Pneumatic Tires
Nearly all of the tires that have been utilized over the past 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a far more comfy ride than other materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world depends entirely on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a durable rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles such as trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles and airplanes all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, like for instance bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The tire started after the creation or iron bands used 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" appeared to describe tires.
In 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin made the very first pneumatic tires for automobiles in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top manufacturer of car tires. The very first company in the United States to make tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second United States company to produce tires.
Function
For the first part of the 20th century, pneumatic tires required a rubber inner tube in order to hold the air pressure. Tires were made of reinforced layers of cord or plies covered with rubber. The plies were laid on an angle or bias to define the shape of the tire and strengthen it. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
Modern radial tires are made with the plies running at 90 degrees across the body of the tire. Inner tube is not necessary since the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's creation in the year 1948. The tires did not become commonly utilized until the late 1970s. Radial tires offer better fuel economy and last longer.