Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires that have been used during the past 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are made from rubber and allow for a far more comfy ride compared to other materials. The world's contemporary transportation system completely depends on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a toughened rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles like motorcycles, airplanes, trucks, buses and cars all utilize pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, like for instance bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires starts with the invention of iron bands around wooden wheels. The utilization of solid rubber in the creation of tires began in the middle part of the 19th century. 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. This was when the word "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
In 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced the first pneumatic tires for cars in France. The Michelin brothers' company was destined to become a top producer of tires for cars. The first United States company to make tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in the year 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 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 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 an angle or bias to define the tire's shape and strengthen it. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
Modern radial tires are constructed with the plies running at 90 degrees across the tire body. They need no inner tube since the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's creation in 1948. The tires did not become commonly used until the late 1970s. Radial tires last longer and provide better fuel economy.