Pneumatic Tire Definition
"Pneumatic" is a Greek word for "spirit". "Pneuma" 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 private transportation and modern commercial transportation can not work without using 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 that needs 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 the year 1888. During the year 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 from many bands of plys or corded fabric. Plys are often coated with rubber which enables 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 tire body or casing.
KInds
Inside tube tires, there are a kind of rubber inner tube to be able to hold the air pressure. Motorcycle tires on spoke rims, bicycle tires and older bias ply truck and car tires utilize inner tubes. Tubeless tires have a stiff bead on the edges of the sidewall that creates an airtight seal with the wheel. This kind of tire does not need an inner tube.
Exceptions
Pneumatic tires could be punctured and lose air pressure which makes them unsuitable for certain applications. Tires tires used in construction, tires used by the military, used on forklifts are normally filled with resilient foam or constructed with solid rubber.
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