Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires which have been utilized over the past 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a way more comfy ride than other types of materials. The world's contemporary transportation system completely relies on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a kind of tire constructed of reinforced rubber and filled with compressed air. Motor vehicles including motorcycles, airplanes, trucks, buses and cars all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires starts with the creation of iron bands around wooden wheels. The use of solid rubber in the construction of tires began in 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. 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 Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top manufacturer of car tires. The first company in the United States to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company established in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second U.S. company to produce 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 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 shape of the tire. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
The modern radial tire has been constructed 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 the year 1948. The tires did not become commonly used until the late 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.