Pneumatic Tires
The majority of tires utilized in modern times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The utilization of rubber in tires allowed the invention of pneumatic tires which allowed for a much more comfy ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world completely depends on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a toughened rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles such as buses, cars, trucks, motorcycles and airplanes all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The tire began following the invention or iron bands used 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 the year 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who created an inner-tube for a bicycle tire. This was when the term "pneumatic" started to describe tires.
In 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 tires for cars. The first company in the United States to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second company in the US to make tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was used in all pneumatic tires in the first part 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 define the shape of the tire and strengthen it. 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 because the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was a creation of the Michelin company in 1948. The tires did not become commonly used until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires last longer and provide better fuel economy.