February 12, 2007

Dunlop

And the man behind the brand is...
John Dunlop

The streets of 1880s Belfast were pitted with granite outcroppings and tramlines, hardly the course of choice for young cyclists. Ten-year old Johnnie Dunlop pleaded with his father to create something to make his high-wheel tricycle rides more comfortable. His father, a prominent veterinarian, promised to do his best.

John Boyd Dunlop grew up in Scotland, the son of a tenant farmer.
He managed to get into the Royal Dick Veterinarian College in Edinburgh from which he migrated to Northern Ireland. Over the years he built his practice so that he employed 12 horseshoers. It wasn’t the classic background to revolutionize the transportation industry.

Dunlop started with a rubbered canvas and stretched it over a rubber tube which he attached to the periphery of a wooden disk. He inflated the tube with air and put it through some crude tests. The results were encouraging enough to continue working on tricycle tires based on the same principle.

On the night of February 28, 1888 the Dunlops gathered to secretly road test the new tire. A total eclipse of the moon injected added suspense but when Johnnie returned he beamed with pleasure about his ride. Dunlop proceeded to patent his tire and followed it up with two more patents in 1889, including one to cover the form of an inflation valve.

Dunlop’s new tire was so obviously better than solid tires that they began appearing on racing cycles within six months. William Hume, described as only a “medium rider,” was the first to use a Dunlop pneumatic tire. He crushed stronger riders in all three races he entered that day. The laughter in the crowd that greeted his “pudding tires” was quieted by day’s end.

The Pneumatic Tyre Company formed to meet the demand for the new tires. Dunlop received 300 pounds in cash and 3000 $1 shares in the newly formed venture. But it turned out Dunlop had not invented the pneumatic tire.
He had reinvented it. The patent office disallowed his claims citing an 1845 Aerial Wheel with air tubes submitted by R.W. Thomson. Thomson’s design, while sound, was ignored for nearly a half a century.

When his patent was ruled invalid Dunlop shifted from tires to bicycles.
His new bicycle rode on traditional solid tires, which were rapidly being replaced by his pneumatics. By 1895 he was gone from the business. A year later the Pneumatic Tyre Company became the Dunlop Pnuematic Tyre Company,
the forerunner of Dunlop Rubber.

John Dunlop lived to the advance age of 81, dying in 1921. Just before his death he published The History of the Pneumatic Tyre, a rambling reminiscence by an octogenarian looking back on the pivotal time in the development of the tire.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

burberry, true religion outlet, replica handbags, nike free run uk, true religion jeans, abercrombie and fitch, michael kors outlet, coach outlet, hogan, nike air max, true religion jeans, nike air max, kate spade handbags, lacoste pas cher, michael kors outlet, burberry outlet online, hermes, michael kors, new balance pas cher, ray ban pas cher, vanessa bruno, lululemon, ugg boots, sac guess, converse pas cher, ralph lauren uk, mulberry, coach outlet, michael kors outlet, ugg boots, michael kors outlet, vans pas cher, nike roshe, timberland, michael kors, north face, nike blazer, tn pas cher, nike air max, north face, air force, ray ban uk, oakley pas cher, hollister pas cher, michael kors outlet, coach purses, michael kors, michael kors, true religion jeans, hollister

Unknown said...

ralph lauren, birkin bag, babyliss, reebok shoes, p90x workout, nfl jerseys, abercrombie and fitch, soccer jerseys, nike air max, jimmy choo shoes, north face outlet, beats by dre, valentino shoes, insanity workout, hollister, nike huarache, timberland boots, mac cosmetics, new balance, north face outlet, lancel, louboutin, chi flat iron, ray ban, vans, instyler, lululemon, baseball bats, mcm handbags, nike roshe, iphone cases, ferragamo shoes, hollister, nike air max, longchamp, bottega veneta, asics running shoes, ghd, wedding dresses, mont blanc, soccer shoes, nike trainers, herve leger, celine handbags, converse outlet, giuseppe zanotti, hollister, gucci, oakley, vans shoes

Unknown said...

moncler, supra shoes, moncler, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, doudoune canada goose, canada goose uk, canada goose outlet, karen millen, louis vuitton, canada goose, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, swarovski crystal, canada goose, sac louis vuitton pas cher, pandora jewelry, moncler, moncler outlet, canada goose outlet, moncler, pandora charms, louis vuitton, thomas sabo, montre pas cher, louis vuitton, moncler, louis vuitton, juicy couture outlet, marc jacobs, bottes ugg, toms shoes, swarovski, juicy couture outlet, moncler, pandora charms, links of london, moncler, coach outlet, hollister, replica watches, ugg pas cher, canada goose, ugg boots uk, wedding dresses, pandora jewelry, canada goose

Unknown said...

ugg boots, nike air max, replica watches, louis vuitton outlet, air jordan pas cher, prada outlet, oakley sunglasses, replica watches, longchamp outlet, nike free, oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton outlet, ray ban sunglasses, polo ralph lauren outlet, louis vuitton, louis vuitton, tory burch outlet, christian louboutin outlet, nike air max, prada handbags, louboutin outlet, cheap oakley sunglasses, chanel handbags, kate spade outlet, longchamp, nike free, ray ban sunglasses, polo ralph lauren outlet, nike roshe run, tiffany and co, michael kors, uggs on sale, ralph lauren pas cher, sac longchamp, jordan shoes, oakley sunglasses, tiffany jewelry, louis vuitton, nike outlet, louboutin pas cher, gucci outlet, longchamp pas cher, ray ban sunglasses, longchamp outlet, louboutin, oakley sunglasses, air max, louboutin shoes, burberry, ugg boots