John Boyd Dunlop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Boyd Dunlop
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| Born | 5 February 1840 |
| Died | 23 October 1921 (aged 81) Dublin, Ireland
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| Resting place | Deans Grange Cemetery |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Citizenship | British |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Known for | Development of the pneumatic tyre Co-founder of the original Dunlop Rubber |
John Boyd Dunlop (born February 5, 1840 – died October 23, 1921) was a Scottish inventor and animal doctor (veterinary surgeon). He spent most of his working life in Ireland. He was good at making things from rubber. He invented the first useful inflatable tyres (called pneumatic tyres) for his child's tricycle. He then made them better for bicycle racing.
Dunlop later sold his rights to the inflatable tyres to a company he started with Harvey Du Cros. Du Cros was the head of the Irish Cyclists' Association. Dunlop left the company in 1896. The famous company named after him, Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company, was actually created by Du Cros.
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Early Life and Work
John Boyd Dunlop was born on a farm in Dreghorn, North Ayrshire, Scotland. He studied to become an animal doctor at the Dick Vet school, which is part of the University of Edinburgh. In 1867, he moved to Downpatrick, Ireland.
He was told that he was born two months early. Because of this, he always thought he had delicate health. However, he didn't get seriously ill until he caught a cold in October 1921. He was 81 years old and died unexpectedly. People described him as a quiet and gentle person who was confident in his skills.
In 1871, he married Margaret Stevenson. They had one daughter and one son. John and his brother, James Dunlop, started the Downe Veterinary Clinic in Downpatrick. Later, John moved his practice to Belfast. By the mid-1880s, his animal clinic was one of the biggest in Ireland.
The Invention of the Pneumatic Tyre
In October 1887, John Boyd Dunlop created the first useful inflatable tyre. He made it for his son's tricycle. He used his knowledge of rubber to fit the tyre onto a wooden disc. This happened in the yard of his home in Belfast. The tyre was a rubber tube filled with air.
He then rolled his new wheel and a metal wheel from his son's tricycle across the yard. The metal wheel stopped quickly. But the inflatable wheel kept rolling until it hit a gatepost and bounced back! Dunlop then put inflatable tyres on both back wheels of the tricycle. It rolled much better. He then made bigger tyres for a bicycle, which worked even better. He tested these new tyres at Cherryvale sports ground in South Belfast. He received a patent for his invention on December 7, 1888.
Dunlop didn't know that another Scottish inventor, Robert William Thomson, had patented an inflatable tyre much earlier, in 1847.
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Tyres in Racing and Business
In 1889, a cyclist named Willie Hume showed how good Dunlop's tyres were. He won races in Ireland and England using them. Hume was the first person to buy a bicycle with Dunlop's inflatable tyres. Dunlop suggested he use them in a race. On May 18, 1889, Hume won all four cycling events at the Queen's College Sports in Belfast. Soon after, in Liverpool, he won almost all the cycling events there too. Among those who lost to Hume were the sons of Harvey Du Cros, who was the head of the Irish Cyclists' Association.
Du Cros saw how great Dunlop's invention was. He became friends with Dunlop, and they started a company together. This company bought the rights to Dunlop's patent.
About two years after Dunlop got his patent, he found out it wasn't valid. This was because Robert William Thomson had already patented the idea in France in 1846 and in the US in 1847. Even so, Dunlop and Du Cros continued their business. They renamed a company in Dublin to "Pneumatic Tyre and Booth's Cycle Agency."
Dunlop retired from his animal practice in 1892 and moved to Dublin. He sold his share in the tyre business in 1895 and didn't get involved in the tyre or rubber business again. His only remaining business was a local fabric shop.
In 1896, Du Cros sold their bicycle tyre business for a lot of money. The company later became known as Dunlop Rubber in the early 1900s.
Dunlop's inflatable tyre came at a very important time for road transport. His company started making bicycle tyres in late 1890. Car tyres didn't start being made until 1900, after he had retired. John Boyd Dunlop did not become extremely rich from his invention.
Later Life and Legacy
John Boyd Dunlop passed away at his home in Dublin's Ballsbridge in 1921. He is buried in Deans Grange Cemetery.
Even though the original Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company no longer exists as a single company, the Dunlop name is still used today. You can find it on many products, including car parts, airplane parts, industrial items, and sports equipment all over the world. The Dunlop brand often sponsors big sports events like motor racing and tennis matches.
Since the 1980s, John Boyd Dunlop has been honored in Northern Ireland. His picture was featured on the £10 banknote issued by the Northern Bank (now Danske Bank). These banknotes are still used today.
In 2005, Dunlop was added to the Automotive Hall of Fame. This is a special place that honors important people in the car industry.
There is also a street named after him in the city of Campinas, in southeast Brazil. This is because a Dunlop tyre factory was built there in 1953.
See also
In Spanish: John Boyd Dunlop para niños
