Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires which have been used during the past 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are constructed of rubber and allow for a far more comfortable ride than other types of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world relies completely on pneumatic tires.
A pneumatic tire is a tire constructed of toughened rubber and filled with compressed air. Motorized vehicles including airplanes, motorcycles, cars, trucks and buses all use pneumatic tires. Wheeled vehicles which are not motorized, like bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires begins with the invention of iron bands around wooden wheels. The use of solid rubber in the construction of tires started during 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, 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 car tires. The very first United States company to make tires was Goodyear Tire company established in the year 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second U.S. company to produce tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was used in all pneumatic tires in the first part of the 20th century to be able help hold the air pressure. Tires were made of reinforced layers of cord or plies covered with rubber. The plies were laid on a bias or angle to define the shape of the tire and strengthen it. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
Modern radial tires are made with the plies running at 90 degrees across the body of the tire. They need no inner tube 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 commonly utilized until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.