Pneumatic Tire Definition
"Pneumatic" is a Greek word for "spirit". "Pneuma" means something that is filled with air. Nearly all tires you utilize or see today are more than likely pneumatic tires. In fact, most modern commercial transportation and private vehicles could not function without pneumatic tires.
Definition
Pneumatic tires as defined by Webster's on line dictionary are described as tires that are made from durable rubber, holding 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 Irish surgeon John Boyd Dunlop, who in 1888 developed the first practical pneumatic bicycle tire. In the year 1895, the Michelin brothers Edouard and Andre, the Michelin brothers were the first to use pneumatic tires on a car during a race.
Identification
Pneumatic tires are constructed of bands of plys or corded fabric. These plys are coated with rubber in order to hold air pressure. Bias ply tires have the plys overlaid at a certain angle to the other layers. Radial tires have all plys laid at 90 degrees to the tire body or casing.
Types
Inside tube tires, there are a kind of rubber inner tube to be able 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 sidewall edges which forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This eliminates the need for an inner tube.
Exceptions
The fact that pneumatic tires could lose air pressure and be punctured makes them unsuitable for particular applications. Tires utilized on forklifts, tires used in construction, tires utilized by the military are normally filled with resilient foam or constructed with solid rubber.
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