Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires which have been used during the past 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are constructed of rubber and allow for a way more comfortable ride than other types of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world completely relies on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a toughened rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles like for example cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and airplanes all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, like for example bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The tire started after the invention or iron bands used around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that the use of solid rubber in the creation of tires. 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. This was when the word "pneumatic" appeared to describe tires.
In 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin produced the first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top manufacturer of automobile tires. The first company in the US to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company established in the year 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 utilized in all pneumatic tires in the first half of the 20th century to help hold the air pressure. Tires were constructed of toughened layers of plies or cord covered with rubber. The plies were laid on a bias or angle to define the tire's shape and strengthen it. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
Modern radial tires are constructed with the plies running at 90 degrees across the body of the tire. Inner tube is not necessary because the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was a creation of the Michelin company in the year 1948. The tires did not become widely utilized until the late 1970s. Radial tires offer better fuel economy and last longer.