Pneumatic Tire Definition
The word "pneumatic" comes from the Greek word for "spirit" which is "pneuma" and means anything which is filled with air. Nearly all tires you see or use nowadays are more than likely pneumatic tires. Actually, the majority of modern commercial transportation and private vehicles can not function without pneumatic tires.
Definition
Pneumatic tires as defined by Webster's online dictionary are described as tires that are constructed from durable rubber, holding compressed air. Any tire that requires air pressure to hold its shape 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 first practical pneumatic bicycle tire during 1888. In 1895, the Michelin brothers Edouard and Andre, the Michelin brothers were the very first to use 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 tire body or casing.
KInds
Tube tires are a type of tire that needs a rubber inner tube in order to hold the air pressure. Motorcycle tires on spoke rims, bicycle tires and car tires and older bias ply truck use inner tubes. Tubeless tires have a stiff bead on the edges of the sidewall that forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This type of tire does not need an inner tube.
Exceptions
Pneumatic tires could lose air pressure when punctured which makes them unsuitable for certain applications. Tires tires used 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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