#878: Gradugrip

Rubber is a magical material. Today’s invention is an attempt to make better use of its properties in a new form of car tyre.

In the top of the image, a car’s wheel is shown consisting of two discs, mounted on telescoping shafts and linked together by a thick rubber skirt. This allows low rolling resistance, which is good for fuel economy when travelling at a uniform speed.

When accelerating or braking, gas is forced rapidly down the gap between the shafts so as to inflate the rubber skirt into a cylinder, thus allowing much better contact with the road surface.

This obviously allows each wheel to experience a continuously variable degree of grip.