish line. It was a raw pneumatic tire that did not take into account many external conditions, and the material had a huge amount of internal stresses, which led to dozens of punctures on the 1200 km track.
Just a year later in 1896, the Lanchester Car was fitted with tires from Dunlop, who tried to accommodate the mistakes of competitors. The first car tires significantly increased the cross-country ability, comfort, smoothness and speed of the car, but they were inconvenient in terms of installation. Sometimes it took the whole working day to install tires. Competition between tire manufacturers, growing demand, as well as the rather rapid rise in prices for pneumatic tires led to a constant search for new engineering solutions, which led to the emergence of standardization, improved tire mounting and dismounting systems, as well as innovations that are used to this day. For example, the introduction of cords into tires made from extra strong threads, new fastening systems, which became the main reason for the shaft-like growth of the tire industry in the early twentieth century.
It was during this period of time that the dynamics of the development of science, influencing the production of tires, primarily chemistry, is most clearly traced. The earliest tires were low profile, thin and similar to bicycle tires. This was due not so much to the peculiarities of the fashion of that time, but to the absence of carbon fillers to increase strength and reduce internal stresses, as well as to give a more rigid shape. It was the absence of carbon in rubber that led to the white and beige colors of tires in the early twentieth century.
However, already in the twenties and thirties of the twentieth century, carbon became an integral part of the rubber composition along with rubber, which led to a significant increase in the height and width of the tread. This increased the maximum load on the tire, allowing for improved carrying capacity, and also increased cross-country ability by increasing the contact patch of the tread with the road. Tires made of soft rubber, which, due to the special chemical structure of the mixture with carbon, have only the radial direction of the carcass threads, and therefore very clearly convey all the unevenness of the road to the car. It's uncomfortable and tough.
A real breakthrough was the appearance of chemical polymers, which made it possible to increase the rigidity of the structure without losing comfort and cross-country ability, as well as increasing the load on the tire. Bias tires are becoming ubiquitous.
Now science has stepped forward, and the competition between companies between each other is so detailed that sometimes it is even difficult to evaluate them for an ordinary buyer. Fractions of a second, grams of carrying capacity, imperceptible percentages of an increase in traction, a decrease in rolling resistance. Numbers-numbers ...
Material prepared in "Pokryshka.ru"
Date of publication: 17.02.2011.
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Additionally
The history of the invention of car tires
It is not known for certain when the wheel was invented, but the very fact of its invention is a turning point in the history of all mankind. People have long been using wheels to move, but the concept of "wheel" for a modern person and a representative of the Middle Ages is not the same thing at all. If in the 5th century AD, a wheel was considered a circle made of wood, reinforced with a metal rim, then at the present time, a wheel is a tire mounted on a rim, which provides smooth running, increases the speed of the car and improves its cross-country ability. It should also be remembered that the tire appeared a little earlier than the creation of the car. The reason for the interesting story of wheel development is the introduction of synthetic rubber tires in 1940.
Preview - click-to-zoom.
The beginning of the Golden Age of Bicycles ushered in a new Dunlop tire design
Work to increase the smoothness of the ride began with horse-drawn medieval carriages, initially the role of tires was played by iron hoops. They had both pros and cons. Indeed, with their use, the durability of wooden wheels was greatly increased, however, the shaking and rumble was unbearable. The first progenitor of modern tires appeared in the middle of the 19th century, they called it the "Air Wheel", the invention itself belongs to the Scotsman - Robert Thomson. It itself was a camera and a shell of small pieces of leather that were connected to each other with rivets. Thanks to the use of rubber, the chamber has become waterproof and sealed. Unfortunately, no one was interested in this development, although it was not far from the current developments. Probably, the world was simply not ready for such innovations yet.
Thomson's compatriot John Dunlop was in a completely different mood. His persistence and initiative helped him gain fame. His name in history is associated with the development of the first pneumatic tires, which were widely used. The main impetus for this development was the requests of the little son of the designer, who could not ride a bicycle. Everything that was at hand was used. John made hoops out of a water hose, put them on the wheels, and then pumped air into them. The result amazed both John and his son. After a short thought, John Dunlop patented his invention. A little later, Dunlop modernized his invention. For 1888, it consisted of a rubber tube attached to the metal rim of a spoked wheel with a rubberized canvas that formed the frame of the tire itself. Dunlop's invention was doomed to success, because the end of the 19th century is considered the golden age of bicycles, the greatest demand for them was during this period. From now on, bicycles were no longer called "bone shakers". After the fashion for bicycles, the birth of other types of transport (motorcycles and cars) followed. After a short time, Dunlop tires began to be used everywhere.
As for cars, the first to take on their "shoes" were two brothers from France - Edouard and Andre Michelin (the last name reminds nothing?). The first car to use pneumatic tires was the Peugeot. At the races of 1895, which, incidentally, were held for the first time, he took 9th place out of nineteen participants. During the race, on the track between the cities of Paris and Bordeaux, 22 sets of tires were used, not bad for a debut.
The main advantage of pneumatic tires is the smoothness and softness of the ride, as well as improved handling, overlapped the inconvenience in operation. To replace the kit, it was necessary to spend a lot of time, and most importantly, it was necessary to have special skills. This predetermined the further development of tires. We tried to find a way to increase the strength and durability of tires and to simplify mounting and dismounting. The speed of evolution of the tire is simply incredible, after fifty years they did not differ much from modern prototypes. The main event in the history of "tire manufacturing" was the use of synthetic rubber in 1940. In 1970 tubeless radial low profile tires were launched into mass production. Thanks to which, it was possible to bring the controllability indicator, and therefore the vehicle safety to a new level. Despite the achieved, at first glance, perfection, tire development continues to this day.
Closer to the present
Today's tire variety is amazing. They can be matched to different types of vehicles, road surfaces, seasons and even driving style. For a modern car enthusiast, the main need and headache is taking care of changing tires. For safety and road control, you should change tires every season. In winter, summer rubber treads become clogged, and it quickly deteriorates. But in summer, on the contrary, winter tires soften, grip is lost and tire wear quickly. All this is due to the fact that winter and summer differ not only in tread options, but also in their chemical composition.
Any motorist must also monitor the condition of the rubber, because if it "bald" and the tread height decreases, this will lead to tragic situations. The tread plays the role of grip in bad weather conditions (mud, snow, rain). The tread grooves, along specially designed grooves, squeeze out water (i.e. natural lubrication with the road) and ensure contact with the road. That is why you should monitor the resource of the tread.
By analogy, it can be assumed that if in rainy weather the tread helps by pushing out water, then on a dry road it reduces the area of \u200b\u200bcontact with the surface, therefore, grip deteriorates. However, priorities in life and on the race track are very different. In racing, speed is more important than safety, so a minimum tread height is used, but because of this, the life of racing tires is only 200 km.
In off-road competition for off-road vehicles, trial and others, the tire tread is especially aggressive. The main thing here is not speed or even safety, but grip on the track. To prevent the car from slipping in mud and soil, the wheels must be "toothed". In loose and swampy places, it is customary to reduce the pressure in the wheels in order to increase the contact area.
The best
What else can surprise, in addition to all its diversity, tread patterns and chemical composition? It turns out that there are some that cannot be found on a regular road. For example, mining dump trucks and Belaz "s with a carrying capacity of over 500 tons. In order to withstand such a weight, special tires are needed: diameter - 1.5 m, height - 4 meters and weight - over 5 tons. tires.
There are also opposite examples. The 1936 AA sedan tire, the Toyota brand, is 1875 times smaller than the dump truck tire. In 1993, a car with an electric motor was released. The length of the model is 4.8 mm, and the wheels are less than a millimeter.
