Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires that have been used during the last 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are constructed of rubber and allow for a way more comfortable ride compared to other types of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world completely depends on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a toughened rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motorized vehicles like airplanes, motorcycles, buses, cars and trucks all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The tire started following 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 in 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 automobiles in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top manufacturer of car tires. The first United States company to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company established in 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 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 a bias or angle 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 that run across the tire body. Inner tube is not necessary as 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 widely utilized until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.