Pneumatic Tires
Nearly all of the tires that have been used over the last 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are constructed of rubber and allow for a way more comfy ride than other kinds of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world depends entirely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a tire constructed of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motor vehicles including buses, cars, trucks, airplanes and motorcycles all utilize pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires begins with the invention of iron bands around wooden wheels. The utilization of solid rubber in the construction of tires began during 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 word "pneumatic" started to describe tires.
Seven years later, in the year 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced pneumatic tires for an automobile in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top producer of tires for cars. The very first company in the US to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company established in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second United States company 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 toughened layers of cord or plies 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 made with plies that run across the tire body. They need no inner tube because the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was an invention of the Michelin company in 1948. The tires did not become commonly used until the late 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.