Pneumatic Tire Definition
"Pneumatic" is a Greek word for "spirit". "Pneuma" translates to something which is filled with air. Most tires you use or see today are more than likely pneumatic tires. Actually, the majority of private motor vehicles and modern commercial transportation could not work without utilizing pneumatic tires.
Definition
Pneumatic tires as defined by Webster's online dictionary are described as tires that are constructed from reinforced rubber, that hold compressed air. Any tire which needs 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 very first practical pneumatic bicycle tire in the year 1888. In 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 made from many bands of plys or corded fabric. Plys are usually coated with rubber that enables them 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 casing or tire body.
Types
Tube tires are a type of tire that needs a 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 which creates an airtight seal with the wheel. This type of tire does not require an inner tube.
Exceptions
The fact that pneumatic tires are able to be punctured and lose air pressure makes them unsuitable for particular applications. Tires tires used in construction, tires utilized by the military, utilized on forklifts are usually constructed with solid rubber or filled with resilient foam.
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