The Evolution of Transportation Technology

The Evolution of Transportation Technology — page 7
Improvements on the wheel log The earliest wheels were disks cut from a log cleat Further improvement was made by sandwiching three disks with the wood grain crossing at angles of 60 degrees peg rim Wheels of larger diameter were made from three boards held together with cleats and wooden pegs peg fellie hub Stronger wheels were made by sandwiching two disks with the wood grain crossing at right angles The middle boards of the disks above led to the development of six spoke wheels with rims and large hubs to keep the wheel from wobbling 2012 Encyclopædia Britannica Inc Wheels developed over time They began as rough pieces cut from logs and were made stronger and easier to operate with the use of layered wooden disks followed by spokes pegs and rims simple wheel cut from a log Spoked wheels were stronger and wobbled less but they were suitable only for lighter loads The Roman Empire which covered large parts of Europe northern Africa and the Mediterranean islands needed advanced transportation methods for far flung trade and communications The Romans thus developed vehicles for a variety puppies of