Pneumatic tyre
The materials of modern pneumatic tyres are synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric and wire, along with carbon black and other chemical compounds.
They consist of a tread and a body. The tread provides traction while the body provides containment for a quantity of compressed air which forms an inflatable cushion.
Before rubber was developed, the first versions of tyres were simply bands of metal that fitted around wooden wheels to prevent wear and tear. The early rubber tyres were solid, not pneumatic (air-filled) unlike the majority of todays tyres which are pneumatic inflatable structures.
10 inch tyre
This ten-inch diameter pneumatic tyre is not meant for use on roads but instead is for pneumatic trolleys and sack trolleys as well as other non-highway uses.
The maximum load of the tyre is 136kg. The first practical pneumatic tyre was made in 1888 by John Boyd Dunlop and whilst his 1888 patent was declared invalid in 1892 he is still credited with realising that rubber could withstand the wear and tear of being a tyre whilst retaining its resilience. Synthetic rubbers were invented in the laboratories of Bayer in the 1920s.
