Pneumatic Tire Definition
"Pneumatic" is a Greek word for "spirit". "Pneuma" translates to something that is filled with air. Nearly all tires you use or see nowadays are more than likely pneumatic tires. In fact, nearly all modern commercial transportation and private vehicles can not work without using pneumatic tires.
Definition
Webster's on line dictionary defines pneumatic tires as tires which are manufactured from reinforced rubber and could hold compressed air. Any 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 Irish surgeon John Boyd Dunlop, who in the year 1888 developed the first practical pneumatic bicycle tire. In the year 1895, the Michelin brothers Edouard and Andre, the Michelin brothers were the very first to utilize 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 specific 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 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 edges of the sidewall which creates an airtight seal with the wheel. This eliminates the need for an inner tube.
Exceptions
Pneumatic tires can lose air pressure when punctured that makes them unsuitable for certain applications. Tires used on forklifts, tires utilized in construction, tires utilized by the military are normally constructed with solid rubber or filled with resilient foam.
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