Pneumatic Tires
Nearly all of the tires which have been used over the past 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a way more comfortable ride compared to other materials. The world's contemporary transportation system completely depends on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a durable rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles including buses, cars, trucks, airplanes and motorcycles all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, such as bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires begins with the creation of iron bands around wooden wheels. The use of solid rubber in the construction of tires began in the middle part of the 19th century. 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. This was when the word "pneumatic" started to describe tires.
Seven years later, in 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced pneumatic tires for a car in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a leading manufacturer of tires for cars. The first company in the US to make tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in the year 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 part of the 20th century, pneumatic tires needed a rubber inner tube to hold the air pressure. Tires were made of toughened layers of cord or plies 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. Inner tube is not necessary as the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's invention in 1948. The tires did not become widely utilized until the late 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.