Pneumatic Tire Definition
The word "pneumatic" comes from the Greek word for "spirit" which is "pneuma" and translates to anything which is filled with air. The majority of tires you see or utilize nowadays are more than likely pneumatic tires. In fact, most modern commercial transportation and private vehicles can not work without 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 kind of tire that requires air pressure to hold its form 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 corded or plys fabric. Plys are usually coated with rubber that 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.
Types
Tube tires are a type of tire that requires a rubber inner tube 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 which forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This type of tire does not require an inner tube.
Exceptions
The fact that pneumatic tires could lose air pressure and be punctured makes them unsuitable for specific applications. Tires tires used in construction, tires used by the military, utilized on forklifts are normally filled with resilient foam or constructed with solid rubber.
![]() |
![]() |