Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires that have been utilized over the last 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a far more comfy ride compared to other types of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world depends completely on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a durable rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motorized vehicles including motorcycles, airplanes, cars, trucks and buses all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as 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 utilization of solid rubber in the construction 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" started to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin made the first pneumatic tires for automobiles in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top manufacturer of car tires. The first company in the United States to make tires was Goodyear Tire company established in the year 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 part of the 20th century to help hold the air pressure. Tires were constructed 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 that run across the tire body. They need no inner tube since the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's invention in the year 1948. The tires did not become widely utilized until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires offer better fuel economy and last longer.