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 comfortable ride than other materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world completely relies on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a tire made of reinforced rubber and filled with compressed air. Motorized vehicles like motorcycles, airplanes, trucks, buses and cars all utilize pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The tire began after the invention or iron bands utilized around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the middle part of the 19th century that the use of solid rubber in the creation of tires. The very first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who created an inner-tube for a bicycle tire. This was when the term "pneumatic" appeared to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin made the first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top manufacturer of automobile tires. The first company in the US 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 produce tires.
Function
For the first half of the 20th century, pneumatic tires required a rubber inner tube in order to hold the air pressure. Tires were constructed of reinforced 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 constructed with the plies running at 90 degrees across the tire body. Inner tube is not required as the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's creation in 1948. The tires did not become widely used until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.