Pneumatic Tires
Most tires used in contemporary times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The utilization of rubber in tires enabled the creation of pneumatic tires which allowed for a more comfy ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world depends entirely on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a durable rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles including cars, trucks, buses, airplanes and motorcycles all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles that 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 use of solid rubber in the construction of tires began 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 in the year 1888. This was when the term "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
Seven years after, in 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced pneumatic tires for an automobile in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a leading manufacturer of tires for cars. The very first U.S. company to make tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in the year 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second U.S. company to make tires.
Function
For the first half of the 20th century, pneumatic tires needed a rubber inner tube to hold the air pressure. Tires were made of toughened 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 as 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 late 1970s. Radial tires offer better fuel economy and last longer.