Pneumatic Tire Definition
The term "pneumatic" comes from the Greek word for "spirit" that is "pneuma" and translates to anything which is filled with air. Nearly all tires you use or see these days are more than likely pneumatic tires. The fact is, nearly all private transportation and modern commercial transportation could not work without utilizing pneumatic tires.
Definition
Webster's on-line dictionary defines pneumatic tires as tires that are manufactured from durable rubber and could hold compressed air. Any tire that needs air pressure to hold its shape is considered to be a pneumatic tire.
History
The invention of the pneumatic tire has been credited to John Boyd Dunlop, an Irish surgeon, who in 1888 developed the very first practical pneumatic bicycle tire. In 1895, the Michelin brothers Edouard and Andre, the Michelin brothers were the very first to utilize pneumatic tires on a car during a race.
Identification
Pneumatic tires are made up of bands of corded or plys fabric. These plys are coated with rubber in order to hold air pressure. Bias ply tires have the plys overlaid at a particular angle to the other layers. Radial tires have all plys laid at 90 degrees to the tire body or casing.
Types
Tube tires are a type of tire that requires a rubber inner tube to hold the air pressure. Bicycle tires, motorcycle tires on spoke rims and older bias ply truck and car tires utilize inner tubes. Tubeless tires have a stiff bead on the edges of the sidewall that creates an airtight seal with the wheel. This eliminates the need for an inner tube.
Exceptions
Pneumatic tires could lose air pressure when punctured that makes them unsuitable for particular applications. Tires tires used in construction, tires used by the military, used on forklifts are often filled with resilient foam or made with solid rubber.
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