Even before the invention of the modern castor wheels we use today, history already has a record of how the ancient Egyptians used logs to roll the giant stone blocks used to build their pyramids. It might even come as a surprise that the first wheel, which is the basic inspiration for today’s beavers, isn’t even used to transport anything. It is believed that around 3,500 years ago the first Mesopotamians used wheels to make clay pottery.
The combination of “ancient technologies” used by the Egyptians and the Mesopotamians only emerged at the end of the 13th century, during the beginning of the Italian Renaissance period. The Black Death which killed almost half of the total population of Europe is said to have resulted in a massive demand for manpower. Labor has become very expensive and for the economy to prosper, employers have to look for alternatives to make up for the lack of labor.
It is supposed that this immediate need for manpower pushed the great thinkers of the thirteenth century to innovate. Since wheels have already been widely used for transportation during this period, it’s easy to imagine how the concept of using wheels to move furniture came to be. However, the use of furniture on wheels outside of Europe only gained popularity in the late 16th century.
The beaver wheels used during this period are made of wood or carved stone; it was the Germans who developed the first synthetic castor wheels made of a new type of rubber and plastic products. During World War II, Germany has to cut ties with the nations that supply the raw materials its industries need. To make up for this loss, they have to rely on their own resources. So, they began to produce products made of rubber and plastic, including caster wheels.
The new synthetic rubber material developed by Germany became the basis for many high-tech plastic products available to us today. In fact, it can be safely assumed that the makers of the best castors on the market today found their inspiration in castor wheels produced by Germany during the war.
It is very interesting to know that one of the simplest machines we use today has a very complex history. Spinning wheels came about after merging two ancient technologies. In order for it to be perfected, the wheels have to go through a whole World War!
