Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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Rick A
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Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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Almost every gauge since 1849 has come with a Bourdon tube inside. It's the metal tube that flexes when put under pressure and causes the needle on the face of the gauge to read the pressure. Here's a copy of his original US patent and some information about him.

https://blog.wika.us/products/pressu...bourdon-gauge/

https://bourdonusa.com/products/pressure-gauges


https://www.trainboard.com/highball/ind ... pg.208956/

https://www.trainboard.com/highball/ind ... pg.208957/



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... ourdon.jpg
Last edited by Rick A on Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Rick A
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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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geoff1944 wrote:
"Bourdon's original gauge was not practical for cold climates because the two ends of the tube, or "spring," were pointed down. Condensed water would drain out of the end which was connected to the steam line but would collect in the other end and freeze, bursting the tube. This design is called a "single spring" gauge because the tube is considered to be one "spring."

T. W. Lane patented an improvement to the Bourdon gauge in 1859 which solved this problem. Lane oriented the tube so both ends were pointed up instead of down. He then placed the connection to the steam line in the middle of the tube, at the bottom. Condensed water would then run out of both ends of the tube. This is called a double spring gauge because the tubes on either side of the bottom connection are each considered to be a separate spring."




"You could just rotate the gauge 90*".
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Attached is the lane patent.

Rick A
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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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And the last few pages.

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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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Interesting article about the guts of all pressure gauges. Who knew? And what good company he
was in.
interested in trains

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Rick A
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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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Yes, he was in good company. And if I ever visit the grave of Bourdon in France, I'll leave a small Ashton gauge on the gravestone!

Rick A
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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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The dead weight tester is the accepted way to check the accuracy of a guage. Here is an interesting article about the tester.

https://www.instrumentationtoolbox.com/ ... -with.html

Anybody ever use on of these?

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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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A few more.

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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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A nice comparison of the 2 types of gages.


Rick A
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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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A little more information on the Bourdon gauge and a picture of a Utica gauge.

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Re: Eugene Bourdon and the Bourdon tube

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A single spring Bourdon type gauge and a double spring Lane type gauge from my collection.

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