Pneumatic Tires
The majority of tires used in contemporary times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The utilization of rubber in tires allowed the invention of pneumatic tires that allowed for a much more comfy ride. The world's contemporary transportation system relies completely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a kind of tire constructed of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motor vehicles including motorcycles, airplanes, trucks, buses and cars all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires starts with the creation of iron bands around wooden wheels. The utilization of solid rubber in the creation of tires started in the middle part of the 19th century. The 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 in 1888. This was when the term "pneumatic" appeared to describe tires.
In 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin produced the first pneumatic tires for automobiles in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a leading manufacturer of tires for automobiles. The very first company in the United States to make tires was Goodyear Tire company established 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 part of the 20th century, pneumatic tires required 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.
Modern radial tires are made with the plies running at 90 degrees across the body of the tire. They need no inner tube because the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was an invention of the Michelin company in the year 1948. The tires did not become commonly utilized until the late 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.