Pneumatic Tires
Most of the tires which have been used over the past 100 years have been pneumatic tires. They are constructed of rubber and allow for a way more comfortable ride compared to other types of materials. The contemporary transportation system of the world relies completely on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a durable rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motor vehicles like cars, trucks, buses, airplanes and motorcycles all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, 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 started 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 invented an inner-tube for a bicycle tire in 1888. This was when the word "pneumatic" began to describe tires.
Seven years after, in 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin made pneumatic tires for a car in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top producer of automobile tires. The very first U.S. company to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in the year 1900, the second United States company to produce tires.
Function
For the first part of the 20th century, pneumatic tires required a rubber inner tube 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 strengthen it and to define the tire's shape. 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. Inner tube is not required since the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's invention in the year 1948. The tires did not become commonly used until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.