Pneumatic Tire Definition
The term "pneumatic" comes from the Greek word for "spirit" that is "pneuma" and means something which is filled with air. The majority of tires you see or use today are more than likely pneumatic tires. The truth is, most private motor vehicles and modern commercial transportation can not function without pneumatic tires.
Definition
Webster's on line dictionary defines pneumatic tires as tires that are manufactured from durable rubber and could hold compressed air. Any tire that needs 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 first practical pneumatic bicycle tire in 1888. In 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 from numerous bands of corded or plys fabric. Plys are normally coated with rubber that allows them to hold air pressure. Bias ply tires have the plys overlaid at a particular angle to the other layers. Radial tires have all plys laid at 90 degrees to the casing or tire body.
KInds
In tube tires, there are a type 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 use inner tubes. Tubeless tires have a stiff bead on the sidewall edges that forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This kind of tire does not require an inner tube.
Exceptions
Pneumatic tires can lose air pressure when punctured which makes them unsuitable for specific applications. Tires utilized on forklifts, tires used in construction, tires used by the military are normally constructed with solid rubber or filled with resilient foam.
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