Pneumatic Tires
The majority of tires used in contemporary times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The use of rubber in tires enabled the creation of pneumatic tires which allowed for a more comfy ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world relies entirely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a type of tire made of reinforced rubber and filled with compressed air. Motorized vehicles including airplanes, motorcycles, buses, cars and trucks all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles that are not motorized, 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 began during the middle part of the 19th century. The very first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who invented an inner-tube for a bicycle tire. This was when the term "pneumatic" started to describe tires.
Seven years after, in the year 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin made pneumatic tires for an automobile in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a leading manufacturer of automobile tires. The first company in the US to make tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in the year 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second company in the United States to produce tires.
Function
For the first part of the 20th century, pneumatic tires required a rubber inner tube to hold the air pressure. Tires were constructed of reinforced layers of cord or plies covered with rubber. The plies were laid on an angle or bias to define the shape of the tire 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 tire body. Inner tube is not necessary since 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 latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.