Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires that have been used over the last 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a way more comfy ride compared to other materials. The world's contemporary transportation system completely relies on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a toughened rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motorized vehicles like motorcycles, airplanes, cars, trucks and buses all utilize pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, such as bicycles, also utilize pneumatic tires.
History
The tire began after the invention or iron bands used around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the middle part of the 19th century that the use of solid rubber in the creation of tires. The first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who invented an inner-tube for a bicycle tire in 1888. This was when the term "pneumatic" appeared to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin made the very first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top producer of car tires. The very first company in the United States 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 United States company to make tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was utilized in all pneumatic tires in the first half of the 20th century to help hold the air pressure. Tires were constructed of reinforced 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. They need no inner tube because the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was a creation of the Michelin company in the year 1948. The tires did not become commonly utilized until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.