Pneumatic Tires
Most tires used in contemporary times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The utilization of rubber in tires allowed the creation of pneumatic tires that allowed for a much more comfy ride. The world's contemporary transportation system relies entirely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a tire constructed of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motor vehicles including airplanes, motorcycles, buses, cars and trucks all utilize pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The tire started following the creation or iron bands utilized around wooden wheels. It wasn't until the middle part of the 19th century that the use of solid rubber in the construction of tires. The very 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 word "pneumatic" started to describe tires.
Seven years later, in 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin made pneumatic tires for an automobile in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top manufacturer of tires for cars. The very first company in the United States to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second company in the United States to produce tires.
Function
For the first half of the 20th century, pneumatic tires required a rubber inner tube in order 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 tire's shape. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
The modern radial tire has been made with plies which run across the body of the tire. They need no inner tube since 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 late 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.