Pneumatic Tires
Nearly all of the tires that have been used over the last 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a far more comfy ride than other types of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world depends entirely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a kind of tire constructed of durable rubber and filled with compressed air. Motorized vehicles like for instance motorcycles, airplanes, trucks, buses and cars all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires begins with the creation of iron bands around wooden wheels. The use of solid rubber in the creation of tires started 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 created an inner-tube for a bicycle tire in 1888. This was when the word "pneumatic" started to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced the first pneumatic tires for automobiles in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a leading producer of tires for automobiles. The first United States company to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in the year 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second company in the US to produce tires.
Function
For the first half of the 20th century, pneumatic tires needed a rubber inner tube to 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 shape of the tire. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
Modern radial tires are made with the plies running at 90 degrees across the body of the tire. They need no inner tube because the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's invention in 1948. The tires did not become widely utilized until the late 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.