The idea of wheels probably arose from the pushing of objects placed on tree trunks that were laid side by side.[1] The oldest known wheel was produced by carving and rounding three side-by-side planks attached to each other with wooden studs. The earliest record of the wheel is the Sumerian (Uruk) pictogram, which depicts a wheeled sled, from 3,500 BC.[1] The production of pottery with the rotating table is also seen in Mesopotamia at the same time.[1]
Wheels, consisting of a circle and railings connecting the circle to the center, are first encountered on horse-drawn chariots in Anatolia in 2000 BC.[1] With the emergence of blacksmithing in Anatolia around 1400-1200 BC, the iron age began. This method allowed the production of more efficient and longer-lasting wheels.
In order to increase the durability of the wooden wheels, their outer walls began to be covered with an iron pillow in the form of a ring. Such iron or steel pads are also found on train wheels.
In the 18th century, rubber reached Europe and enabled the production of rubber-treaded wheels. Airless rubber-cushioned wheels were first used in London taxis in 1881.[3] Although tires with pneumatic (pneumatic) tires were invented in 1845, they did not become popular until the bicycle became popular—about half a century ago.[3] In 1888, Scottish veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop patented the air bicycle wheel.[3]
The first air wheels had an air rubber tube with a separate protective layer surrounding it. In the 1950s, one-piece (tubeless) pneumatic rubber wheels consisting of overlapping layers began to be used.