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 far more comfortable ride than other kinds of materials. The world's contemporary transportation system depends entirely on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a toughened rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motorized vehicles like for example cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and airplanes all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, like bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires begins with the creation of iron bands around wooden wheels. The utilization of solid rubber in the construction of tires started in the middle part of the 19th century. The very first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in the year 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who invented an inner-tube for a bicycle tire in 1888. This was when the word "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Andre and Edouard Michelin produced the first pneumatic tires for automobiles in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top manufacturer of tires for automobiles. The very first United States company 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
A rubber inner tube was used in all pneumatic tires in the first half of the 20th century to be able help 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 body of the tire. They require no inner tube since the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's creation in the year 1948. The tires did not become widely used until the late 1970s. Radial tires last longer and offer better fuel economy.