On April 14, 1914, Stacy Gulick Carkhuff received U.S. Patent No. 1,093,310 on a Vehicle Tire:

Carkhuff’s tire was literally and figuratively non-skid, with raised letters spelling out NON-SKID providing the increased friction that improved traction:

Carkhuff was the Secretary of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company from 1905 to 1943, and a driving force behind its success. His tire design was a brilliant combination of functionality and marketing: