Pneumatic Tires
The majority of tires used in contemporary times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The utilization of rubber in tires enabled the invention of pneumatic tires which allowed for a much more comfy ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world completely depends on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a reinforced rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles including airplanes, motorcycles, trucks, buses and cars all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles that are not motorized, like bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The tire began 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 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 in the year 1888. This was when the term "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin produced the very first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top manufacturer of tires for cars. The first U.S. company to make tires was Goodyear Tire company established in the year 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second United States company to make tires.
Function
For the first part of the 20th century, pneumatic tires needed a rubber inner tube to hold the air pressure. Tires were made of reinforced layers of plies or cord 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.
The modern radial tire has been constructed with plies that run across the tire body. Inner tube is not required because 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 latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.