Pneumatic Tires
Nearly all of the tires which have been utilized during the last 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a way more comfy ride compared to other types of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world completely depends on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a tire constructed of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motorized vehicles including cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and airplanes all utilize pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The tire started following the invention or iron bands utilized around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that the use of solid rubber in the construction of tires. 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 term "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
In 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced the very first pneumatic tires for automobiles in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a leading producer of automobile tires. The very first company in the US 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 make tires.
Function
For the first half of the 20th century, pneumatic tires required a rubber inner tube to 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 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 as the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was an invention of the Michelin company in 1948. The tires did not become commonly used until the late 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.