Thomson, Robert William

Lead Author: Cutler J. Cleveland (other articles)
Article Topic: Transportation
This article has been reviewed and approved by the following Topic Editor: Peter Saundry (other articles)
Last Updated: January 17, 2007

Robert William Thomson (1822-1873), a British engineer and inventor best known for his invention of the vulcanized rubber pneumatic tire in 1845. His tire was a hollow belt of India rubber inflated with air so that the wheels presented "a cushion...to the ground, rail or track on which they run." This elastic belt of rubberized canvas was enclosed within a strong outer casing of leather that was bolted to the wheel. Further development of the technology was abandoned due to cost considerations. Some 43 years later, the pneumatic tire returned when John Boyd Dunlop developed it as a bicycle tire. Thomson’s other contributions included the self-filling pen, improvements in steam boilers and steam gauges, steam omnibuses, and the application of steam power in land cultivation.

Citation
Cleveland, Cutler (Lead Author); Peter Saundry (Topic Editor). 2007. "Thomson, Robert William." In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [Published in the Encyclopedia of Earth January 17, 2007; Retrieved August 21, 2008]. <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Thomson,_Robert_William>
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