Pneumatic Tires
The majority of tires utilized in contemporary times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The use of rubber in tires allowed the invention of pneumatic tires which allowed for a more comfy ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world relies entirely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a type of tire made of durable rubber and filled with compressed air. Motorized vehicles such as motorcycles, airplanes, trucks, buses and cars all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires starts with the invention of iron bands around wooden wheels. The utilization of solid rubber in the construction of tires started in the mid-19th century. 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 word "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin produced the very first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top manufacturer of car tires. The very first United States company to make tires was Goodyear Tire company established in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second company in the United States to make tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was used in all pneumatic tires during the first half of the 20th century to be able help hold the air pressure. Tires were made of reinforced layers of plies or cord covered with rubber. The plies were laid on a bias or angle to strengthen it and to define the tire's shape. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
The modern radial tire has been made with plies which run across the body of the tire. Inner tube is not required 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 widely used until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires last longer and provide better fuel economy.