The wheel is known as an organ or mechanical piece of circular shape that rotates around an axis that passes through its center. His invention is very old, it has been one of the foundations of our transport technologies, still in modern times, the wheel serves to move large loads on the ground, by reducing friction forces, therefore, it is a fundamental factor in the productive development of a nation, That is why it is so used, mainly, in land transportation. Know what else the wheel is for.
Index
History of the wheel
The invention of the wheel was a true revolution in the history of mankind, it is one of the 8 simple machines that mainly influenced the fields of transport and agriculture.
This simple and great invention is a technique devised about 3500 years before Christ and that has not yet passed, it is useless to list all the machines that still use it today.
According to various archaeologists, the invention of the wheel is attributed to ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq), some 3,500 years before Christ.
However, this origin was questioned in 1974 with the discovery, in Poland, of the remains of the Bronocice ceramic pot, which also appears in the pictogram engraved with a four-wheeled cart. Although it dates from the same period as the Sumerian remains, caution is still required regarding the birth of the wheel.
Other older discoveries in Central Europe however seem to increasingly exclude the primacy of the Sumerians.
Wheel evolution
The discovery of a round object, called a wheel, seems to be the most significant impact in our daily lives. During its early stages it must have revolutionized the way of life of mankind.
Before the discovery of the wheel, the main source of movement was man and animals. The horse, the donkey and the cattle were their main sources of communication.
It is known that the first wheels were solid, made of a piece of stone or wood and consisted of 3 or 4 assembled pieces. This invention facilitated the movement of carriages that were driven by horses or by human physical force.
Much lighter spoked wheels and rims appeared around 2,000 years before Christ. These wheels, integral with the axle, constituted a crankshaft that connected two wheels located on one and the other side of the box.
The wheels were then mounted on their axles with ball bearings or a hydraulic bearing was used instead. The use of one or the other of these methods provided a reliable mechanical connection with a minimum of friction.
While it is true that the system has evolved in the tire, ball bearing, link modifications, etc. the principle remains the same: a round piece that rotates around an axis fixed at its center.
The great comfort that we enjoy today is given with the use of suspensions and the addition of rubber bands that also offer the advantage of avoiding deformation of the wheel.
Parts of a wheel
Central hole
It is the opening that allows the wheel to fit on the axle. This is the part that actually attaches the wheel to the vehicle and supports the weight of the vehicle.
Central disc
This is the part of the wheel where the bolt holes are machined to create the bolt circle. This area is the point of contact with the shaft seat, the bolts, and the side surface of the rotor. Everything on the wheel somehow connects to the disk.
Lug holes
They create the bolt circle with 4 or more openings. The diameter of the bolt circle is abbreviated as BCD. The number of holes and the diameter of the bolt circle is what defines the bolt pattern. Now that we have the hub covered, let’s move on to the anatomy of the wheel.
Radios
They connect the center disc to the outer ring of the wheel. Spokes give the wheel structural integrity and are one of the main styling elements in wheel design.
The outer lip
It is the part of the wheel in front of the spokes. For the most part, the plate only comes into play when dealing with a large area. When the spokes are significantly spaced from the outer edge, the wheel is considered a deep sling wheel. This is done purely for aesthetic reasons. As the plate gets deeper, the face is more vulnerable to impact damage.
The barrel
Located on the outermost part of the wheel. It is what creates the structures necessary to mount the tire. The smallest inside diameter of the barrel is the center of drop.
Wheel types
In fact, there are 4 great series of wheels:
Full rubber wheel
This type of wheels is for light and medium loads, it has quiet operation, shock and vibration absorption, water resistance, great flexibility and little breakout force for super elastic rubber. Easy movement and adapted to the transport of fragile products.
Suitable for smooth and uneven floors.
Uses: trolleys for industrial handling outside and inside, dump trucks, hand pallet trucks, etc.
Polyurethane wheel
This is for medium and heavy loads, also with quiet operation, very easy maneuverability, no marks, resistance to abrasion, metal chips, tears and oils.
Indicated for smooth and slightly uneven floors.
Uses: industrial trolleys, towed or half trolley for manual displacement and heavy loads without excessive effort, food trolleys, textiles, chemical products, slaughterhouses, industrial sausages, cheese factory, mobile scaffolding, etc.
Pneumatic wheel
For light loads, silent bearings, maximum shock and vibration absorption. Suitable for soft and uneven floors and for handling delicate products.
Uses: two- and three-wheeled trucks, trolleys for indoor and outdoor handling in supermarkets and fruit and vegetable markets.
Plastic wheel: polyamide, polypropylene
Medium and heavy loads, very simple maneuverability, no marks, easy to wash, resistance to impact and wear, very little start-up effort, resistance to water, atmospheric agents, acids, oils and detergents.
Indicated for smooth floors
Uses: trolleys for indoor handling and in the food and canning industries, and in general for applications that require frequent wheel washing.
Uses of the wheel today
Wheels brought mobility to our daily life. All modes of our daily transportation, such as cars, bicycles, motorcycles, trains and even airplanes, need wheels to function.
The plane, for example, cannot take off without the wheel. The wheel in this case works like a turbine in engines and machines to give them a mechanical advantage.
In everyday life, the wheel is an ally. In rural areas for example, they use the wheel to extract water from the wells with the advantage of the pulley. Again, whether as a household appliance or in flour mills, it is the wheel that helps.
Even medical science also recognizes the importance of the wheel. An example is the wheelchair that has brought new life to the physically disabled due to the immobility of their legs.
Wheel usefulness conclusion
The invention of the wheel was undoubtedly a fundamental step in the evolution of human history, because it constituted a great technical advance for the time with great benefits in commercial operations. Today, this simple invention serves as a means of transportation in all sectors, which represents an important factor in the development of a nation; and even more, in synergy with the evolution of technological developments.
Dr. Samantha Robson ( CRN: 0510146-5) is a nutritionist and website content reviewer related to her area of expertise. With a postgraduate degree in Nutrition from The University of Arizona, she is a specialist in Sports Nutrition from Oxford University and is also a member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.