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Although wheels have been in use for thousands of years, the idea of attaching rubber to the outer rim of vehicle wheels is a relatively recent development. Natural rubber was first attached to wooden or steel wheels in the early 1800s. But it wore out quickly, so the future of rubber-coated wheels seemed bleak, until Charles Goodyear, an inventor from Connecticut, U.S.A., came along. In 1839 Goodyear discovered a process known as vulcanization, that is, infusion of rubber with sulfur under heat and pressure. This process made rubber much easier to mold and vastly improved its resistance to wear. Solid rubber tires became more popular, but they gave a rough ride.

In 1845 the Scottish engineer Robert Thomson received a patent for the first pneumatic, or air-filled, tire. Another Scotchman, John Boyd Dunlop, improved the invention and the pneumatic tire became a commercial success.

One day a French cyclist got a flat tire. He attempted to repair it but failed because the tire was permanently bonded to the bicycle wheel. Edouard Michelin (Мишлен) who was known for his work with vulcanized rubber could help the fellow, but it took him nine hours to repair the tire. That experience motivated Michelin to develop a pneumatic tire that could be removed from its wheel for easy repair.

Michelin’s tires were so successful that a year later, in 1892, 10,000 happy cyclists were using them. Pneumatic tires were installed on horse-drawn carriages in Paris to the delight of their French passengers. In 1895 pneumatic tires could be used on motorized vehicles. Edouard and his brother André put them on a race car, but it finished last. Still people were so amazed by these unusual tires that they tried to cut the tires open to see just what the Michelin brothers had hidden inside them.

In 1930s and ’40s durable new materials such as rayon, nylon and polyester replaced more fragile ones – cotton and natural rubber.

Nowadays over 200 raw materials go into making tires. With the help of modern technologies some tires boast a life span of 80,000 miles (130,000 km) or more, while others can endure speeds of hundreds of miles per hour on a race car. So tires have become more affordable for an everyday consumer.

Ответьте на вопросы, используя, где можно, герундий.

1.What was the first step in the development of tires?

2.When did natural rubber begin to be used for producing tires?

3.Why did the future of rubber-coated wheels seem bleak?

4.Who discovered a process known as vulcanization?

5.What is vulcanization?

6.What was the next step in improving tires?

7.What invention by Michelin improved the quality of tires?

8.What materials go for making tires?

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