A New Wrinkle -- Safety on Wheels (1950s)

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:02][music] [music] >> Dan obeyed all the rules and regulations.

[00:00:53]He kept his mind on what he was doing.

[00:00:55]Said it was better to be safe than sorry.

[00:01:01]Dan paid special attention to the mechanical condition of his car, kept it greased and oiled, and took it in for a checkup regularly. And yet a thing like this could happen to him.

[00:01:14]How about you?

[00:01:16]A blowout is no respecter of persons, you know.

[00:01:21]Every day your newspapers carry pictures of accidents, bad accidents, many of them fatal.

[00:01:28]And many of them result from blowout.

[00:01:31]In fact, accident figures taken from reports from 30 states show that an accident resulting from a blowout or a puncture of a tire is twice as likely to result in death as an accident arising from any other cause.

[00:01:46]Why is a blowout so dangerous?

[00:01:49]Let's see what happens when a tire suddenly goes flat.

[00:01:52]Everyone who has had a flat while driving.

[00:01:56]Then one side or bead of the tire slips down into the center channel of the rim.

[00:02:04]When this happens, the tire either comes half off or it jumps crosswise of the rim and throws the car out of control.

[00:02:18]That's why people began to wonder if it wasn't possible to prevent such accidents.

[00:02:24]They turned to a study of the wheel itself for a possible answer.

[00:02:28]Why does the tire slip off the wheel?

[00:02:31]Because there is nothing to prevent it.

[00:02:34]section of one side of the rim, and even slant somewhat toward the center.

[00:02:40]Maybe that was flat.

[00:02:42]A wrinkle to raise the inside portion of the land blowout accidents could be prevented.

[00:02:48]So, they built a machine to put the grooves in a wheel.

[00:02:52]A machine that would roll a channel into the flat land to hold the bead firmly in place.

[00:02:58]It had to be a precision machine, but at the same time it had to be strongly built to do the job of squeezing the cold steel into shape.

[00:03:09]They put the grooves on several wheels, then took them out to a racetrack and tested them on various cars and at various speeds.

[00:03:17]The first thing they noticed was that a car equipped with these wheels seemed to handle more easily both on a straight stretch and on a curve.

[00:03:26]Apparently, the tires seated themselves more firmly on the grooved wheels.

[00:03:31]Mile after mile they rolled around, and they even let most of the air out of the tire to see whether or not they would stay on the wheel.

[00:03:39]They did, with never a swerve or a shimmy.

[00:03:44]Then the supreme test, to blow out a tire with a dynamite cap while the car was moving at good speed.

[00:03:52]There had been widespread interest in these tests.

[00:03:54]Here, safety officials pronounced the results amazing. And here is what they saw.

[00:04:01]Roaring down the track at 60 mph, the driver pushes a button that explodes a dynamite cap on the tire.

[00:04:08]The tire blows out.

[00:04:11]And the car comes to a quick, smooth stop. No weaving, no careening from side to side.

[00:04:18]Yes, the tire is flat, all right, but those grooves have held it fast to the rim.

[00:04:25]Time after time, the same test. The tire exploded with a dynamite cap at high speed, and yet even on a curve, where ordinarily a blowout means an accident, the tire seemed glued to the rim.

[00:04:38]The car remained under control, gliding to a smooth stop.

[00:04:49]Now, let's stop the action so we can see what's happening.

[00:04:53]Here, the dynamite cap has just exploded.

[00:04:56]Notice the spurt of smoke and dust resulting from the detonation.

[00:05:01]The explosion has torn a hole in the sidewall of the tire, a hole large enough to duplicate the effect of a blowout.

[00:05:08]A few feet and a fraction of a second later, the tire has lost a good portion of its air.

[00:05:14]This is the point at which a blowout on a standard wheel throws the car completely out of the driver's control.

[00:05:21]Note, however, that this driver has taken his hands completely off the steering wheel. He trusts those little wrinkles on that wheel.

[00:05:28]Note, too, the official observer seated beside him to make certain that the test is authentic. Another few feet and the tire is completely flat, but it's still firmly on the wheel and shows no sign of loosening under the terrific pounding it is taking.

[00:05:44]The driver holds one hand lightly on the steering wheel to counteract the natural drag that tends to pull the car towards its low side.

[00:05:53]And so, the car is brought to a safe, smooth stop.

[00:05:59]The experts could scarcely believe their eyes that regular stock cars could behave in such a manner.

[00:06:05]They inspected the cars thoroughly to make certain they had not been specially rigged. They had to be sure for here was something new under the sun, a simple way to save thousands of lives.

[00:06:17]Those little grooves could prevent accidents arising from a blowout. And the beauty of it is the grooves can be put in any wheels at small cost and without even scratching the paint.

[00:06:30]It's simply a matter of driving into a filling station or garage that is equipped with one of these machines.

[00:06:35]There the wheels are removed, the tires taken off, then each wheel is put on the machine by a technician.

[00:06:42]As the wheel rolls around, heavy precision rollers squeeze the grooves into the flat land, the dangerous spot in any wheel.

[00:06:50]The operator checks the diameter carefully with calipers as the work nears completion.

[00:06:55]Thus, for an hour's time and a few dollars if Here we see the Miracle Wheel in slow motion.

[00:07:14]Note the way the tire sticks to the rim.

[00:07:28]Yes, with Miracle Wheels, they have his car under control.

[00:07:35]And when he takes his family out for a Sunday drive, he knows that he has provided an extra bit of insurance for the safety of himself, his family, and his fellow man.

[00:07:48]And all because >> [music]