Pneumatic Tire Definition
"Pneumatic" is a Greek word for "spirit". "Pneuma" translates to anything that is filled with air. Nearly all tires you use or see these days 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
Pneumatic tires as defined by Webster's on-line dictionary are described as tires that are constructed from reinforced rubber, which hold compressed air. Any tire which requires air pressure to hold its shape is considered to be a pneumatic tire.
History
The Irish surgeon John Boyd Dunlop has been credited to inventing the pneumatic tire. He developed the first practical pneumatic bicycle tire in 1888. During 1895, the Michelin brothers Edouard and Andre, the Michelin brothers were the first ones to utilize pneumatic tires on a car during a race.
Identification
Pneumatic tires are made up 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 casing or tire body.
Types
In tube tires, there are a type of rubber inner tube 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 that creates an airtight seal with the wheel. This eliminates the need for an inner tube.
Exceptions
Pneumatic tires could be punctured and lose air pressure that makes them unsuitable for specific applications. Tires tires utilized by the military, used on forklifts, tires utilized in construction are often constructed with solid rubber or filled with resilient foam.
|
|
