Pneumatic Tires
The majority of tires utilized in contemporary times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The use of rubber in tires enabled the invention of pneumatic tires which allowed for a more comfortable ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world relies completely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a type of tire constructed of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motorized vehicles such as motorcycles, airplanes, trucks, buses and cars all utilize pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, like for instance bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The tire began after the invention or iron bands utilized around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that the utilization of solid rubber in the construction of tires. The very first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in the year 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who invented an inner-tube for a bicycle tire. This was when the term "pneumatic" started to describe tires.
Seven years later, in the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin made pneumatic tires for a car in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top manufacturer of tires for cars. The very first United States company to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company established in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second United States company to make tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was utilized in all pneumatic tires during the first half of the 20th century to help hold the air pressure. Tires were constructed of toughened layers of cord or plies covered with rubber. The plies were laid on a bias or angle to strengthen it and to define the tire's shape. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
Modern radial tires are made with the plies running at 90 degrees across the tire body. They need no inner tube since the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was an invention of the Michelin company in the year 1948. The tires did not become widely used until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires offer better fuel economy and last longer.