Pneumatic Tire Definition
The word "pneumatic" comes from the Greek word for "spirit" which is "pneuma" and translates to anything which is filled with air. Nearly all tires you see or use today are more than likely pneumatic tires. The truth is, the majority of modern commercial transportation and private vehicles could not function without using pneumatic tires.
Definition
Webster's on line dictionary defines pneumatic tires as tires which are made from durable rubber and can hold compressed air. Any kind of tire which requires air pressure to hold its form 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 during the year 1888 developed the very first practical pneumatic bicycle tire. During 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 corded or plys fabric. These plys are coated with rubber to be able 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.
KInds
Inside tube tires, there are a type of rubber inner tube to be able to hold the air pressure. Motorcycle tires on spoke rims, bicycle tires and car tires and older bias ply truck utilize inner tubes. Tubeless tires have a stiff bead on the sidewall edges which forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This type of tire does not need an inner tube.
Exceptions
The fact that pneumatic tires could be punctured and lose air pressure makes them unsuitable for specific applications. Tires tires used in construction, tires utilized by the military, used on forklifts are often filled with resilient foam or constructed with solid rubber.
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