Pneumatic Tires
Most tires utilized in modern times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The use of rubber in tires enabled the invention of pneumatic tires that allowed for a more comfy ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world completely depends on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a toughened rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles like cars, trucks, buses, airplanes and motorcycles all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The tire began following the creation or iron bands used around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the middle part of the 19th century that the utilization of solid rubber in the creation of tires. The very first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who created an inner-tube for a bicycle tire in 1888. This was when the word "pneumatic" appeared to describe tires.
Seven years after, in 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin made pneumatic tires for an automobile in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a leading producer of automobile tires. The first company in the United States to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second U.S. company to produce tires.
Function
For the first half of the 20th century, pneumatic tires needed a rubber inner tube to hold the air pressure. Tires were constructed of reinforced layers of cord or plies covered with rubber. The plies were laid on a bias or angle to define the shape of the tire and strengthen it. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
The modern radial tire has been made with plies that run across the body of the tire. They require no inner tube as the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's invention in the year 1948. The tires did not become widely used until the late 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.