How was the wheel invented?

According to ScienceABC , wheels are considered one of the most beneficial inventions for mankind . It is used in most modern transport modes, from rudimentary vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles, cars to trucks, trams, trains and airplanes. However, have you ever wondered how the wheel was born?

The invention is not inspired by nature

When studying the history of human development, you will find that most inventions are inspired by nature. For example, birds are the ones that suggest people invent airplanes, dragonflies are considered natural models of modern helicopters. One of the reasons people spend so much time inventing a wheel is because there are no similar examples in nature. Some people associate the shape of Flagella or the beetle. But the relevance between them and the wheel is very "loose" because they roll themselves as a form of movement but the body has no perfect circular or spherical parts like wheels.

Invent the first wheel

The wheel was originally not used for transportation, but it served for making pottery.

The wheel helps to reduce the burden of carrying heavy objects over long distances, it is the people who used to carry such heavy objects. After that, they started tamed animals like cows, horses, donkeys, camels and used them as transport vehicles. Gradually, men began to carry by pulling wooden planks with the help of animals. After a long time, about 3500 BC, an idea appeared in a community of wise Homo sapiens residing in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq). They cut a plate from the trunk and made a hole in the middle; The final product of this process is the wheel - one of mankind's greatest inventions. However, this wheel is not used for transportation, but it is for making pottery.

Wheels are used as a vehicle

After a short time using wheels to make pottery, someone came up with a way to use 2 wheels to create a trolley. People do this from the trunk, connected to a shaft fastened to the wooden podium. This is the first trolley in the world. In this cart, both wheels and axles move. The next improvement in the use of wheels is to fasten the shaft to the vehicle and let the wheel spin freely. The first wheeled cars were bulls, war horses and four-wheelers of the gods. Gradually, wheel spokes were invented around 2000 BC, greatly reducing the weight of the wheel.

Catherine Wheel - Death wheel

Death wheel - cruel torture punishment.

The wheel is very useful but it also becomes the cause of many deaths. In fact, in the middle ages, "breaking on the wheel" was a form of cruel punishment. A wooden wheel is used to stretch the victim. The arms and legs are fixed on the spokes, then smashed by a hammer or a large iron bar completely leads to death.

At the beginning of the 4th century, Saint Catherine of Alexandria was tied to such a wheel and pulled on the ground. According to legend, the wheel was broken and Catherine escaped. Since then, this penalty has been called "Catherine Wheel".

Wheel for permanent machine?

For centuries, scientists, mathematicians and even philosophers have tried to master permanent movement - that is, a device, when placed in moving conditions, will continue to move. , creating more energy than consumption. One of the easiest attempts to design this machine is to use wheels. The watermill wheel is an example of a machine that uses weight changes to rotate constantly. However, regardless of the design philosophy, all such permanent motion machines go against the laws of dynamics because energy cannot be created or destroyed (and part of the energy lost when thermostat switch works). Many patents for an eternal engine have been removed by the US Patent office because of its lack of practicality.

First patent on wheels

According to the records, James Macomb was the first to be granted a patent related to the wheel.

Although the wheel is an ancient invention, it is interesting to learn about the first patent relating to this great invention of mankind. According to the file at the US Patent Office, James Macomb of Princeton was the first to be patented in relation to the wheel when designing a horizontal hollow water wheel for hydroelectricity. Although the patent office acknowledges this patent, the original file of the patent was destroyed in the 1836 patent office fire.

As time went by, the wheels became more and more improved. Today, the rim and spokes of wheels are usually made of iron. Rubber tires and intestines are usually wrapped around them. Due to these improvements, the wheels have become lighter, more efficient and more durable. It is not too much to say that, with the help of wheels, the world is growing faster than ever.