Pneumatic Tire Definition
The word "pneumatic" comes from the Greek word for "spirit" that is "pneuma" and translates to anything which is filled with air. The majority of tires you use or see today are more than likely pneumatic tires. The truth is, nearly all modern commercial transportation and private motor vehicles can not function without utilizing pneumatic tires.
Definition
Webster's on-line dictionary defines pneumatic tires as tires that are manufactured from reinforced rubber and can hold compressed air. Any tire which requires air pressure to hold its form is considered to be a pneumatic tire.
History
John Boyd Dunlop, the Irish surgeon has been credited to inventing the pneumatic tire. He developed the very first practical pneumatic bicycle tire during 1888. During the year 1895, the Michelin brothers Edouard and Andre, the Michelin brothers were the first to utilize pneumatic tires on a car during a race.
Identification
Pneumatic tires are made from numerous bands of corded or plys fabric. Plys are often coated with rubber which enables them to hold air pressure. Bias ply tires have the plys overlaid at a specific angle to the other layers. Radial tires have all plys laid at 90 degrees to the casing or tire body.
Types
Tube tires are a type of tire which needs 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 forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This eliminates the need for an inner tube.
Exceptions
The fact that pneumatic tires could be punctured and lose air pressure makes them unsuitable for particular applications. Tires tires utilized by the military, used on forklifts, tires used in construction are normally constructed with solid rubber or filled with resilient foam.
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