Pneumatic Tires
Nearly all of the tires that have been used over the past 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a way more comfortable ride compared to other kinds of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world relies entirely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a tire made of reinforced rubber and filled with compressed air. Motor vehicles like for instance airplanes, motorcycles, buses, cars and trucks all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, like bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires starts with the invention of iron bands around wooden wheels. The use of solid rubber in the creation of tires started in the middle part of the 19th century. The 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 in the year 1888. This was when the term "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin produced the first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top producer of car tires. The first U.S. company 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 US to produce tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was utilized in all pneumatic tires during the first part 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 an angle or bias to strengthen it and to define the tire's shape. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
The modern radial tire has been made with plies that run across the body of the tire. Inner tube is not required 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 widely utilized until the late 1970s. Radial tires offer better fuel economy and last longer.