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The Evolution of the Wheel. The Beginning . 3500 B.C. the wheel was seen in Ancient Mesopotamia (potter’s wheel) 3200 B.C. the wheel was first seen used for transportation (Mesopotamian chariots) Before the first wheel, many rollers were required to move objects.
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The Beginning • 3500 B.C. the wheel was seen in Ancient Mesopotamia (potter’s wheel) • 3200 B.C. the wheel was first seen used for transportation (Mesopotamian chariots) • Before the first wheel, many rollers were required to move objects. • This problem was overcome by the Flintstones
Further Innovations • 2000 B.C. the Egyptians invented the first wheel with spokes. • They did this by carving the wheels to the right shape. • 1000 B.C. iron rims where invented by the Celtics
Wire Spokes • 1802: G.F. Bauer invented wire tension spoke. • Wire threaded through the entire wheel. • Within a few years, a new innovation was made to Bauer's design.
The Pneumatic Tire • 1845: R. W. Thomson invented the first pneumatic tire (filled with compressed air). • Leather tread, rubber inner tube. • 1888 the pneumatic tire was reinvented by John Dunlop. • Outer tube made canvas covered by vulcanized rubber.
More Metal • In 1926, steel welded-spoke wheels were invented. • In the late 1960s, wheels started to be casted out of different alloys. • Magnesium alloy wheel on a Porsche Carrera GT.
The Future • 2006: the Tweel returns to using a non-pneumatic solution. • The rolling surface consists of a rubber tread, bonded to the hub by flexible spokes. • The flexible spokes are fused with a deformable wheel that absorbs shocks and rebounds.
Work Cited Google Images. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved September 6, 2011, from http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi History of the Wheel - autoevolution. (n.d.). autoevolution - automotive news & test drives - nihil sine machinae. Retrieved September 6, 2011, from http://www.autoevolution.com/news/history-of-the-wheel-7334.html John Dunlop, Jr rode a bicycle » Cyclelicious. (n.d.). Cyclelicious. Retrieved September 8, 2011, from http://www.cyclelicio.us/2010/john-dunlop-photo/ Tire | Vehicle Terms, Parts and Abbreviations. (n.d.). Diseno-art.com | From Concept Cars to Power Boats. Retrieved September 8, 2011, from http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/terms/tire.html Yenne, B., & Morton. (n.d.). Wheel History - Invention of the Wheel. The Great Idea Finder - Celebrating the Spirit of Innovation . Retrieved September 6, 2011, from http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/wheel.htm