Pneumatic Tires
Nearly all of the tires that have been utilized over the last 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are constructed of rubber and allow for a way more comfy ride compared to other types of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world relies completely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a tire made of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motor vehicles including buses, cars, trucks, airplanes and motorcycles all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires begins with the creation of iron bands around wooden wheels. The use of solid rubber in the creation of tires started in the mid-19th century. The first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who invented an inner-tube for a bicycle tire. This was when the word "pneumatic" appeared to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin produced the very first pneumatic tires for automobiles in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a leading producer of tires for cars. The very first company in the US to make tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in the year 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second company in the US to make tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was utilized in all pneumatic tires in 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 constructed with the plies running at 90 degrees across the body of the tire. They require no inner tube since the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was a creation of the Michelin company in 1948. The tires did not become commonly used until the late 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.