Pneumatic Tires
Most tires utilized in modern times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The utilization of rubber in tires allowed the creation of pneumatic tires which allowed for a more comfy ride. The world's contemporary transportation system relies entirely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a tire constructed of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motor vehicles including buses, cars, trucks, motorcycles and airplanes all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, like bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The tire began after the invention or iron bands used around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the middle part of the 19th century that the use of solid rubber in the creation of tires. 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 1888. This was when the word "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
In 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin made the first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a leading producer of tires for automobiles. The very 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 US to make tires.
Function
For the first part of the 20th century, pneumatic tires needed a rubber inner tube to hold the air pressure. Tires were made of reinforced 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 body of the tire. Inner tube is not required because the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was an invention of the Michelin company in 1948. The tires did not become commonly utilized until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.