The tyre was first invented and patented by R W Thomson.  He patented the Pneumatic Tyre in 1845. His first design used a number of thin inflated tubes inside a leather cover. This design actually had its advantages over later designs. It would take more than one puncture to deflate the whole tyre, and varying the pressures could alter the ride conditions.

RW Thomson - Tyre Invention 1845

It was not until the late nineteenth century, 1888, that John Boyd Dunlop invented the Rubber Pneumatic Tyre. Despite these technological breakthroughs the solid rubber tyre continued to be the dominant tyre and it was not until 1889 that the pneumatic tyre caught on.

In 1888, Scottish-born John Boyd Dunlop, a prosperous Veterinary Surgeon in practice in Belfast, Ireland, invented the Pneumatic Bicycle Tyre. A group of Irish businessmen from Dublin, realised the potential of the tyre, and, in 1889, together with Mr. Dunlop, formed a syndicate to float what was to become "THE DUNLOP PNEUMATIC TYRE COMPANY."

The first pneumatic bicycle tyres to reach Australia arrived in Melbourne in 1889, and within 2 years, the Dunlop Company was established in Europe & North America ( the first pneumatic bicycle tyres to reach North America arrived in New York on Christmas Day, 1890).

In 1893, the Dublin Company opened a Branch Office and Factory in Melbourne, Australia, right in the heart of Melbourne's Chinatown district.

Since the bicycle was the popular form of transport, and Cycle Racing the most popular sport, the introduction of the pneumatic tyre was an unqualified success. In spite of this, the Dunlop Company ran into financial difficulties and decided to sell its overseas holdings.

In 1899, a Canadian syndicate purchased the Australasian interests and floated "THE DUNLOP PNEUMATIC TYRE COMPANY OF AUSTRALASIA LTD as an Australian company, with a capital of 170, 000 Pounds ( $A 340, 000).

In 1905, the Company made the first of its many acquisitions with the purchase of its main rival the Barnet Glass Rubber Company.

In 1889, John Boyd Dunlop founded the Pneumatic Tyre Company and Booth's Cycle Agency, which were to become the Dunlop Rubber Company Limited.

The company became involved in aviation in 1910, when Dunlop Rubber Company introduced a wire-spoked wheel with a beaded tyre specifically designed for the aviation market.

In 1925, Dunlop formed a separate Aviation Division to produce

Dunlop was a Scottish vet living in Belfast. His son Johnny complained that when he rode his bicycle to school the cobbled streets made his bottom sore. Dunlop solved his son's problem by inventing a pneumatic tyre, but then it became clear that this tyre was faster - the lad kept winning cycle races. There was a famous cycle race on the Queen's College playing fields on 18 May 1889 and Dunlop persuaded the cycle champion Willie Hume to use the new tyres. Willie won the race and everybody wanted the tyres, and so the Dunlop Rubber Company was formed.

What Dunlop did not realise was that 43 years earlier another Scot had patented almost the same thing. Robert Thomson, who had been to America, returned to Britain and was given a workshop by his father where he invented all sorts of things. In 1845 Thomson patented what he called aerial wheels. There were no bicycles then, so it would not have been a bicycle tyre that he invented. There were no internal combustion engines either, just a few steam carriages, and otherwise horse-drawn carriages and carts. However, Thomson did some elegant experiments. 

He fitted his tyres to a carriage and, in Regent's Park in London, had it pulled side by side with an ordinary carriage. He showed it was much easier to pull the one with pneumatic tyres. All the watching journalists thought it would be slower because the tyres were soft. It was easier to pull and also silent - it did not make the noise of a carriage. The pneumatic tyres were a huge success but there was no market at the time - rubber was very expensive in the 1840s.

Robert Thomson is much under-rated. He invented a whole range of things including a fountain pen - possibly the first fountain pen, though there are other claimants. He never became rich and famous, perhaps because he was so far ahead of his time.

Dunlop first advertised his tyres in December 1888 in The Irish Cyclist, and in May of the following year the Tyre had its first breakthrough. A Belfast Cycle Race was won on pneumatic rubber tyres, and by now the public were starting to take note.

Unfortunately the original tyre had its drawbacks. The inner tube was difficult to get at because the tyre was stuck to the wheel. In 1890 CK Welsh patented the design of a wheel rim and outer cover with inextensible lip. By now we had the basics for today’s tyre. Over the years the tyre has developed into today’s high technology offerings. Two of the most important technical developments include Michelin’s creation of the radial tyre with its vastly superior grip in 1948, and when Dunlop did away with the inner tube on car tyres in 1972.

RW Thomson - Tyre Invention 1845

Time has given the motor industry tyres capable of many different applications. This ranges from High Speed Racing such as Formula One to Heavy Plant Usage on vehicles as large as a house. All tyres deliver a comfortable ride, relative puncture resistance, wear and performance. The importance of a tyre must not be taken for granted. After all a tyre is your vehicles only point of contact with the road.

Tread repair areas

 

AREA T Defined as Percentage of Nominal Section Width CAR Up to and including 155mm 60% Above 155mm to 200mm 65% Above 200mm 70% Commercial Vehicle Up to and Including 225mm 60% Above 225mm to 305mm 65% Above 305mm 70%

Cross Ply tyres – Minor repairs to Cross Ply tyres for Cars, Vans, and Commercial Vehicles

 

AREA T Defined as Percentage of Nominal Section Width CAR Up to and including 155mm 60% Above 155mm to 200mm 65% Above 200mm 70% Commercial Vehicle Up to and Including 225mm 60% Above 225mm to 305mm 65% Above 305mm 70%

Diagonal (Crossply) Injury Limitations: Straight Penetration Damage (After Preparation) Type Of Tyre Maximum size of damage at base of injury in Area T Car 6mm Commercial Vehicle 10mm

Motorcycle & Scooter Cross Ply tyres – Minor Repairs for Tyres Motorcycles and Scooters

 

Area T is defined as 50% of Nominal Section width Injury Limitations: Straight Penetration Damage Tyre Max. Size of Damage Max. no. of repairs Up to J Speed Rating 6mm 2 Above J up to V Speed Rating 3mm 1 Above V Speed Rating - 0

 

Sidewall Marking Explanation 205 Width of the tyre in millimetres 50 Height of the tyre sidewall as a percentage of the width. In this case 50% of 205mm. Also know as the aspect ratio. R Radial Construction. 15 The diameter of the tyre's inner rim in inches 91 Load Capacity of Tyre (See Load Table). In this case its 615kg V   Speed Symbol. Indicates the max. speed for the tyre at full load. In this case 149.1mph. E4 ECE type approval mark, which demonstrates the tyre has been tested as high quality by the European Regulatory Authorities. All Tyres sold by Black Circles carry this mark.