Pneumatic Tires
The majority of tires utilized in modern times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The utilization of rubber in tires enabled the invention of pneumatic tires that allowed for a much more comfy ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world completely depends on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a kind of tire made of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motor 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 starts with the invention of iron bands around wooden wheels. The utilization of solid rubber in the construction of tires started during the mid-19th century. The very first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in the year 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who invented an inner-tube for a bicycle tire in 1888. This was when the word "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
Seven years after, in 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced pneumatic tires for a car in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top producer of car tires. The first company in the US to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company established in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second company in the United States to produce 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 toughened 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 constructed with plies which run across the tire body. They need no inner tube because the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's creation in the year 1948. The tires did not become commonly used until the late 1970s. Radial tires last longer and provide better fuel economy.