Pneumatic Tires
Most tires used in modern 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 relies completely on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a toughened rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motorized vehicles including airplanes, motorcycles, buses, cars and trucks all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles that are not motorized, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires begins with the invention of iron bands around wooden wheels. The use of solid rubber in the construction of tires began during the middle part of the 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" started to describe tires.
Seven years later, in 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced pneumatic tires for an automobile in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a leading manufacturer of automobile tires. The first United States company to make tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second United States company to produce tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was used in all pneumatic tires in 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 an angle or bias to define the tire's shape and strengthen it. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
The modern radial tire has been made with plies which run across the tire body. They require no inner tube since the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was a creation of the Michelin company in the year 1948. The tires did not become widely utilized until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires last longer and provide better fuel economy.