Pneumatic Tire Definition
"Pneumatic" is a Greek word for "spirit". "Pneuma" means something which is filled with air. Nearly all tires you see or utilize these days are more than likely pneumatic tires. The fact is, nearly all private transportation and modern commercial transportation can not function without pneumatic tires.
Definition
Pneumatic tires as defined by Webster's on line dictionary are described as tires that are constructed from durable rubber, holding compressed air. Any kind of tire that 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 John Boyd Dunlop, an Irish surgeon, who in the year 1888 developed the first practical pneumatic bicycle tire. In 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 up 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 particular angle to the other layers. Radial tires have all plys laid at 90 degrees to the tire body or casing.
Types
In tube tires, there are a type of rubber inner tube 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 edges of the sidewall which forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This eliminates the need for an inner tube.
Exceptions
The fact that pneumatic tires can be punctured and lose air pressure makes them unsuitable for specific applications. Tires tires used in construction, tires utilized by the military, utilized on forklifts are usually filled with resilient foam or made with solid rubber.
![]() |
![]() |