For years there has been a debate about what has been the single most influential invention of man. The answer to this question depends a lot on person to person. Many of the answers are based on the personal and professional belonging and knowledge of an individual. But if there is one answer that more or less everyone seems to agree upon, it is undisputedly ‘The wheel’. The wheel is a very uncomplicated invention itself, based on the concept of a round revolving object around an axle. But have you ever seen a mechanical equipment which does not contain at least one part based on the same concept? There is hardly any. From the very basic wheel used for animal driven carts to the ones used in a modern and , the founding principle of wheel is still the same.
In present times we see a lot of newer inventions which can replace the wheels as major transportation mechanism. We see highly electromagnetic trains and tracks, and we see hovercrafts and sledges. Although, the simplicity of wheel is something that makes it irreplaceable by any modern day mechanism.
The oldest evidence of the usage of wheel is known to be of around 3500 BC in Mesopotamia and consecutively in Central Europe. The first wheel was a potter’s wheel created of clay. The same idea travelled to the Indus Valley nearly half a century later. Pictorial evidences from Indus Valley civilization suggest that it was used mainly for traveling carts. Many people say that mechanical and industrial usage of wheels dates back much earlier than the usage in vehicles.
The wheel at that time was just a round slab of wood or clay. Near the 2000 BC, Egyptians used the wheels to create their elegant chariots. The Egyptian, as they did to any invention, improved the wheel. They designed spoke to make it stronger yet lighter than the slabs.
The wooden spooked wheel was used all over the world to run chariots and carts. With the rise of Metal Age, people began to mold the wooden wheel into much reliable iron and bronze. It is important to note that the usage of wheels was still not much common as the roads were not proper.
It was in the Nineteenth century that the wheels were again revolutionized. In 1802 G.F. Bauer introduced the tension spoke. The round tension spokes provide flexibility and durability which it lacked before. The very first tire was used to cover the bare rim of the wheel. The tire was nothing more than a thick and hard piece of rubber. In 1882, John Dunlop developed the inflatable tire to cushion his son’s bicycle and also patented it. The tires were air filled, therefore reduced the chances of injuries and aches during traveling.
These tires quickly became a rage but they were not very stable. In only three to four miles, the tire would get puncture or any other problem was likely to appear. Currently, the tires we have in our automobiles can go 50,000 miles before getting puncture or anything. The revolution didn’t end here, today, we see tires which don’t even need air but are more stronger. And still, it is too early to say where the next roll of the wheel might lead to.
Tags: luggage cart, portable cart