Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires that have been used during the last 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a way more comfy ride than other kinds of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world relies entirely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a kind of tire constructed of durable rubber and filled with compressed air. Motorized vehicles like cars, trucks, buses, airplanes and motorcycles all utilize pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, such as bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The tire started after the invention or iron bands used around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the middle part of the 19th century that the utilization of solid rubber in the construction of tires. 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 in 1888. This was when the term "pneumatic" appeared to describe tires.
In 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced the very first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top producer of automobile tires. The first United States company to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second United States company to produce tires.
Function
For the first half of the 20th century, pneumatic tires needed a rubber inner tube in order to hold the air pressure. Tires were made of reinforced layers of plies or cord covered with rubber. The plies were laid on an angle or bias to define the tire's shape and strengthen it. 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 require no inner tube as 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 utilized until the late 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.