Pneumatic Tire Definition
"Pneumatic" is a Greek term for "spirit". "Pneuma" translates to something that is filled with air. Nearly all tires you see or use today are more than likely pneumatic tires. Actually, the majority of private motor vehicles and modern commercial transportation could not work without using pneumatic tires.
Definition
Pneumatic tires as defined by Webster's on line dictionary are described as tires which are made from reinforced rubber, holding compressed air. Any tire which needs air pressure to hold its shape is considered to be a pneumatic tire.
History
John Boyd Dunlop, the Irish surgeon has been credited to inventing the pneumatic tire. He developed the first practical pneumatic bicycle tire in the year 1888. In 1895, the Michelin brothers Edouard and Andre, the Michelin brothers were the first to use pneumatic tires on a car during a race.
Identification
Pneumatic tires are made up of bands of corded or plys fabric. These plys are coated with rubber to be able hold air pressure. Bias ply tires have the plys overlaid at a certain angle to the other layers. Radial tires have all plys laid at 90 degrees to the tire body or casing.
Types
In tube tires, there are a kind of rubber inner tube to be able to hold the air pressure. Motorcycle tires on spoke rims, bicycle tires and older bias ply truck and car tires utilize inner tubes. Tubeless tires have a stiff bead on the sidewall edges which forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This eliminates the need for an inner tube.
Exceptions
The fact that pneumatic tires could be punctured and lose air pressure makes them unsuitable for specific applications. Tires tires used in construction, tires used by the military, used on forklifts are normally filled with resilient foam or made with solid rubber.
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